AceShowbiz - Sony's Spider-Man Universe, a standalone cinematic world featuring characters linked to Spider-Man from Marvel Comics, is reportedly being paused following the release of "Kraven the Hunter" on December 13. This universe commenced with 2018's "Venom," followed by "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," "Morbius," "Madame Web," and "Venom: The Last Dance."

Sales figures and audience reception for these films have shown a worrying trend. "Venom: The Last Dance," while grossing $472.8M, failed to match the earnings of its predecessors. "Morbius" and "Madame Web" performed even worse, with "Madame Web" making just $52 million worldwide on an $80-100M budget. This year's releases, including the budget-heavy "Kraven the Hunter," face an uncertain fate, exacerbated by low early tracking and hype measures.

Rumor has it, "Kraven" panel at Brazil's prestigious Comic Con Experience over the weekend was half-empty, adding concerns about the impending release of the anti-hero movie starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

According to reports, Sony's top talent agents and insiders indicate that the studio is shifting its focus to projects more closely tied to Spider-Man himself. "They've developed what they want to develop for now," a top talent agent told TheWrap. "It's really about the next Spider-Man film."

These remarks suggest that Sony is prioritizing the highly anticipated "Spider-Man 4" starring Tom Holland, the next installment of the critically acclaimed animated "Spider-Verse" series titled "Beyond the Spider-Verse," and a live-action "Spider-Noir" television series with Nicolas Cage. This strategic pivot aims to capture the successful formula of earlier Spider-Man films, known for their consistency and quality.

The continual decline in box office returns has brought Sony's strategic missteps into sharp relief. "Venom" succeeded largely due to Tom Hardy's dynamic performance, but sequels and spin-offs like "Morbius" and "Madame Web" lacked clear direction and failed to resonate with audiences. Poor narrative coherence and tonal inconsistencies across these films contrasted starkly with the well-defined Marvel Cinematic Universe.

"The biggest issue with the Sony Spider-Man spinoffs seems to be the lack of quality control. The movies just aren't good," a Sony insider told TheWrap. "Sometimes that lack of quality meets a movie no one asked for, which was the case with 'Madame Web,' and that is a no-win scenario."

Ultimately, Sony's ambitious attempt to capitalize on Spider-Man's gallery of rogues without the web-slinger himself has met with financial and critical disappointment. The shift back to Spider-Man and the Spider-Verse appears not only prudent but necessary to realign the franchise with audience expectations and critical acclaim.