Sony Plans Fresh Spider-Man Universe Reboot After Franchise Stumbles

Tom Rothman signals a strategic reset following a string of underperforming spinoffs.

Sony Pictures is officially pressing reset on its live-action Spider-Man extended universe. Studio chairman and CEO Tom Rothman confirmed that the company is planning a “fresh reboot” of the franchise following several high-profile box office disappointments, signaling a strategic pivot after years of uneven results outside the Venom films.

Speaking on The Town podcast with Matt Belloni, Rothman made clear that while recent spinoffs have struggled critically and commercially, the broader Spider-Man universe remains very much alive at the studio. When asked directly whether the live-action Spider-Man universe was effectively finished, Rothman offered a blunt response: no. Instead, Sony intends to revisit the property with what he described as entirely new creative direction and personnel.

The executive repeatedly emphasized that the next phase will involve “new people,” underscoring that the studio is not simply tweaking the existing formula but preparing a more fundamental overhaul. The strategy appears rooted in recalibration rather than abandonment, with Rothman noting that “scarcity has value,” suggesting Sony may intentionally create distance before relaunching the brand to rebuild audience appetite.

The decision follows a turbulent stretch for Sony’s Marvel-adjacent slate. While the original Venom proved to be a major global success and its sequels remained commercially viable, subsequent spinoffs struggled to replicate that momentum. Morbius failed to generate meaningful box office traction despite heavy meme-driven online attention. Madame Web underperformed both critically and financially. Kraven the Hunter delivered the most severe blow, posting one of the weakest grosses in the studio’s modern comic-book era.

Taken together, the results forced an industry-wide reassessment of Sony’s standalone villain strategy, which had attempted to build a shared universe largely disconnected from Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. Rothman’s comments now confirm the studio recognizes the need for a structural rethink.

Importantly, the reboot discussion applies specifically to Sony’s live-action Spider-Man universe and not the animated Spider-Verse films, which remain critically acclaimed and commercially strong. Projects like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequel have continued to bolster Sony’s Marvel credibility even as the live-action branch struggled.

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Rothman also used the conversation to finally confirm long-standing reports about Spider-Man: No Way Home’s absence from China. According to the executive, Chinese regulators requested that Sony remove the Statue of Liberty from the film’s climax in order to secure distribution approval. The studio declined.

Despite the film earning roughly $1.9 billion worldwide, Rothman suggested the China ban likely cost the movie the symbolic $2 billion milestone. He noted that removing the Statue of Liberty was never seriously feasible given how central the landmark is to the film’s third act, and indicated he had little interest in defending such an edit to U.S. lawmakers.

The revelation underscores the increasingly complex geopolitical dynamics facing global blockbuster distribution, particularly for Hollywood tentpoles reliant on international markets. It also highlights how close No Way Home came to joining the ultra-exclusive $2 billion club.

Looking ahead, Sony’s challenge is twofold. The studio must rebuild audience confidence in its live-action Spider-Man universe while also determining how closely future projects should align with Marvel Studios’ broader ecosystem. Rothman, notably, spoke warmly about Marvel chief Kevin Feige, placing him in the rare category of industry figures he would “never bet against,” alongside James Cameron.

From a coverage outlook, this reboot represents a meaningful inflection point. Sony is not exiting the Spider-Man business — far from it. Instead, the studio appears to be entering a strategic cooling period before attempting a more disciplined relaunch. The big ticket will always be the Spider-Man films hosted by Marvel Studios and Disney until renegotiation eventually starts like it always does, but this Slater films was possibly the most hit or miss in history, and if they learned anything from films like into the spider verse, they need to think outside of the box and straight away from the MCU and DCU style of franchise film making.

If executed correctly, the reset could restore credibility to Sony’s Marvel-adjacent slate. If not, the next wave of Spider-Man universe films may face an even steeper uphill battle in an increasingly selective superhero marketplace.