Why Sony’s Untitled ‘Spider-Man’ Spin-Off Could Be A ‘Sinister Six’ Movie

7 minute read

By Riley Jones (@moviemanjones)

An untitled Spider-Man spin-off movie is in the works at Sony, and we have reason to believe it’s the long-awaited Sinister Six movie fans have been waiting for.

According to an earlier report by The Wrap, Roberto Orci (co-writer of The Amazing Spider-Man 2) has been hired to pen the script for the untitled Spider-Man project. The upcoming film will be apart of Sony’s Marvel universe but not the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As of publication, we have no idea which Marvel character the film focuses on, but we do know Orci’s story will follow a separate branch of the Marvel universe that only Sony has access to.

Where does this untitled movie fit into Sony’s Marvel universe?

Back in February, Sony announced an untitled Spider-Man movie was slated to release on October 8, 2021, though it has yet to be confirmed if this is the same movie Orci is working on. At the time, the untitled spin-off came as somewhat of a shock, given that Sony and Marvel had only just revealed the release date of the third film in the Spider-Man solo franchise. As a result, Sony’s untitled spin-off will arrive roughly three months after the Spider-Man: Far From Home follow-up opens in July 2021.

With Morbius arriving in theatres this coming July and Venom 2 in October 2020, Sony is fully expected to introduce a handful of new faces into their Marvel universe this year. The most anticipated addition of the bunch is Woody Harrelson’s Carnage, who will be making his official debut as the psychotic supervillain in the Venom sequel.

Source: Screenshot via Sony Pictures

Why Roberto Orci?

As mentioned above, Orci co-wrote The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) with longtime collaborator Alex Kurtzman and Jeff Pinkner. The movie was initially intended to launch Sony’s shared universe but the film underperformed and all previously planned sequels and spin-offs were scrapped – two of which were to centered on Venom and the Sinister Six.

Considering how things played out the first time around, commissioning Orci again might seem like a mistake, but his filmography says otherwise. Orci has co-written scripts for The Island (2005), Misson Impossible III (2006), Transformers (2007), Cowboys & Aliens (2011), and Star Trek Into Darkness (2013). He also co-created the sci-fi series Fringe with J.J. Abrams and Kurtzman.

Orci might not have been everyone’s first choice, but his familiarity with the source material is an asset, and now that he and Kurtzman are no-longer working together (on film projects), a more single-minded approach to the screenplay may be the right approach.

Was the Sinister Six movie ever more than just a rumor?

As a matter of fact, yes! In 2013, prior to joining forces with Marvel, Sony had planned on releasing a Sinister Six movie with Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, Bad Times at the El Royale) being eyed to write and direct. The project was later canceled when Sony began focusing on its new reboot with Marvel, but after Venom surprisingly grossed over $800 million at the box office, talks of reviving the Sinister Six movie resurfaced.

During a 2018 interview with Vanity Fair, former Sony chief Amy Pascal revealed the project is very much on the table so long as Goddard still wants the job.

“I’m just waiting for Drew to be ready to direct it. I would do anything with Drew Goddard. I’m just waiting for him to tell me he wants to.” 

Source: Screenshot via Lionsgate

Would Goddard return to direct?

While speaking The Hollywood Reporter to promote the release of Bad Times at the El Royale back in 2018, Goddard addressed why the Sinister Six movie never came to fruition and if he’d be open to returning in the future.

“It was really fun. I wouldn’t have done it had I not thought there was a real opportunity to do something different and exciting and just flat-out bananas. It was very much me and — a much more commercial version of — the Cabin mentality. The punk rock mentality that led to Cabin is very much at the core of Sinister Six. That’s a fun one. Who knows, it could see the light of day. It’s funny, I’ve been through a lot of volatility at a lot of different studios. Between MGM and Sony and Fox. At a certain point, you start to realize, “Oh, this is just a volatile business” and you try to stay afloat as the boat rocks back and forth.”

For those less familiar, Goddard began his career as a writer for Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias, and Lost. He later made his directorial debut with the 2012 horror-comedy movie The Cabin in the Woods, created Netflix’s Daredevil, and wrote the Oscar-nominated screenplay for The Martian (2015). Goddard is the real deal, and we can only hope he returns if Sony officially greenlights the project.

Why the Sinister Six and not Kraven the Hunter or Black Cat?

The untitled spin-off could very well be about Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Madame Web, Nightwatch, Spider-Women or Silver Sable – all of which have been discussed in the past – but with Holland’s third film set to release prior to the untitled project, a Sinister Six movie would actually make a lot of sense especially if one or more of the remaining members are established in the third Spider-Man solo film.

We do know Sony is planning to make a solo Kraven movie at some point, but now that Spider-Man’s secret identity has been revealed and framed for Mysterio’s death, Kraven making his debut and hunting the web-slinger during the third solo film seems like the next logical step. The addition of Sergei Kravinoff would also make it much easier for Sony to make the long-awaited Sinister Six movie a reality.

The thought of a Black Cat, Madame Web, Spider-Women, or Silver Sable solo movie sounds enticing, but we’d much rather have a female pen and direct the film. In 2020 alone, all four of DC and Marvel movies will be helmed by female directors – Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman sequel, and Chloé Zhao’s Eternals.

Source: Screenshot via Marvel Comics

Why the Sinister Six and not Kraven the Hunter or Black Cat?

The untitled spin-off could very well be about Kraven the Hunter, Black Cat, Madame Web, Nightwatch, Spider-Women or Silver Sable – all of which have been discussed in the past – but with Holland’s third film set to release prior to the untitled project, a Sinister Six movie would actually make a lot of sense especially if one or more of the remaining members are established in the third Spider-Man solo film.

We do know Sony is planning to make a solo Kraven movie at some point, but now that Spider-Man’s secret identity has been revealed and framed for Mysterio’s death, Kraven making his debut and hunting the web-slinger during the third solo film seems like the next logical step. The addition of Sergei Kravinoff would also make it much easier for Sony to make the long-awaited Sinister Six movie a reality.

The thought of a Black Cat, Madame Web, Spider-Women, or Silver Sable solo movie sounds enticing, but we’d much rather have a female pen and direct the film. In 2020 alone, all four of DC and Marvel movies will be helmed by female directors – Cathy Yan’s Birds of Prey, Cate Shortland’s Black Widow, Patty Jenkins’s Wonder Woman sequel, and Chloé Zhao’s Eternals.

Sinister Six, Assemble!

In the comics, the original team consists of Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman, and Vulture. Thus far, Sony has established Mysterio and Vulture, and with Marvel baddies like Shocker and Scorpion already in the mix, an adaptation featuring a slightly different Sinister Six is a real possibility. Not to mention, by the time the untitled spin-off hits theatres in 2021, both Morbius and Carnage will have been introduced and could easily fill one of the remaining spots, though we highly doubt Carnage plays nice.

Spidey fought a variety of giant elementals during Far From Home, and although they tuned out to be nothing more than Mysterio’s illusions, the thought of watching Spider-Man do the same with Sandman feels a little uneventful. On the other hand, Doctor Octopus should be a lock. Seeing as almost every iteration of the group of supervillains includes and was founded by the mad scientist, it’s hard to imagine a Sinister Six movie without the Doc Ock.

With that in mind, we believe Sony will establish both Kraven and Doctor Octopus in the third solo Spider-Man movie, setting the stage for a Sinister Six movie and a team comprised of Doc Ock, Kraven, Scorpion, Morbius, Vulture, and Mysterio (who we fully expect to return, somehow).

Source: Screenshot via Insomniac Games

Who should Sony cast to play Kraven the Hunter and Doctor Octopus?

As for casting, a lesser-known actor like Den of Thieves’ Pablo Schreiber or Danila Kozlovsky (Viking) would make the ideal Kraven. As for Doctor Octopus, Alfred Molina returning would be fun – having previously played the supervillain in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 (2004) – but if not, someone like Rainn Wilson or Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk could be interesting.

Would you cast to play Doc Ock or Kraven? Do you think the untitled Spider-Man spin-off will be a Sinister Six movie or one of the other possibilities mentioned above? Let us know in the comments below.

Riley Jones (@moviemanjones)

Contributor

Riley is the Managing Editor of Goliath. When he's not at the movie theatre or binging some new tv series, he likes to spend his time shooting hoops and play MTG. He doesn't like 'Breaking Bad,' loves 'The Simpsons,' hates mayonnaise, and has been repping the Toronto Raptors since '95. Follow him on IG and Twitter @moviemanjones.