Both Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse were critical and commercial hits. Understandably, there's a great deal of excitement for the finale, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, but what comes after that?
There have been rumblings about a female-led spin-off for the past few years; unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have gone anywhere and Sony's plans for its stable of Marvel characters continue to split opinions.
Live-action Silk and Spider-Man Noir TV shows are thought to be in the works, while movies like Madame Web, Kraven the Hunter, and Venom 3 are all on the horizon.
Now, though, a new rumour suggests Sony Pictures Animation is plotting a new Spider-Man movie which will boast an R-Rating. It's a peculiar move on the studio's part, particularly as it would be an animated adventure and not even Venom was granted an R; still, Sony is nothing if not inconsistent!
Both The Streamr and scooper @CanWeGetToast shared the rumour and we'd advise taking it with a pinch of salt for now.
Neither mention who would lead the movie, though we can tell you that the hints you might have seen on social media about it being Spider-Punk do line up with what we've heard. The character arguably suits an R-Rating and Daniel Kaluuya would presumably be enlisted to reprise the role.
Spider-Punk, whose real name is Hobie Brown, first appeared in Edge of Spider-Verse #5 in 2014. In his universe, he's a rebellious punk rocker who gains spider-powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. Embodying the spirit of counterculture and rebellion, Spider-Punk sports a distinctive punk rock aesthetic, complete with a mohawk, piercings, and a denim vest adorned with spider symbols.
Known for his anti-establishment attitude, Spider-Punk fights against oppressive forces and injustice. In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, he started as something of a love rival to Miles Morales but ultimately proved himself an ally to the teenage web-slinger.
"I was gassed," Kaluuya said of playing the hero last year. "I turned to Lord, Miller and Kemp and said, 'Thank you for letting me be a part of it, because this is cool as [frick].' I’m a voice in Spider-Verse with a wicked character that sounds exactly like me, from where I’m from. Come on! You go to the younger people in your family and flex: 'I’m getting on, but don’t forget!'"
"I’m Camden born and bred, and this character is from Camden which is very much associated with the punk movement, so I think they wanted to lean into what they have for free with me," he added. "They were like, ‘What do they speak like?’ and I said, ‘Like me!’ I think it gives it that authenticity, like me saying, ‘Man like Pav! Big steppa!’ I felt really respected."
Stay tuned for updates as we have them.