Sony's Sinister Six Movie Will Be Better Because Of No Way Home's Villains
Sony is now actively setting up a Sinister Six movie after Morbius' divisive post-credits scene, but there'll be a big difference thanks to NWH.
Despite Spider-Man: No Way Home beating Sony's Sinister Six movie to the punch, Tom Holland's multiverse crossover could actually make the villain team-up even better. Morbius' post-credits scenes have now confirmed how the Sinister Six will be set up and at least two members, and the team-up movie can expand on No Way Home's ideas about complex villain morality to turn out as a success.
Ever since Sony rebooted the Spider-Man franchise, this time in association with Marvel Studios, they have been digging deeper into the character's rogues' gallery compared to the last two franchises. And while the MCU's Spider-Man has progressed forward, Sony has also been occupied with setting up their own Marvel-inspired universe. The so-called Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters has been relying on iconic Spider-Man villains as they have been getting their own movies, but without the web-slinger's involvement. Despite Venom and Morbius appearing as anti-heroes, there's a good chance both will now be part of a new Sinister Six.
Crucially, No Way Home refused to paint its iconic Spider-Man villains as black and white. Each was explored in terms of their past trauma, including Green Goblin, changing the perception of them and making Peter Parker confront his own thoughts on the villains he fights. That might pose a problem for future Spider-Man movies (unless someone purely evil comes along), but it can also be the launch point for making Sony's Sinister Six movie even more interesting.
While The Amazing Spider-Man franchise was originally set to include a Sinister Six spinoff film, but when Andrew Garfield's series was canceled it was the MCU where the villainous group was truly set up. Since Spider-Man: Homecoming, Marvel Studios and Sony have not wasted any time in pulling in as many members of the Sinister Six as possible even without an explicit plan or even a name drop. In the first installment, Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. the Vulture, served as Peter's first big bad while other Sinister Six villains from the comics like Scorpion and Shocker played a part. Even though they had smaller parts, Herman Schultz and Mac Gargan, a.k.a. Shocker and Scorpion, got their MCU debuts. Spider-Man: Far From Home then included Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio for another Six member.
And then came Spider-Man: No Way Home, which used the multiverse to establish an MCU Sinister Six without the usual number of participants. Doctor Octopus, Electro, Lizard, Sandman, and Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin all came together to create a formidable tea, that required the 3 Spider-Man variants to work together to take down. While they weren't called the Sinister Six, the team was presumed to be heading for that build-up even before No Way Home was released and they effectively played that part in the movie's plot.
While No Way Home introduced a version of the Sinister Six for the MCU's Spider-Man, the SPUMC is assembling a different team of Spidey villains, but with a twist. Even though Venom is traditionally known for being one of Spider-Man's biggest enemies, the Symbiote-based character has shifted into an antihero status in the comics and his movie universe too. Despite Spider-Man not being in 2018's Venom, the film worked without the web-crawler as Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock and the Venom Symbiote served as the protagonist against Carlton Drake and Riot. And Sony's antihero approach to Venom also followed into Morbius, and could well in Kraven too.
To the mainstream audience, Michael Morbius is definitely more recognizable for being an opponent to Spider-Man, but like Venom, he has also taken on a morally gray role in the Marvel Universe. Jared Leto's Morbius depicts Michael's origin story in how he tries to cure his blood disease, which leads to a monstrous transformation. As a literal living vampire, Morbius goes up against criminals, making him another untraditional superhero. He's far from an outright villain and seeks to use his powers for good. Even Vulture's appeal to team-up mentions them "doing some good" so it seems their path is set.
In the wake of No Way Home's portrayal of Spider-Man's villains as morally complex and victims of their own traumatic stories, it makes sense that Sony would expand that into their Sinister Six story. Anti-heroes worked best for Sony's stand-alone movies without Spider-Man, because it gave the audience something like a hero to cheer. With Spider-Man confirmed to exist in this universe by Morbius' director things are now even more complex. So far, the only Spider-Man sighting in the SPUMC was in the Morbius teaser trailer, where a graffiti painting of the web-slinging hero can be seen, but it seems inevitable that another Spider-Man is coming.
It was in the MCU that saw a more traditional depiction of Spider-Man antagonists that each had a reason to hate the teenage superhero. That is the foundation of the Sinister Six in almost every iteration, whether in the comics or animated adaptations, but No Way Home's story was about confronting the perception of villains and how anyone can do evil if they choose the wrong reaction to their trauma. Sony's team of antiheroes is being set up as a group of characters that may clash with Spider-Man, but not for the same reasons as their MCU counterparts. Or with greater moral complexity at the very least. Rather than having a grudge against Spider-Man, their rivalry will come down to a matter of differing ideologies, particularly with the hint from Vulture that he wants to "do some good". They may have the same goal in stopping evil, but having respective methods, which would be refreshing for Spider-Man's live-action legacy. It would also fit with the image of Venom already painted in both of Tom Hardy's movies.
While Peter Parker had a huge challenge to solve in Spider-Man: No Way Home, coming in contact with a team of antiheroes would help further define who he really is as Spider-Man. On top of that, it will follow the ideas of morally complex villains as established in No Way Home. With characters like Kraven, Morbius, and Venom being capable of killing, even if it's to stop something evil, how would their universe's version of Spider-Man deal with that? Would Peter side with them or also treat them as villains?
Not only would it be a powerful conflict for a Spider-Man story, but it would show what sort of superhero Peter is at this point. Rather than focusing on trying to prove his worth as an Avenger as Tom Holland's version has been in the MCU, this would be a more Spider-Man-centric story. One of the criticisms with the current Iron Man-copycat Spider-Man franchise is the lack of Peter's agency, primarily because of Tony Stark's previous involvement. Even Spider-Man's original villains have had some past with Iron Man, making it more about Tony's actions.
Depending on how Spider-Man reacts to a team of antiheroes that includes Venom, Kraven, and Morbius, there is plenty of potential to further explore Peter's state of mind. It would be interesting to see Peter's response after whatever game-changing events he goes through in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which will undoubtedly affect the rest of his life.