Credit: Sony PicturesThe story of a young kid hailing from Queens, New York, named Peter Parker, who transforms into the iconic hero Spider-Man following a radioactive spider bite, is universally recognized. The famous Spidey mantra, “With great power comes great responsibility”, has consequently gained worldwide fame.
Marvel Comics’ well-known storyline introduces a beloved ensemble of characters and villains, including Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborn, the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, and Doc Ock/Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius, against the dynamic backdrop of New York City. Spider-Man’s story has undergone numerous reinterpretations across multiple media platforms, from animated adaptations, live-action films, triple-A video games and more. ‘Spider-Man’ has firmly solidified its status as a timeless classic within the realm of superhero storytelling.
But who exactly owns Marvel’s arguably most famous hero is a matter of confusion for many — Hollywood actors seemingly included.
The Confusing Effect of Spider-Man Ownership
Madame Web‘s (2024) narrative is poised to overturn conventional expectations and is expected to examine and scrutinize those well-established tropes closely. But while many might expect the Spider-Man-related franchise movie to debut within the realm of the other Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) live-action movies adapting Marvel comic book material (under The Walt Disney Company’s Marvel Studios), a confusing history of Marvel IP sales and cross-studio deals has complicated the ownership (and creative direction) of Marvel’s top web-slinger.
Related: ‘Madame Web’ Star Reportedly Furious With New Movie, Drops Talent Agency in Protest
After the news broke that Madame Web star Dakota Johnson (Fifty Shades of Grey) had dropped her agency, it appears as if fans are now uncovering a seeming trend where unwitting actors are being “duped” into Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) movie contracts.
X (formerly Twitter) user @hernandy_s did a little sleuthing and made a post that went viral, seemingly acquiring evidence alleging that Hollywood stars Sydney Sweeney, Dakota Johnson, and to an extent, Matt Smith (Lucien/Milo Morbius in Morbius), Aaron Taylor Johnson, and Bad Bunny AKA Benito Martínez Ocasio (originally slated for El Muerto), were all under the impression that they were signing up to the MCU and Marvel Studios, when they signed to their respective Sony’s Spider-Man Universe films.
According to @hernandy_s, the confusion around the Spider-Man IP was allegedly used to “dupe” actors into agreeing to “Marvel” projects, as screenshots of Sweeney and Johnson’s Instagram posts on their initial Madame Web casting and a quote from Bad Bunny’s GQ interview show the stars tagging Marvel Studios and mentioning the MCU movie “family”.
Smith’s Digital Spy interview about Morbius was also brought up, highlighting the fact that he had spoken to Guardians of the Galaxy star and fellow Doctor Who alum Karen Gillan (Nebula) who had recommended joining the Marvel universe — herself seemingly also unaware that Sony’s “Spider-Man Universe” was not the same as Marvel’s “Cinematic” one:
Omg they ALL thought they were joining the MCU ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
(continued) And here we have another one ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️
And here we have another one ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ pic.twitter.com/eaumvmH3a2
— Monkey D. Hernandy (Ted Era) (@hernandy_s) January 29, 2024
Unfortunately, that’s not all. The user continued to add to their viral post, citing Morbius‘ Tyrese Gibson as yet another actor under the impression that the SSU is part of the MCU (something Sony themselves denied).
Adding to the user’s increasing pile of evidence is Aaron Taylor Johnson’s recent The Hollywood Reporter (THR) article about his “return to Marvel” in Kraven after his Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) MCU character Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff died — something technically untrue (and unacknowledged by either party):
And how can we forget Tyrese Gibson
(Second screenshot unrelated, it’s just too fckn funny)
(continued) BRUHHHHHHHHH
BRUHHHHHHHHH pic.twitter.com/8dz5XXxZFL
— Monkey D. Hernandy (Ted Era) (@hernandy_s) January 31, 2024
All of this builds a convincing argument — one that appears to have won over 32K users, at the time of writing.
Why Are These Stars Seemingly Confused About Spider-Man?
When Disney bought Marvel Entertainment following the success of 2008’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark, the other Avengers (previously deemed Marvel Comics’ “less valuable” intellectual properties) also came along.
Unlike Marvel’s most popular IPs of X-Men (sold to what was then 20th Century Fox) and Spider-Man (sold to Sony Pictures), the “less popular” Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America/Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johanssen) and Hawkeye/Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) were able to be used by Marvel Studios to revitalize the superhero movie genre.
Considering the fact that Spider-Man continues to be owned by Sony, the franchise itself regenerated multiple times. First, it entered the movie-sphere as director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy starring Tobey Maguire, then The Amazing Spider-Man duology with Andrew Garfield, and then finally, as Tom Holland’s most recent Peter Parker, created under a special deal with Disney and Marvel Studios as part of the MCU canon.
To this day, Sony continues to maintain its right to produce Spider-Man films via the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse series and (of course) with its Sony Spider-Man Universe movies — of which Madame Web is actually a part.
So far, the Sony Spider-Man Universe currently features Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock in Venom (2018) and its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). The much-memed Morbius (2022), starring Jared Leto (Morbius), is also part of this same continuity. Aaron Taylor-Johnson will also make his debut as Kraven the Hunter in the upcoming Kraven, which will debut in 2024 alongside Venom 3.
Considering that Bad Bunny is no longer attached to Sony’s upcoming El Muerto, perhaps it can be said that stars are catching on.
Do you think these actors were led to believe they were joining the MCU instead of the SSU? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More on Madame Web
Madame Web, positioned as the fourth installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU), is slated for distribution by Sony Pictures Releasing. Director SJ Clarkson helms the film, collaborating with Claire Parker and the writing duo Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless to craft the screenplay to bring these Marvel characters to life.
Dakota Johnson steps into the role of Cassandra Webb/Cassie Webb, a paramedic and clairvoyant in Manhattan, in the upcoming Sony film Madame Web. After an accident, Cassie acquires psychic abilities that allow her to foresee future events within the “spider world.” Johnson was attracted to portraying a female character whose superpowers stem from her mind and was fascinated by the concept of glimpsing into the future while understanding the past and present.
Clarkson, influenced by the psychological facets of the character, underscores Cassie’s internal struggle with questioning her sanity. The film takes a departure from the comic book version of Madame Web, offering a distinct perspective. The ensemble also features Sydney Sweeney as Julia Cornwall (not Julia Carpenter)/Spider-Woman, Celeste O’Connor as Mattie Franklin/Spider-Woman, Isabela Merced as Anya Corazon/Araña, and Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel Sims, an explorer with enhanced abilities and future sight. Additional cast members include Mike Epps, Emma Roberts, Adam Scott, and Zosia Mamet in undisclosed roles.