10 characters from Sony's Spider-Man universe that deserve to be rebooted in the MCU after the end of the franchise

Marvel Studios may have the opportunity to reinvent many characters from Sony's Spider-Man Universe in the MCU, as Sony's divisive Marvel franchise is officially coming to an end. 2024 Kraven the Hunter will be the final film in Sony's main Spider-Man Universe timeline, as Sony will now focus more on the MCU Spider-Man 4, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse and the Spider-Noir series. Many will be happy to see the conclusion of SSU, which delivered disappointment after disappointment, but the franchise's most promising characters are also in danger.

While Sony's Spider-Man universe never introduced its own iteration of Marvel's iconic wall-crawler, the franchise explored the stories of some of Marvel Comics' Peter Parker villains. Unfortunately, lackluster scripts, uninspiring narratives, and some wooden performances meant that not all of these notable characters were given justice in SSU. With the franchise finally coming to an end after Kraven the HunterIt's possible that Marvel Studios could take these characters and make them much stronger alongside Tom Holland's Spider-Man in the main MCU continuity.

10

Madame Web by Cassandra Webb

Dakota Johnson debuts as Cassandra Webb in Madame Web (2024)

Launched in February 2024, Lady Teia was a huge disappointment for Sony and marked a regrettable debut for Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webba paramedic whose clairvoyant abilities lead her into battle against the egotistical Ezekiel Sims. Lady Teia made an attempt to tell an origin story for Marvel Comics' Madame Web, who is portrayed as an elderly woman who helps Spider-Man on several occasions. However, the film fell completely flat, full of awkward lines, bad visual effects, and a predictable plot that went nowhere and explained nothing.

Madame Web is an incredibly powerful character in Marvel Comics, but that hasn't translated to Dakota Johnson's portrayal. It would be great to see a more comedic version of Madame Web introduced into the MCU, especially since Marvel Studios could give the character his mutant backstory, which Sony couldn't. The MCU's Madame Web could become a fantastic and much-needed mentor for Tom Holland's Spider-Man now that he's alone in the world, offering him true redemption after Lady Teia failed to bring her to life properly.

9

Spider-Woman by Julia Carpenter

Sydney Sweeney debuts as Julia Carpenter in Madame Web (2024)

Lady Teia not only debuted Cassandra Webb in live-action, but also brought three formidable Marvel Comics Spider-Women to life, and failed these exciting heroines in the same way. While Lady Teia failed to capture the essences of Mattie Franklin and Anya Corazón, it was Julia Carpenter – renamed Julia Cornwall for the film – who was most disappointed. Sydney Sweeney was brilliantly cast for this role, but Madame Web Julia Cornwall lacked the confidence, charisma, ferocity, and strength of Marvel Comics' Julia Carpenter.

Julia Carpenter was the second Marvel Comics character to adopt the Spider-Woman moniker, following Jessica Drew, and she has become one of the most popular and notable bearers of the title. She became a member of the Avengers and Omega Flight, and eventually became the new Madame Web.and this entire story could be explored with a proper representation of Julia Carpenter in the MCU. There are hopes that Sydney Sweeney will be cast in an MCU role, and it would be great to see her play Julia Carpenter's Spider-Woman, honestly.

8

The Carnage of Cletus Kasady

Woody Harrelson debuted as Cletus Kasady in Venom (2018)

Despite including disappointing episodes, Sony's Spider-Man Universe attracted some extremely talented actors, including Woody Harrelson. Harrelson debuted as Cletus Kasady in Poison post-credits scene, and had a larger role as host of the Symbiote known as Carnage in 2021 Venom: Let There Be Carnage. THE Poison the trilogy was SSU's most successful and popular franchise, but even those films had noticeable flawsso it would be great to see Carnage reinvented for the MCU.

This would give psychopathic serial killer Cletus Kasady a chance to explore some of his darker Marvel Comics stories that have been ignored in Venom: Let There Be Carnage. This could include his evolution into Dark Carnage and his connection to Knull, the creator of the Symbiotes.which could make him Spider-Man's most terrifying and powerful villain yet. It would, of course, be great to see Woody Harrelson back as Kasady and Carnage, although a more stoic and sinister actor could also take on this frightening role in the future of the MCU.

7

The Foreigner

Christopher Abbott debuted as an alien in Kraven The Hunter (2024)

The Foreigner is one of Marvel's Spider-Man's most mysterious and intriguing villainsas he doesn't have superhuman abilities in Marvel Comics, but has spent years training to get his body in perfect physical condition, which makes him a formidable threat to the wall-crawler. With connections to many other powerful Spider-Man villains, the Alien was almost an exciting addition to the 2024 film Kraven the Hunter cast. However, Christopher Abbott didn't deliver on the magnetism and mystery of Marvel Comics' Foreigner.

In the comics, the Foreigner is portrayed as one of the most competent and skilled assassins on Earth. In Kraven the Hunterhowever, Abbott's minor villain was hastily killed by Calypso after making very little impact. This was a monumental disappointment and he was just one of several iconic villains who did not survive the events of Kraven the Huntereach of which could be reinvented for the MCU. The Alien may be one of Spider-Man's oldest and most intriguing enemies in the MCU, so there are hopes that he will return with a vengeance.

6

Dr. Michael Morbius

Jared Leto debuted as Michael Morbius in Morbius (2022)

On paper, Marvel Comics' adaptation of Morbius, the Living Vampire should have worked perfectly, but Jared Leto's dull performance of the comics' vibrant and dark supernatural antihero completely flopped. 2022 Morbiusin the same way as Lady Teia (both had the same writers), was filled with awkward moments and a nonsensical narrativewhich meant that Michael Morbius himself didn't reach his full potential. Morbius is one of Marvel's most beloved monstrous characters, so it was a shame that his live-action debut failed so spectacularly.

Marvel Studios has recently been paying more attention to the MCU's more supernatural characters, including Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, Dane Whitman, Agatha Harkness, and, soon, Blade. This has spurred theories that the MCU is assembling a live-action Midnight Sons team, of which Morbius is a key member in Marvel Comics. It would be great to see the Living Vampire reinvented for the MCU, removing him completely from Jared Leto's portrayal and prepare him to be a powerful asset to the Midnight Sons.

5

The Chameleon by Dmitri Kravinoff

Fred Hechinger debuted as Dmitri Kravinoff in Kraven The Hunter (2024)

Despite being the last film in Sony's Spider-Man universe, Kraven the Hunter seemed to tease Dmitri Kravinoff's Chameleon as a more prominent villain in future films. The character of Fred Hechinger, brother of Kraven the Hunter himself, did not demonstrate his shape-shifting abilities until the end of the 2024 filmafter being enhanced by the doctor who experimented on Aleksei Sytsevich, the Jackal. Unfortunately, it appears that audiences may not see the next chapter in this Chameleon's story, but Marvel Studios could develop this iconic villain further.

The Chameleon was Spider-Man's first adversary in Marvel Comics, debuting in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 in 1963so it would be brilliant to see him properly adapted into the MCU. 2019 Spider-Man: Far From Home saw Numan Acar play a member of Nick Fury's team named Dimitri, spurring theories that he could become the MCU's Chameleon, but that has yet to occur. This could be a possible storyline Marvel pursues in Tom Holland's next film Spider-Man trilogy, reinventing the Chameleon after its lackluster Kraven the Hunter debut.

4

Ben Parker

Adam Scott debuts as Ben Parker in Madame Web (2024)

Uncle Ben has often been portrayed as one of the most important characters in Peter Parker's evolution into Spider-Man, so it was brilliant to see Adam Scott bring Ben Parker to life in Lady Teia. He was one of the most welcome and enjoyable aspects of the 2024 film, and showed how great it would be to see Uncle Ben in the MCU, as Marvel Studios introduced Tom Holland's Spider-Man after Ben had already passed away. It would be great to see Peter Parker's origin story explored in the MCU, finally starring Uncle Ben.

In Lady TeiaBen Parker was portrayed as the best friend and paramedic partner of Cassandra Webb, and brother-in-law to Emma Roberts' Mary Parker, Peter Parker's mother. Adam Scott brought lightness, lightness and a fatherly tone to the role, which would be amazing to see replicated in the MCUperhaps with Scott reprising the role. This could see him appear in flashbacks alongside Marisa Tomei, who played Aunt May between Captain America: Civil War and Spider-Man: No Way Homeallowing the MCU to further develop the relationship between Spider-Man and his family.

3

Kraven the Hunter by Sergei Kravinoff

Aaron Taylor-Johnson debuts as Sergei Kravinoff in Kraven The Hunter (2024)

Although there are several characters from Kraven the Hunter that could be reinvented in the MCU, perhaps none are more prominent than Kraven the Hunter himself, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Sergei Kravinoff. Taylor-Johnson did the best job he could in the 2024 film, deftly delivering action sequences and bringing fun and intensity to the role, but was let down by a poor script and lackluster plot, which became a recurring theme on SSU. Kraven the Hunter would also have benefited from the inclusion of Spider-Man, Kraven's greatest enemy in Marvel Comics.

Moving Kraven the Hunter into the MCU after his failed SSU debut would give him the chance to face off against Spider-Man, which many would love to see. Kraven almost appeared in the MCU several times, most notably in Ryan Coogler's film. Black Panther franchisebut Sony has always blocked this inclusion. Perhaps, now that SSU is over, Sony will allow Kraven the Hunter to be integrated into the MCU, although it's unclear whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson will reprise the role, considering his former role as Quicksilver in the MCU.

2

Knull

Andy Serkis debuted as Knull in Venom: The Last Dance (2024)

Knull, the creator of the Symbiotes, is one of Marvel Comics' newest and most formidable villains, introduced in 2018. Poison (Vol. 4) #3. Knull, a primordial cosmic being, was nicknamed the King in Black by the first Celestials, charged with maintaining the universe, but he renounced this role and wanted to use his new symbiotes to spread darkness. Eventually, however, his symbiotes turned against him and imprisoned him, which was adapted for 2024 Venom: The Last Dancewho saw the ex Poison film director Andy Serkis plays the supervillain.

Venom: The Last Dance routinely provoked Knull by escaping his prison using the Codex inside Eddie Brock and Venom, but Venom's sacrifice made this impossible. Strangely, Knull still provoked his escape, even though there is now no codex. Confusing plot aside, Knull is a powerful multiversal villain in Marvel Comics, so it would make a lot of sense for him to move into the MCU proper.especially since there's still a piece of the Venom Symbiote residing in the MCU. Knull could be the MCU's next Thanos-level villain, which is very exciting.

1

Eddie Brock and Venom

Tom Hardy debuted as Eddie Brock in Venom (2018)

Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock was the only SSU character to receive an entire trilogy, comprising half of the Marvel film franchise. Journalist Brock became the host of Venom Symbiote in 2018 Poisonand subsequently fought the likes of Riot, Carnage, Shriek, and an army of Xenophages before Venom seemingly sacrificed his life and left Brock alone. Unfortunately, even though Venom was Sony's most popular Marvel character, SSU still did very little with the popular Marvel Comics villain-turned-antihero, but Marvel Studios can do better.

Doctor Strange's spell on Spider-Man: No Way Home also pulled Eddie Brock and Venom into the MCU. After hanging out at a Mexican bar, Brock and Venom were sent home, but not before leaving a piece of the Symbiote in the MCU, creating the perfect opportunity for Venom to be fully integrated into the MCU.despite his death in Venom: The Last Dance. This could lead to Spider-Man receiving his much-desired black suit and introducing Venom to many of his other related Marvel Comcis characters, giving him more attention than he's ever received. Sony's Spider-Man Universe.

• Release date

  February 14, 2025
  

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  July 25, 2025
  

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  July 24, 2026