Sony Pictures has attempted to mimic the MCU model with its own Spider-Man film universe, but things haven’t really been as successful, with several poor spin-off movies featuring members of the Spider-Man rogues’ gallery. Yet, none of those characters could ever meet or interact with the web-slinger, since a newly revamped version of Peter Parker, played by Tom Holland, was a definitive part of the MCU. However, Prime Video’s new live-action television series, Spider-Noir, sets up the perfect new direction for Sony’s Spider-Man universe.
‘Spider-Noir’ Exceptionally Focuses on Ben Reilly’s Story
In the very first episode of Spider-Noir, voiceover narration from Ben Reilly (Nicolas Cage) acknowledges the existence of the Spider-Verse, or perhaps the MCU’s multiverse. This suggests the existence of alternate realities from the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Versemovie series, which is also creatively handled by Spider-Noir executive producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Although series creator and showrunner Oren Uziel informed Empire that “The Spider” of the television series and Into the Spider-Verse‘s Spider-Man Noir hail from different universes, Reilly’s only allusion suggests that he’s previously encountered heroes or individuals from other dimensions, and perhaps even other versions of Spider-Man.
“Wherever I go the wind follows, and the wind smells like rain.”
The good news is that the existence of the Spider-Verse is not an integral part of the series. Following the prologue, Spider-Noir dives right into Reilly’s story, picking up long after his origins, at a time when he’s given up his superhero alter-ego after the death of his girlfriend, Ruby (Amanda Schull). Spider-Noir partially excels because it’s not worried about focusing on multiverse shenanigans, spin-offs, or setting up future projects. Instead, the series emphasizes Reilly’s emotional arc and his journey to rediscover himself as the hero he was always meant to be.
Future ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Offs Need To Focus on Other Spider-Heroes
In the future, Sony’s Spider-Man spin-offs should utilize Spider-Noir as the model by finding other interesting alternate-universe versions of Spider-Man and focusing on their respective storylines. Sony is already operating in its own corner of the Spider-Verse, independent of what’s happening in the Spider-Verse movies or even the MCU, so the projects themselves should be able to exist as standalones.
One of the major failures of Sony’s Spider-Man universe concerns its attempt to turn supervillains into antiheroes or solo leads in their own franchises, while being hindered by an inability to have them interact with the Wall-Crawler himself. Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter make vague allusions to Spider-Man, while Venom: Let There Be Carnage literally sets up a crossover between Venom/Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and the MCU version of Spider-Man that never happens. Comparatively, Spider-Noir abandons the need for any crossovers or sequel-baiting, given its self-contained storyline with a cool Spider-themed hero.
Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap
Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?
🕷️Spider-Man
😈Daredevil
🤖Iron Man
💀Punisher
⚡Thor
🛡️Cap
01
What drives you to do what’s right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.
02
It’s 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you’d think.
03
How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What’s yours?
04
How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.
05
You’ve lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.
06
What’s your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.
07
Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.
08
When you’re not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.
09
What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you’re honest about what you’re actually afraid of.
10
The battle is lost. You’re outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.
Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…
Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.
Queens, New York
🕷️ Spider-Man
You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.
You do the right thing not because it’s easy, but because no one else will.
You understand that responsibility isn’t a burden you choose — it’s one that finds you.
Whether it’s a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
Peter Parker’s lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn’t a slogan to you. It’s the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.
Hell’s Kitchen, New York
😈 Daredevil
You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.
You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
You’ve looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
Matt Murdock’s duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.
Stark Industries, Malibu
🤖 Iron Man
Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.
You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
Tony Stark’s arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you’re willing to give everything. Because in the end, you’re Iron Man.
New York City
💀 The Punisher
You’ve been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What’s left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.
You don’t ask for forgiveness, and you don’t expect gratitude.
You see a corrupt, broken world and you’ve decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
Frank Castle’s war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.
Asgard · Protector of the Nine Realms
⚡ Thor
Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.
You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
You’re larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
Thor’s story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
You bring the storm when it’s needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.
Brooklyn, New York · The Avengers
🛡️ Captain America
You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.
You don’t bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
Steve Rogers didn’t become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
Your strength isn’t in your fists; it’s in your refusal to compromise what’s right, no matter the cost.
In a world full of people taking the easy road, you’re the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.
The Next ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Off Is Obvious
Spider-Man 2099 in ‘Across the Spider-Verse’ walking toward the camera.Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
With Spider-Noir as the model, Sony’s next live-action or theatrical spin-off is obvious. Spider-Noir is set in an alt-history version of 1930s New York City, which imbues the show with a pulpy setting and a hard-boiled, film-noir tone. It’s far removed from any contemporary era, so it’s unencumbered by the need to reference current events or tie back into other elements of Spider-Man continuity. Just as Spider-Noir jumps back to the past, a Spider-Man 2099 show could offer a vision of the future. Since it takes place so far into the future, Spider-Man 2099 can primarily focus on Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man in the year 2099, who has never before been depicted in live-action.
Overall, Spider-Noir represents a positive step forward for the greater Spider-Man franchise, proving that an alternate reality version of Spider-Man can work in a live-action, episodic television format. Rather than trying to set up crossovers that may never come to pass, future spin-offs can tell a compelling, singular story about their chosen Spider avatar, without worrying about what will come next. Spider-Noir is proof that if you tell a good Spider-Man story first, the crossovers will probably end up writing themselves.
