Sony Offers an Update on Spider-Man 4 and Spinoffs

Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman recently spoke with Deadline, giving fans an update on what to expect next from the Spider-Man and Spider-Verse franchise. Rothman spoke about Spider-Man’s place in Sony’s various franchises stating, “Uncharted, Jumanji, Spider-Man. We have our Marvel business, which breaks into three tranches.” He reveals that Sony is “currently at work on two Spider-Verse sequels to our Oscar-winning animated movie, with Lord and Miller.” Besides plans for growing the animation franchise, Rothman also revealed that he hopes to continue the Spider-Man franchise for a fourth installment.

The Sony executive said, “We hope to get working on the next Spider-Man movie.” Rothman is referring to the next MCU Spider-Man film helmed by Sony and Marvel Studios together. When asked if the fourth film will see the return of director Jon Watts and mainstay stars like Tom Holland and Zendaya, Rothman responds, “That whole group, we hope.” Watts, Holland and Zendaya have worked with one another for all three films so far. Sony and Marvel have yet to officially confirm the fourth Spider-Man film, however, Kevin Feige has once stated that Spidey’s future is still being mapped out. At any rate, while Sony and Marvel have yet to officially green-light a fourth Spider-Man solo film, Marvel boss Kevin Feige and Spider-Man franchise producer Amy Pascal previously stated that they are mapping out Spidey's future within the MCU. "Amy and I and Disney and Sony are talking about yes, we're actively beginning to develop where the story heads next, which I only say outright because I don't want fans to go through any separation trauma like what happened after [Spider-Man:] Far From Home," Feige said. "That will not be occurring this time." Going back to the Deadline interview, Rothman also discussed the Sony projects he describes as being "adjunct to the Spider-Man universe," namely the upcoming live-action spinoff films Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web. "That's Kraven, which we’re shooting now, and Madame Web, which we’ll start in the spring with S.J. Clarkson directing," he said. "And then there are many Marvel characters that are standalone." Rothman's comments confirm that cameras are still rolling on Kraven after the film began shooting earlier this year. They also suggest that Madame Web will itself enter production very soon, as spring is nearing its end and the film is currently slated for a summer 2023 release.

Tom Holland Gets New Action Figure as Nathan Drake

The 2022 movie season is starting to finally kick it into high gear, and potentially one of the year's biggest blockbusters has just hit theaters the live-action adaptation of Uncharted stars Tom Holland in the lead role. While Holland will always be known for his role as Spider-Man in the MCU, Adventurer Nathan Drake looks to be his next big franchise character. He is also Holland's latest role to receive the action figure treatment from Gentle Giant Studios and Diamond Select Toys. Diamond Select Toys is no stranger to Holland as they have made many of his different Spider-Man looks into figures over the years. This latest figure shows off the actor's version of Nathan Drake in his classic tan shirt, cargo pants, and boot combo, as seen in the Uncharted film. The 7-inch figure, designed by Yuri Timg, comes equipped with a gun holster, ready for battle, and the character's signature ring that he wears around his neck that bears the insignia of "Sic Parvis Magna" or "Greatness From Small Beginnings."

There is a lot of great sculpted and textured detail seen throughout the figure that should make a lot of collectors happy given the $24.99 price point. In particular, the Holland head sculpt (while not 100% accurate) looks excellent. You can definitely see the actor's likeness, and details like the depth of his slicked-back hair go a long way to make this a good-looking figure. Uncharted is based on the popular action-adventure game series of the same name by Sony and Naughty Dog. The outfit featured on this figure and in the movie is very reminiscent of a similar look worn by Drake in the infamous plane crash sequence from Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. The action sequence also happens to be in the film adaptation and has been heavily featured in marketing for Uncharted. While the film has not received the best reviews, currently holding a 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, Uncharted acts as a celebration of this 15-year-old game series by taking elements from each of the five mainline games to create its own story. The story focuses on a younger Nathan Drake at the beginning of his treasure-hunting career and his early relationship with his mentor Sully, played by Mark Wahlberg. This relationship was a significant narrative element in Drake's Deception, and the film combines it with the pirate treasure backdrop from the series' first game, Drake's Fortune, and its fourth entry, A Thief's End. While this film adaptation's success widely varies depending on whom you ask, at least fans of the franchise can get a cool action figure out of it. The new Holland-Nathan Drake figure is available for pre-order on Diamond Select's website, which has an estimated release of July 2022.