Right now, 2021 looks set to be the year of Spider-Man. The Coronavirus pandemic, and its associated lockdown, has shaken Hollywood to the core. The global box office has essentially shut down, with studios gradually rescheduling. Some are more conservative than others, of course, hoping the lockdown will be over pretty quickly, and normal service can resume by the summer. For all that's the case, though, a growing number of blockbusters are moving into 2021.
This has particularly affected the superhero genre. Both Disney and Warner Bros. are now expecting to release just one superhero film this year, while Sony's Spider-Man spinoffs have now skipped 2020 altogether. As things stand, next year, audiences can expect to see no less than nine comic book blockbusters, including introductions to characters such as the Eternals, Shang-Chi, Morbius, Black Adam, and Robert Pattison's new Batman.
Curiously enough, though, 2021 is turning into the year of Spider-Man. Whether as an independent studio or as part of its reinvigorated deal with Marvel Studios, Sony Pictures is intending to release no less than three movies based on Spider-Man characters. As things stand, Morbius is scheduled for March 19, 2021; Venom: Let There Be Carnage for June 25, 2021; and the as-yet-untitled Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 for July 16, 2021. It's a pretty packed slate, with more Spider-Man movies coming out in one year than ever before.
Even more exciting, these three films potentially interlink. Sony now appear able to use Spider-Man to connect their spinoffs to the MCU; as Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige put it, "[Spider-Man] also happens to be the only hero with the superpower to cross cinematic universes, so as Sony continues to develop their own Spidey-verse you never know what surprises the future might hold." The first trailer for Morbius contained a Spider-Man Easter egg that appears to signpost Spider-Man being framed for Mysterio's death in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and it even featured a brief glimpse of Michael Keaton's Vulture. Meanwhile, Venom 2 star Tom Hardy teased a Venom/Spider-Man fight on Instagram, well aware fans would be delighted at the prospect.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Sony's 2021 slate change a little, though, with Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 moving - probably to later in the year. It's now a little to close to Venom 2, meaning Sony's two Spider-Man films would potentially be competing. Meanwhile, Tom Holland has hinted production for Spider-Man: Homecoming 3 could be delayed. Holland has other commitments, including as star of the ill-fated Uncharted movie, which has been put on hold due to Coronavirus. Still, this is another Sony production, so they will be the decision-makers here; Sony is unlikely to want to delay a potential billion-dollar Spider-Man movie for a more risky game adaptation. That's especially the case given the Coronavirus-induced lockdown will have put pressure on the studio's profits, making them keen to make money again sooner rather than later.