Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s premiere properties, one that was out of Marvel’s Studios’ hands until 2016. Still having the split the difference with Sony Pictures, Marvel Studios has had the opportunity to capitalize on the IP by incorporating the character into their shared universe. However, this has caused the MCU depiction to be just one iteration of the multiple versions of the character across all media.
Tom Holland already has to compete with the Spider-Verse animated films being helmed by Sony, which feature another version of Peter Parker and has a host of Spider-People at its disposal to throw at the audience. It now seems that Holland might have more competition with being Spider-Man, after the head writer for Spider-Man: The Animated Series has revealed how ready he is to jump back into action.
A Spider-Man: The Animated Series continuation might never happen
Marvel has made good on its promise of reviving X-Men: The Animated Series, now rebranded as X-Men ’97. The trailer for the show was released with a lot of pop, amidst the announcement of The Fantastic Four cast and the trailer for Deadpool & Wolverine, making it one of the biggest weeks for Marvel in a while.
The show has sparked a lot of theories and wishlists, urging Marvel to bring back more animated shows from its past. Ranging from Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to The Silver Surfer, the fan demand for the return of these shows is quite high. Adding fuel to this fire was the fact that the head writer for Spider-Man: The Animated Series, John Semper, has gone on record to say that all Marvel has to do is give him a call and he will be back for it.
'Spider-Man: The Animated Series' head writer John Semper Jr. is open to continuing the show like #XMen97
"All they have to do is call me" 🕸️
(via @johnsemper) pic.twitter.com/sxWd3W2nV0
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) February 28, 2024
However, it must also be acknowledged that Spider-Man has his, media rights split between Sony and Disney, which means the decision to bring back the character could have consequences for Tom Holland‘s version of the character. Sony might also try to keep an animated property surrounding the Spider-Man IP at bay, given that it might clash with the Spider-Verse IP that Sony has been cultivating.
However, Sony reportedly wants to make another Spider-Man multiverse adventure
Rumors concerning a fourth Spider-Man film set in the MCU have revealed a lot of potential ways the film can go. Allegedly, Marvel wants to make a film that is more grounded and better suited to this new era of Spider-Man, while Sony is more keen on making a film that is some sort of multiverse adventure, similar to No Way Home.
In a scenario where Marvel’s version of the story wins out and a street-level Spider-Man film is made, Spider-Man: The Animated Series would be the perfect opportunity for Sony to create another multiversal Spider-Man IP, given that the animated series ended with Madame Web guiding Peter to find Mary Jane in the Multiverse.
In fact, Spider-Man: The Animated Series was the first iteration of the character to do a multiversal story, and was the direct inspiration for the Spider-verse as it currently exists in the comics. Sony may have its opportunity to create a second multiversal IP with Spider-Man, but its recent handling of Sony’s Universe of Spider-Man characters would make fans more than a little skeptical about keeping the Spider-Man IP with the studio.
