Sony Pictures planning “fresh reboot” of Spider-Man Universe, confirms CEO Tom Rothman

In 2018, Sony expanded its own live-action Spider-Man universe with Venom, launching a slate of interconnected spinoffs.

• Sony announces new reboot of live-action Spider-Man universe
• New Spider-Man films will feature fresh faces and characters
• Current Spider-Man spinoff actors unlikely to return

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After a series of underwhelming box office performances from its Spider-Man spinoff films, Sony Pictures appears ready to reset the board. Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman has confirmed that the studio is planning a “fresh reboot” of its live-action Spider-Man extended universe.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Town hosted by journalist Matthew Belloni, Rothman addressed speculation about the future of the franchise.

Matthew asked Tom, "Where are we in the Spider-Man franchise? Not the animated Spider-Verse. Is the larger Spider-Verse dead?"

Tom responded, "No," to which Matthew then asked, "Are you going to go back to those at some point?", to which Rothman responded, "Yes."

Matthew also asked if the new iteration of the universe would be a "fresh reboot" with "new people." Tom Rothman confirmed both ideas, acknowledging that the next wave of Sony-Marvel movies will feature fresh faces.

Later in the conversation, Rothman reflected on the broader challenges facing the superhero genre, particularly in light of declining box office returns. When Belloni asked about his perspective on the Marvel Cinematic Universe under The Walt Disney Company, Rothman discussed the evolving marketplace and audience fatigue around superhero films.

Sony has controlled the theatrical rights to Spider-Man since 1999. The studio first struck gold with Sam Raimi’s early 2000s trilogy starring Tobey Maguire. In the early 2010s, Sony attempted a reboot with Andrew Garfield in the lead, though those films received a more muted response.

A major turning point came in 2017 when Sony partnered with Marvel Studios to introduce Spider-Man into the MCU with Spider-Man: Homecoming, starring Tom Holland. The collaboration proved commercially successful and reinvigorated the character on the big screen.

In 2018, Sony expanded its own live-action Spider-Man universe with Venom, launching a slate of interconnected spinoffs. However, subsequent entries in the universe struggled with poor reviews and inconsistent box office performance, casting doubt over the future of the franchise.

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While Tom did not provide specific details about the reboot’s direction, his comments strongly suggest that a new era is on the horizon. It appears unlikely that audiences will see Tom Hardy return as Venom, Dakota Johnson as Madame Web, Jared Leto as Morbius, or Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven the Hunter in the next phase of films.

Though the exact blueprint remains under wraps, Sony’s intention is clear: the Spider-Man universe is not dead — it’s being rebuilt from scratch.