Summary
While Sony’s plans for itsSpider-Manuniverse are currently murky, a recent report suggests that news concerning theEl Muertospin-off film’s demise was greatly exaggerated.
While Sony’s mainline Tom Holland-ledSpider-Manmovies were a part of the MCU, withSpider-Man 4potentially starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Sony still owns the film rights to Spider-Man and several related characters the company has plans for. While earlier reports suggested that the previously announcedEl Muertospinoff film, which cast singer Bad Bunny in the lead role, had been canceled entirely, a more recent report now suggests otherwise.
PerVariety, while Bad Bunny has indeedstepped away from theEl MuertoSpider-Man spinoffdue to conflicts with his music career and won’t take on the role anymore, the project is still actively in development at the company. Though it now lacks a lead, the current focus seems to be a swath of script revisions to tighten up the project’s story ahead of a likely recasting and future release. With the movie’s original release, which fell in January 2024, off the books, there’s no telling what the time frame for preproduction and filming will be ifEl Muertostill sees the light of day without the intended lead.
Another possible reason for the return to development could be insulatingEl Muertofrom any other projects that could potentially overlap with the film, as the Sony-led franchise has not been able to replicate the success of the MCU or the mainlineSpider-Mantrilogy, with films likeMorbiusdoing more damage than profit to the brand. Variety also reported on a prevalence of opinions that the connected universe model might not be worth it anymore over the value in contained narratives. WithMadame Webtracking even worse thanMorbiusearly on, the need to polish any tabled projects and remove any links to others is likely paramount on the minds of executives at the company.
In addition to matching El Muerto’s comic ethnicity, Bad Bunny was also a stellar pick for the role of the superpowered luchador because the singer has had some experience on the biggest platform available, having wrestled at the WWE’s iconic Wrestlemania event and even getting his ownBad Bunny special edition and playable character in WWE2K23. With his massive pre-existing fanbase, the casting was almost too convenient to come to fruition, a sentiment that has since been proven true. While the revisions to theEl Muertoscript can certainly be sorted out in due time, there’s no doubt that the best man for the lead role might have already flown the coup. The rigor of finding someone else to fill a role that was a done deal before El Muerto was announced might be one factor that could see the project scrapped altogether.
While there are probably other factors affectingwhy Sony’s Spider-Man spinoffs don’t work, the idea of theEl Muertofilm getting a more thorough development process might be a fair sign that the company is set to learn from past mistakes and put out compelling standalone work. For now, fans can rest assured that the project is still alive.
El Muertois reportedly in development at Sony.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of the biggest names in entertainment today. The superhero first appeared in the Marvel comic Amazing Fantasy #15 before becoming a leading figure in the Marvel comic book universe.Spider-Man has also featured in numerous films and video games, most notably Insomniac Games' Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
