'Spider-Man' Marvel Movie Canceled, Will Not Be Released: Report

Another one bites the dust.

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe appears to be shrinking once again, with reports indicating that yet another planned Marvel-based spinoff has been scrapped–the latest sign that the studio’s once-ambitious expansion around Spider-Man characters is continuing to lose steam.

Sony Pictures has held the film rights to Spider-Man and much of his extended Marvel character library for decades, a deal that has allowed the studio to develop its own projects outside of Marvel Studios’ direct control. While Tom Holland’s Peter Parker exists within the Marvel Cinematic Universe thanks to a landmark partnership between Sony and Marvel Studios, Sony has also spent the past several years attempting to launch a separate, interconnected franchise built around supporting characters and villains pulled from Spider-Man lore.

That effort — often referred to as Sony’s Spider-Man Universe–produced films like Venom (2018), Morbius (2022), and Madame Web (2024). While Venom found box office success, the wider universe has struggled to build consistent momentum with critics and audiences. Plans for additional spin-offs have steadily slowed or been abandoned altogether as performance and reception failed to match expectations. In 2024, the aforementioned Madame Web became one of the worst-performing movies in recent memory.

Now, another title appears to have joined the growing list of canceled projects.

Entertainment insider Daniel Richtman has reported via his Patreon (per The Direct) that Sony’s planned Spider-Woman movie is no longer moving forward. First announced in 2020, the project generated early interest when Olivia Wilde (Booksmart, The Invite) was attached to helm the film. The movie was expected to bring Jessica Drew–as well as potentially Daisy Ridley–to the big screen in her first major live-action starring role, positioning her as a new cornerstone character within Sony’s expanding Spider-related slate.

However, in the years since that announcement, progress has been minimal. No casting, production start, or firm release plans ever materialized, and updates remained sparse. With this latest report, the project now appears to have been quietly shelved.

The move comes after a difficult stretch for Sony’s villain-led and side-character-driven Spider-Man entries, culminating in 2024’s Kraven the Hunter underperforming at the box office two years ago. That result intensified scrutiny of the long-term sustainability of a shared universe that largely operates without Spider-Man at its center.

In the comics, Jessica Drew’s Spider-Woman is one of Marvel’s more layered characters, blending superhero action with espionage and sci-fi elements. Her reported cancellation underscores how dramatically Sony’s original universe-building strategy has shifted in recent years.

Importantly, this does not mean Sony is stepping away from Spider-Man on the big screen altogether. The studio’s most successful Spidey-related efforts remain its direct collaborations with Marvel Studios. The next Spider-Man film–Spider-Man: Brand New Day—is a joint Sony and Marvel Studios production starring Tom Holland and is slated for release this July as part of the MCU’s Phase Six slate.

Unlike the spinoff universe projects, Holland’s Spider-Man films are fully integrated into Marvel’s broader cinematic storyline and have consistently delivered strong box office and audience response.

With multiple spinoffs now canceled and fewer standalone villain or side-character films moving ahead, Sony’s separate Spider-Man Universe is increasingly pared down, while its partnership-driven Spider-Man entries with Marvel Studios continue to be the studio’s clearest path forward. That said, Sony Pictures will focus more on other Spidey-related projects, such as the upcoming Spider-Noir series starring Nicolas Cage.

How do you feel Marvel and Sony have handled the Spider-Man franchise in TV and film? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!