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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU) are often treated as one giant Marvel franchise. They are not. The confusion comes from Sony owning the film rights to Spider-Man, Marvel Studios producing Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films, and both companies using multiverse stories to connect otherwise separate projects.
The clean distinction is this: Holland’s Peter Parker is part of the MCU, although Sony finances, owns and distributes his solo films. Sony’s live-action Venom, Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven films belong to a separate continuity. Sony’s animated Spider-Verse trilogy is a third category, not simply another branch of the SSU.
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The basic difference
| Question | MCU | Sony’s Spider-Man Universe |
|---|---|---|
| Primary studio | Marvel Studios, owned by Disney | Sony Pictures and Columbia Pictures |
| Continuity | Marvel Studios’ interconnected universe | Separate live-action continuity built around Spider-Man-related characters |
| Spider-Man | Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is an active MCU character | The central Spider-Man has generally been absent from the live-action spinoffs |
| Distribution | Disney usually distributes Marvel Studios films; Sony distributes the MCU Spider-Man films | Sony distributes its own films |
| Main focus | Spider-Man, Avengers, the wider Marvel hero community and connected television projects | Venom, Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter |
Who owns Spider-Man’s film rights?
Disney owns Marvel and Marvel Studios, but it does not simply own the Spider-Man film franchise. Sony retains the film rights and final creative control over the Spider-Man movies it releases.
Under the Sony–Marvel Studios arrangement announced in 2015, Sony continued to finance, distribute and own the Spider-Man films. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige joined producer Amy Pascal on the films, allowing Peter Parker to appear in the MCU while Sony remained the rights holder and distributor.
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- Tom Holland stars as your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in three unforgettable adventures ? HOMECOMING, FAR FROM HOME, and NO WAY HOME.
That structure explains why Spider-Man: Homecoming, Far From Home and No Way Home are MCU films released by Sony. The studio logo and distribution deal do not determine the continuity by themselves; the character’s story and Marvel Studios’ involvement place Holland’s Peter Parker in the MCU.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films are MCU stories
- Spider-Man: Homecoming — 2017
- Spider-Man: Far From Home — 2019
- Spider-Man: No Way Home — 2021
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day — released July 31, 2026
Homecoming introduced Peter as part of the MCU after his appearance in Captain America: Civil War. The following films connected him to characters such as Tony Stark, Nick Fury, Doctor Strange and the wider consequences of the Avengers’ battles.
Brand New Day continues that MCU version of Peter Parker. It takes place four years after No Way Home. Peter is living alone, working as a full-time crime fighter and inhabiting a New York where nobody remembers his identity. Tom Holland returns as Peter, with Destin Daniel Cretton directing.
The film is therefore best described as a Sony Pictures release made in partnership with Marvel Studios—not as an SSU film.
What defines the MCU?
A shared continuity
The MCU is designed as a connected narrative. Events in one film can affect another film or a Disney+ series, while characters and organizations move between projects. The Avengers films provide the clearest example: individual heroes receive separate stories before joining larger crossover events.
Marvel Studios oversight
Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios provide the central creative and production framework for the MCU. The Sony Spider-Man agreement is an important exception to the normal distribution model, but Holland’s films remain integrated into that framework.
A planned crossover structure
The next major MCU storyline is built around two announced Avengers films:
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- When Dr. Strange?s spell to restore Spider-Man?s identity goes awry, Peter is forced to overcome his greatest challenge yet.
- Avengers: Doomsday — December 18, 2026
- Avengers: Secret Wars — December 17, 2027
Marvel has not publicly confirmed the extent of Spider-Man’s role in either film. His inclusion should not be assumed simply because he is part of the MCU.
What belongs to Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?
The SSU is Sony’s live-action film line based primarily on characters connected to Spider-Man. Its films currently include:
- Venom — 2018
- Venom: Let There Be Carnage — 2021
- Morbius — 2022
- Madame Web — 2024
- Venom: The Last Dance — 2024
- Kraven the Hunter — 2024
The most developed internal thread is the Venom trilogy, which follows Eddie Brock and the alien symbiote. The other films operate more like character-led origin stories. Sony presents Madame Web as a standalone origin story and Kraven the Hunter as an origin story for the hunter.
That makes the SSU different from the MCU in both emphasis and structure. Sony has generally made films about characters associated with Spider-Man without putting Peter Parker at the center of the live-action series.
Is the SSU the same universe as the MCU?
No—not in the straightforward sense often claimed online.
Morbius includes Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes, or Vulture, and makes references associated with the wider Spider-Man mythology. Those scenes suggest a multiverse connection or deliberate crossover reference. They do not establish that every SSU film takes place in the MCU’s primary reality.
The official positioning of the projects remains more useful than isolated references. Marvel lists Holland’s films within its MCU material, while Sony presents the Venom, Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven films as its own Spider-Man-related line.
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The SSU also does not yet have the MCU’s clearly established shared timeline. The films do not consistently explain how their stories fit together chronologically, and Madame Web is specifically marketed as a standalone story. Treating every Sony spinoff as part of one fully mapped universe goes further than the films and official descriptions support.
Spider-Verse is a separate category
Sony’s animated Spider-Verse films should not automatically be counted as SSU films:
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- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — 2018
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — 2023
- Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse — scheduled for June 18, 2027
The trilogy is produced through Sony Pictures Animation and centers on Miles Morales and multiple Spider-people. It is an animated multiverse saga with its own visual style, characters and narrative continuity.
Its multiverse premise allows it to acknowledge other versions of Spider-Man, but that does not make it the MCU or the live-action SSU. The most accurate classification is:
- MCU: Tom Holland’s Peter Parker and Marvel Studios’ interconnected continuity.
- SSU: Sony’s live-action Venom, Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven-related film line.
- Spider-Verse: Sony Pictures Animation’s separate animated trilogy.
Current and upcoming MCU projects
VisionQuest
VisionQuest is scheduled for Disney+ on October 14, 2026. Paul Bettany returns as Vision, and James Spader returns as Ultron. Terry Matalas serves as showrunner.
Marvel describes the series as the conclusion of the story that began with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along.
Avengers: Doomsday
The next Avengers film is scheduled for December 18, 2026, after moving from its earlier May 2026 date. Anthony and Joe Russo are directing for Marvel Studios.
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Avengers: Secret Wars
Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled for December 17, 2027, with Anthony and Joe Russo directing. Marvel’s official listings confirm the date, but the studio has not confirmed how extensively Holland’s Spider-Man will appear.
Other MCU projects
Marvel’s current television listings include Daredevil: Born Again Season 2, Wonder Man and VisionQuest. Marvel continues to list Blade among its film projects, but no current release date is shown on the official film page. A missing date should not be converted into a guessed release window.
Current and upcoming Sony projects
Spider-Noir
Spider-Noir is already available and should not be described as upcoming as of August 7, 2026. The Nicolas Cage series debuted on MGM+ in the United States on May 25, 2026, followed by a global Prime Video debut on May 27.
Cage plays Ben Reilly, also known as Spider-Noir, in a 1930s New York setting. Amazon says the series is available in both black-and-white and color versions. It is a Sony-produced Spider-Man-related television series, not an MCU show.
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse
The animated conclusion to the Spider-Verse trilogy is scheduled for June 18, 2027. Miles Morales remains at the center, with Bob Persichetti and Justin K. Thompson directing. Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and David Callaham are credited as writers.
The future of the live-action SSU
Sony chairman Tom Rothman said in February 2026 that the wider live-action Spider-Man spinoff universe would return as a “fresh reboot” with “new people.” No title, cast, director or release date had been announced in the sources reviewed by August 7, 2026.
That means there is no officially identified next SSU film to list. The reboot should not be presented as a confirmed Sinister Six movie, a new Venom film or a specific crossover. Those details remain unannounced.
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- The "Spider-Man" trilogy features the three critically- acclaimed "Spider-Man" films directed by Sam Raimi. Follow Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) in these three adventures as he swings into action fighting super-villains Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman and Venom and wins the heart of Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst).
Release-status snapshot
| Project | Category | Status on August 7, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Spider-Man: Brand New Day | MCU/Sony partnership | Released July 31, 2026 |
| Spider-Noir | Sony Spider-Man-related television | Released May 25/27, 2026 |
| VisionQuest | MCU | Upcoming October 14, 2026 |
| Avengers: Doomsday | MCU | Upcoming December 18, 2026 |
| Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse | Animated Spider-Verse | Upcoming June 18, 2027 |
| Avengers: Secret Wars | MCU | Upcoming December 17, 2027 |
| Sony live-action SSU reboot | SSU successor or relaunch | Announced in principle; no title or date |
How to classify the franchises
When identifying a film or series, use the production and story context rather than assuming that every Sony Marvel project belongs to the same universe.
- Tom Holland’s solo Spider-Man films: MCU stories made through the Sony–Marvel Studios partnership.
- Venom, Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter: Sony’s separate live-action Spider-Man-related universe.
- Into the Spider-Verse, Across the Spider-Verse and Beyond the Spider-Verse: a separate animated continuity.
- Spider-Noir: a Sony-produced Spider-Man-related series, not evidence that the MCU and SSU are one universe.
FAQ
Is Tom Holland’s Spider-Man part of the SSU?
No. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is part of the MCU. His solo films are released by Sony because Sony retains the Spider-Man film rights and distribution, but Marvel Studios produces them in partnership with Sony.
Does Disney own the Spider-Man movie rights?
Disney owns Marvel and Marvel Studios, but Sony retains the Spider-Man film rights and final creative control over the Sony-distributed Spider-Man films.
Are Venom and Spider-Man in the same universe?
The films contain multiverse references, but they do not establish that the SSU’s main continuity is the MCU’s primary reality. Venom is best treated as part of Sony’s separate live-action Spider-Man-related line.
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No. Sony Pictures Animation presents the Spider-Verse films as a separate animated trilogy centered on Miles Morales.
What is the next confirmed SSU film?
No specifically titled and dated live-action SSU film was confirmed as of August 7, 2026. Sony has announced a fresh reboot with new people, but not its title, cast or release date.
What is the next major MCU release?
VisionQuest is scheduled for Disney+ on October 14, 2026. The next announced MCU theatrical release is Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for December 18, 2026.
The Bottom Line
The MCU is Marvel Studios’ interconnected continuity, while the SSU is Sony’s separate live-action line about Spider-Man-associated characters. Holland’s Spider-Man belongs to the MCU despite Sony’s ownership and distribution role. The animated Spider-Verse films form a separate continuity altogether.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11As of August 7, 2026, the MCU has a dated slate led by VisionQuest, Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Sony’s clearly dated next Spider-Man project is the animated Beyond the Spider-Verse; its live-action spinoff universe has been announced for a reboot but has no identified next film.
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