Say what you will about the quality of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige knows how to lead a hugely successful franchise. And it’s something that Sony may want to bear in mind, as a new report courtesy of The Ankler reveals that Feige has issued a warning to the studio regarding their Spider-Man spinoffs.

While the MCU does often receive criticism for its “conveyer-belt” approach to making movies, the franchise now has 29 movies under its belt, as well as several television shows. With each one largely being met with acclaim from both critics and audiences alike alongside financial success, Feige clearly knows what he’s doing. And the Marvel Studios boss has tried to pass some of this wisdom onto Sony. But have they listened?

“And yes, Marvel’s Kevin Feige does weigh in and offer notes on Sony’s Marvel movies that don’t feature Spider-Man. One insider credits Feige for guiding Sony’s approach and warning the studio not to get too ahead of itself in terms of building some larger universe in the vein of the Avengers movies.”

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Sony, who of course have teamed up on occasion with Marvel Studios for the likes of Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: No Way Home, are now just three movies into the spinoff series – and the wheels have already started to fall off. While 2018’s Venom was a big success financially, critics did not take kindly to the first outing of Tom Hardy’s symbiotic antihero. A sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, landed in 2021, and was met with similarly negative reviews and earnt less than its predecessor.

The most recent outing for the Sony Spider-Man Universe came in the form of Morbius. Starring Jared Leto as another tortured antihero and villain of Spidey…but without Spidey, the failings of Morbius are now so well-known that Deadpool 3 may make jokes at its expense.

Sony is Desperate to Launch its Own Shared Universe

     Sony Pictures

So, while Kevin Feige advised Sony not to get too ahead of themselves with their own Marvel movies, the studio has seemingly ignored his words. Instead, Sony is rushing to catch up with the MCU as fast as possible, with the likes of Kraven the Hunter, Madame Web, El Muerto, and Venom 3 already in development.

Sony’s attempts at stringing together the likes of Morbius and Venom with both each other and the MCU have been…mixed at best. Seeing that they have seemingly decided to take no notice of the experience words of Kevin Feige, it is unlikely that their multiversal aim will get much better going forward.

Aside from their warped world of Spider-Man spinoffs, Sony also has plans in place for Spider-Man 4. “Okay, so Sony may not have the biggest bench in terms of franchises, but it wisely made a deal with Marvel Studios to get its marquee character Spider-Man into the MCU, which helped make the studio’s solo Spidey movies must-sees, even more so,” the report continues. “And while plans are in motion for another Spidey trilogy starring Tom Holland, I don’t believe he has actually signed a deal yet, so those plans remain unofficial for now.”

Morbius is now available for digital download as well as on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Ultra HD.