I think the fight against Knull has the potential to be better than the MCU fight against Thanos in Avengers: Endgameespecially if Sony’s Spider-Man Universe utilizes a particular superhero team. So far, Sony’s Spider-Man universe has only hosted three main characters – Venom, Morbius and Madame Web – with Kraven the Hunter prepared to debut the most openly villainous of this roguish cast. Unfortunately for Sony, these characters haven’t been as profitable as the Marvel hero after whom the franchise is named, casting doubt on the future of Sony’s film franchise.
In fact, Venom was the most financially successful character in Sony’s Spider-Man universe before Venom: The Last Dance ended his film career at Sony. Whether Tom Hardy’s claims that this is truly the last we’ll see of Venom are to be believed now that Knull – a distinctly Venom-adjacent villain in Marvel Comics – is Sony’s big bad remains to be seen. If he’s being honest, I have the perfect Venom replacement in mind that could be a huge win for Sony.
Venom 3 introduced Knull, an Avengers-level villain
Knull is a primordial god in the Marvel universe
Knull was finally adapted into live-action in Venom: The Last Dance as the absent arch-villain who sends an army of symbiote-eating Xenophages to hunt down Venom and his codex. Although Knull played a diminished role in his debut film, the Venom: The Last Dance the mid-credits scene all but confirmed that Knull would return to wreak havoc. To say the least, this is great news for Sony’s flagship characters.
Knull is a god of darkness, symbiotes and the void between the cosmosand is one of the most important and powerful villains in Marvel Comics. Knull’s power is distinctly godlike and enhanced by his legendary sword, All-Black the Necrosword, which was used to decapitate a Celestial and refined into the severed remains. He also dominated legions of symbiotes before they were imprisoned, as seen in Venom: The Last Dance.
If and when he is released into Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, nothing less than a force equivalent to the Avengers will be enough to stop him.
Knull’s main MO is to lead a dark crusade across the universe, exerting his divine abilities and symbiotes to extinguish the light brought by the Celestials. If and when he is released into Sony’s Spider-Man universe, nothing less than a force equivalent to the Avengers will be enough to stop him. Unfortunately, Sony doesn’t own the rights to the Avengers or any Marvel character that doesn’t fall under the Spider-Man banner. However, he has access to a worthy replacement team.
I Believe Sony’s Superhero Team Should Be a Live-Action Spider-Society
A team of spider people would be a force to be reckoned with
It’s no secret that the absence of any Spider-Man in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is cause for some frustration. Even when Lady Teia debuted two Spider-Women and Araña, all three were terribly underused and underserved in one of the worst-rated Marvel films. Sony’s animated Spider-Verse films, on the other hand, are among the best superhero films ever made. I don’t think it’s hard to see a correlation here – although it would be remiss to claim that the characters are the only thing that makes Sony’s Spider-Verse films so good.
Still, the point is that Peter Parker isn’t the only Spider-Man that Sony can capitalize on. Knull may be a monumental threat to the universe, but Spider-Man is one of the most powerful characters in Marvel Comics. Multiple Spider-People, each with a unique trait to bring to the table, is another thing entirely. Marvel Comics has pitted several characters (including Miles Morales) against Knull, with Venom leading the charge. In a cinematic universe limited to Spider-Man, the equivalent solution seems obvious.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse proved how popular and appealing an entire screen full of Spider-Man variants can be. In turn, Sony has proven it can handle the Spider-Man IP with just this movie and its sequel. Therefore, instead of introducing Knull to the MCU and thereby admitting that the character is better served in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony should emulate what they have already achieved and give us a live-action Spider Society spectacle. After all, it’s probably the only opportunity we’ll have.
Who could be on Sony’s Spider-Society superhero team
Aranhaverso proved that there are countless options
Sony’s Spider-Verse films have shown that despite their obvious similarities, Spider-Man variants can seem even more unique than wildly different superheroes. The list of comic book-accurate variants to choose from is mind-boggling, while the multiverse offers endless recruitment possibilities. Still, some familiar faces would be particularly suited to a war against Knull.
Madame Web Spider Trio
Anya Corazon, Mattie Franklin and Julia Cornwall got seconds of screen time disguised as spider heroes in Lady Teia – and they may have been the best seconds of the film. The trio deserves a second chance in Sony’s Spider-Man universe, with The King in Black providing that opportunity. What is more, it would be incomprehensible to know that these heroes exist after settling in Lady Teiaonly for them to stay out of the cosmic fight against Knull.
The Key Players in Spider-Man: Through the Spider-Verse
Miles Morales, Gwen Stacey, and Miguel O’Hara would all have a suitable role to play in the fight against Knull. Not only would adapting these Spider-Verse favorites to live-action be a huge draw, but there are also lore-based reasons to involve them. Miles Morales and symbiote-bonded Gwen Stacey were on the front lines facing Knull in Marvel Comicsfor example. Meanwhile, Miguel O’Hara is the lynchpin of the Spider-Society of the Spider-Verse, a role that could easily transition to live-action.
Peter Parkers by Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire
While it’s unlikely that Sony’s Spider-Man Universe intends to reintroduce Garfield or Maguire as the main Peter Parker due to their age, their recent multiversal excursion into Spider-Man: No Way Home helped prove its popularity. Instead of lessening the impact of that nearly $2 billion exit by having them appear again in the MCU Spider-Man 4Sony can capitalize on their star power by having these Peter Parkers help lead the charge against Knull.
Captain Universe
The Enigma Force is a god of light and the antithesis of Knull in Marvel Comics. The entity plays a pivotal role in Knull’s defeat when it teams up with Eddie Brock in a climactic hail mary against Knull’s insurmountable attack. Given Tom Hardy’s comments on Venom: The Last Dance being the titular antihero’s last appearance, however, it appears that Venom will be left out of the final fight against Knull.
With that in mind, the Enigma Force can still play its role by teaming up with another Marvel Comics presenter: Peter Parker. When imbued with the Enigma Force, Spider-Man becomes Captain Universe and possesses the godlike powers he will need to overthrow the dark god. Given that the comedic accuracy will have been muddied by Venom’s omission from the fight, there’s also no reason why the Enigma Force couldn’t relate to another character like Miles Morales.
I’m Confident Sony’s King In Black Movie Can Rival Avengers: Endgame
All the pieces are there
Confidence in Sony’s Spider-Man universe was shaken by the performances of Lady Teia and Morbius. The MCU’s handling of Spider-Man and countless other Marvel characters, however, has won much wider praise. Avengers: Endgame is a prime example, with the Russo Brothers’ climax to the Infinity Saga still seen as one of the best Marvel films ever made, with the biggest box office profits to back it up. Clearly, Sony is at a disadvantage – but I am not willing to resign myself to the notion that an adaptation of The King in Black is doomed to failure.
All I’m saying is that if Sony can replicate the quality of its Spider-Verse franchise, then a Spider-Man-filled King in Black adaptation could at least be on par with Avengers: Endgame.
Sony has a tough job, but the pure spectacle of King in Black has every chance of rivaling the visa in Avengers: Endgame. Furthermore, Spider-Man remains Marvel’s most popular character, and while there is a lot to be said for Marvel’s ability to highlight and popularize lesser-known characters like Iron Man, Sony is going for an easy win with a full screen of Spider-People. . All I’m saying is that if Sony can replicate the quality of their Spider-Verse franchise, then a full Spider-Man movie King in Black adaptation could at least be on par with Avengers: Endgame.
Release Dates for Sony’s Upcoming Marvel Movies
- Release date
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December 13, 2024