Spider-Man may be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe these days, but there are also multiple Spider-Man cinematic universes in existence. In fact, there’s a full-fledged Spider-Verse at this point, as explored in 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and its sequels.
With Venom: The Last Dance bringing back Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock for a third (and possibly final) time, you might be wondering how to get caught up on the so-called Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. What movies are included, and in what order should you watch them? How do the classic Spider-Man movies fit in?
Is it possible to do a full chronological watch of every Spider-Man movie out there? Not really, but we’ll do our best to make sense of the various movies and the best order in which to view them. Here’s how to watch Sony’s Spider-Man Universe movies in order, focusing on Sony movies like the Venom trilogy, Morbius and Madame Web and MCU movies featuring Tom Holland’s Spidey. And when you’re done here, check out our full guide to watching all the Spider-Man movies in chronological order.
How Many Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Movies Are There?
Counting Venom: The Last Dance, there have so far been five movies released as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Though it should be noted that while the Venom trilogy, Morbius, and Madame Web all take place in the same universe, it’s still not entirely clear how these various characters are meant to fit together. There aren’t many clear connections between these movies.
While none of those movies have featured much of Spider-Man himself, Sony has also produced three movies starring Holland’s Peter Parker as part of the MCU. That’s not even including the two animated Spider-Verse movies and the old Spider-Man series starring Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. But to keep things simple, let’s just focus on Sony’s Spider-Man Universe and the MCU, since those two universes have directly interacted.
The Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Movies in Chronological Order
Read on for a full chronological breakdown of the five Sony’s Spider-Man Universe films and the three Tom Holland Spider-Man movies produced by Sony.
1. Madame Web (2024)
It may be one of Sony’s more recent Marvel movies, but Madame Web is actually the first in the series chronologically. The movie is mostly set in the early ‘00s, when Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben (Adam Scott) and mother Mary (Emma Roberts) are still alive. We even get to see baby Peter Parker be born, technically making Madame Web the one Sony’s Spider-Man Universe movie to actually feature Spider-Man. Mostly, though, Madame Web is focused on Dakota Johnson’s Cassandra Webb as she grapples with her precognitive visions and battles evil billionaire Ezekiel Sims (Tahar Rahim).
Read IGN's Madame Web review here.
2. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming is the first solo MCU movie to star Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, though technically the character debuted in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War (which isn’t a Sony movie). Set in the aftermath of Civil War, Homecoming follows Peter as he struggles to balance his responsibilities at school with his burgeoning career as a costumed superhero. That puts him in conflict with Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes, the head of a salvage operation who becomes the winged villain known as The Vulture. Toomes later goes on to play a role in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
Read IGN's Spider-Man: Homecoming review here.
3. Venom (2018)
It may not be the first movie chronologically, but Venom is the first non-Marvel Studios coproduction Sony released. Tom Hardy stars as crusading reporter Eddie Brock, whose investigation of the sinister Life Foundation leads to him bonding with an alien symbiote and becoming Venom. The first movie pits Venom against the Life Foundation’s head, Carlton Drake (Riz Ahmed), who eventually bonds with a symbiote himself and becomes Riot. Despite the close association between Venom and Spider-Man in the comics, the movie makes no overt references to Spidey or Peter Parker.
4. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
The second MCU movie to star Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is after 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. This time around, Peter is forced to come to terms with being snapped out of existence for five years by Thanos and mourning the late Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). A much-needed class trip abroad is interrupted by the sudden appearance of Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and a new feud with master illusionist Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal). Far From Home’s ending has far-reaching ramifications for both the MCU and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, as Peter finds his secret identity leaked across the world.
Read IGN's Spider-Man: Far From Home review here.
5. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Hardy’s Eddie Brock and his symbiote companion return in this Venom sequel. Let There Be Carnage follows up on the post-credits scene from the first movie as it pits Venom against the sadistic Carnage (Woody Harrelson) and his lover Shriek (Naomie Harris). Let There Be Carnage is also notable for forging a direct link to the MCU with its post-credits scene, where Brock is suddenly dragged into an MCU still reeling from the outing of Spider-Man’s secret identity. The reason for Eddie’s detour to another universe wouldn’t become clear until the release of the next Spider-Man movie a couple of months later.
Read IGN's Venom: Let There Be Carnage review here.
6. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
The third and (so far) most recent Tom Holland Spider-Man movie deals with the fallout of Spidey’s identity being leaked. When Peter attempts to enlist Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) help in casting a spell to make the world forget, the two inadvertently summon the heroes and villains of Sony’s previous Spider-Man movies into the MCU. That includes both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s incarnations of Spider-Man. No Way Home is the movie that ties Sony’s wider Spider-Verse together. It also resolves the loose end from Venom: Let There Be Carnage, as Hardy’s Eddie Brock is sent back to the Sony-verse but leaves a piece of his symbiote behind.
Read IGN's Spider-Man: No Way Home review here.
7. Morbius (2022)
This heavily memed entry in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe stars Jared Leto as Dr. Michael Morbius, a brilliant scientist suffering from a rare blood disorder. When Morbius is bitten and becomes a “living vampire,” he comes into conflict with his adoptive brother Milo (Matt Smith), who suffers from a similar blood disorder. In terms of its impact on the larger Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, Morbius is notable for its two post-credits scenes, which see Keaton’s Vulture drawn from the MCU into the Sony-verse and recruit Morbius to form a team. Is Venom next on their list?
Read IGN's Morbius review here.
8. Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Hardy’s Eddie Brock is back for his third and apparently final outing in Venom: The Last Dance. In this sequel, Eddie and the symbiote go on the run after being pursued by a ruthless military unit led by Chiwetel Ejiofor’s character. At the same time, more members of the symbiote’s kind arrive on Earth to call their sibling home. The Last Dance will introduce the symbiote god Knull, though director Kelly Marcel tells IGN that the film is merely the start of a much bigger story involving Knull.
How to Watch Sony’s Spider-Man Universe in Order
- Madame Web (2024)
- Venom (2018)
- Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
- Morbius (2022)
- Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
How to Watch All the Spider-Man Movies by Release Date
- Spider-Man (2022)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
- The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Venom (2018)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Morbius (2022)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
- Madame Web (2024)
- Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Upcoming Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Movies
The future of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is looking a bit murky these days. Kraven the Hunter is the only other Sony Marvel movie currently scheduled. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff and Russell Crowe as his father Nikolai, the movie hits theaters on December 13, 2024.
That said, Sony does seem to have a plan in place, and we may learn more in the wake of Venom: The Last Dance’s release. Again, the studio is teasing the idea that Knull’s debut in the Venom sequel is the start of a larger storyline. Could we see Knull become the Thanos of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe?
We also know that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will appear in several more MCU projects. Holland is expected to play a major role in 2026’s Avengers: Doomsday and 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars. Additionally, Sony and Marvel are collaborating on a fourth solo Spider-Man movie. Holland recently revealed that he read the script and “it really lit a fire in me." But will Holland’s Spidey and Hardy’s Venom ever meet face-to-face? Only time will tell.
For now, check out our full breakdown of all the Sony Spider-Man movies and shows in development.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
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