Sony's venture into a Spider-Man spin-off universe faced significant challenges, largely resulting in critical and commercial failures, with the notable exception of the three Venom films. Despite initial claims of unfair criticism, Sony has now reportedly shifted its focus primarily to the animated Spider-Verse series and the live-action Spider-Man franchise starring Tom Holland. The spin-off series concluded with Kraven the Hunter, but its last successful entry was Venom: The Last Dance, the third installment of the anti-hero franchise starring Tom Hardy.

Venom: The Last Dance, directed by Kelly Marcel in her debut and co-written with Tom Hardy, was released in 2024. Although it was the lowest-grossing entry of the Venom trilogy, it still achieved a global box office gross of approximately $480 million against a reported budget of $120 million, significantly outperforming Kraven the Hunter. The film, like its predecessors, received mixed reviews, holding a 40% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus noting Tom Hardy's ample charisma but critiquing its convoluted tonal ambitions. However, audience scores for the Venom franchise, including The Last Dance, have consistently been impressive, with the third film earning a 79% audience score. The plot sees Eddie Brock balancing his life with the alien symbiote Venom, as they face a complex struggle with a powerful new adversary threatening their existence and the world, embarking on a thrilling journey of survival that challenges their limits and ethical boundaries. Chiwetel Ejiofor also stars as Strickland.

The film's streaming availability is notable: Venom: The Last Dance is currently streaming on Netflix, but it is among 145 titles blocked for subscribers to the ad-supported tier, mainly due to rights reasons. This means only subscribers to higher tiers can access it. Previous Venom installments include the first Venom, directed by Ruben Fleischer in 2018, which grossed over $850 million globally, largely due to a phenomenal run in China. Venom: Let There Be Carnage followed in 2021, directed by Andy Serkis, grossing over $500 million worldwide without a China release. Both earlier films also received negative critical reviews but garnered strong audience appreciation.

Beyond the Venom trilogy, Sony's broader Spider-Man universe included other notable disappointments such as Madame Web, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter. These films collectively grossed around $300 million worldwide and were met with uniformly terrible reviews, solidifying the studio's decision to re-evaluate its spin-off strategy. Tom Hardy, a central figure in the successful Venom franchise, has also expanded his work to other projects, starring in the hit Paramount+ crime drama series MobLand, executive produced by Guy Ritchie, and headlining the Netflix action film Havoc, directed by Gareth Evans, in the same year.