Sony's Spider-Man universe plans are expanding, with news of the studio developing movies based on Venom. It already looked like a lot was riding on Tom Hardy's symbiote's massive shoulders, but those plans expanded.
The spinoff that was supposed to directly follow Venom was a team up film for Silver Sable and Black Cat, but that project has hit some snags. In the meantime, there's been several updates on other potential spinoffs that could hit theaters, and now Sony has confirmed them.
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Variety reports that Sony is in fact developing solo movies for Silk and Nightwatch, both of which were reportedly in consideration before. However, they've also begun developing Jackpot, a solo movie for another female hero from Spidey's world. There's no additional information on any of the three films that Sony was ready to confirm, only that all are being developed as part of this shared universe and the studio is currently seeking writers for the scripts.
Sony announcing their intentions may be viewed as putting the cinematic universe before the first movie, but it at least adds some clarity to what they are thinking and planning. The biggest revelation is the inclusion of Jackpot, which was a character previously not linked to their plans. There's been two iterations of Jackpot in the comics, one being Alana Jobson and the other Sara Ehret. Since Alana's powers come from the Mutant Growth Hormone, it is unlikely that origin will be used if she is the version chosen for the movie. Sara is the original version of Jackpot too, but whichever version they choose, it is another move towards getting female characters to the screen.
Confirmation on Silk comes over a month after reports initially surfaced that it was a Spike Lee linked as a potential director. It has yet to be confirmed whether or not he'll actually direct the film, but it is farther along than these other two with a script in place. That all said, these plans won't mean much if Venom doesn't have the type of reception the studio is hoping for. Should the Hardy-starring vehicle receive bad reviews and flop at the box office, it is unlikely these three or any of the other possible Spider-Man spinoffs are made. This universe needs to start strong if Silk, Nightwatch, and Jackpot are ever going to hit theaters.
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Source: Variety
