5 Spider-Man stories that could be adapted without the MCU involved

With Spider-Man reportedly no longer being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, what stories will be told with the character?

After reports came out that Sony and Disney’s deal involving Spider-Man had ended, there was much fan outcry. This is very understandable because Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in the MCU has been wonderful, and it’s definitely disappointing to no longer have him in the universe.

However, now that it seems he’s no longer a part of the universe, there are several stories that could be adapted without the need for the MCU as a whole.

Kraven’s Last Hunt

“Kraven’s Last Hunt” is single-handedly one of the best Spider-Man stories ever written. It’s captivating in all the best ways and is also one of the darkest Spider-Man stories. The story follows Kraven the Hunter on a final quest to vanquish the ultimate prey, Spider-Man, which he seemingly ends up doing so. After seemingly killing Peter, Kraven takes up the mantle of Spider-Man for a time, essentially tarnishing the name.

As fantastic as this story is, however, it never would’ve felt completely right within the context of the MCU. As dark as the MCU can get at times, this story is exponentially more brutal than anything that we’ve seen so far, and the tones would have noticeably clashed. With Sony potentially completely back at the helm, there is much more of a possibility for this much darker story to be told because they’ve done it in the past with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy.

The Death of Spider-Man

The title says it all; this is the story behind Spider-Man’s death. Set in the Ultimate Universe, also known as Earth-1610 in the Marvel Multiverse, this is the final story in the original volume of Ultimate Spider-Man series and also the final story to feature Peter Parker as the main Spider-Man in that universe. In the story, Green Goblin has known Peter’s secret identity for some time and has decided to finally attack those that he loves. In the final battle, Peter succumbs to his wounds sustained in that final fight and a previous gunshot wound he received by saving Captain America.

More from Movies

• James Gunn’s Superman: Legacy casts more major DC characters
• New Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer pushes Arthur to his limits
• 7 actors who could replace Ezra Miller as The Flash in the DC Universe
• Masters of the Universe reboot’s new domain could be at Amazon’s Prime Video Streamer
• James Gunn gives interesting update of Superman and Supergirl movies at DC Studios

Yet again, this is a story that simply feels too dark for the MCU proper. It’s a fantastic story. One that really should make you cry pretty much every time in the last couple of pages, but it feels way too brutal to exist in the MCU. Sure, we got deaths of characters in previous films, including Spider-Man’s, but there’s a difference between seeing someone turn to dust and seeing them brutally beaten to a pulp. Referring yet again to Raimi’s trilogy, Sony didn’t shy away from showing that in those films, so there is a precedence for them to return to that brutality in the future. Plus, this story would possibly be a heart-wrenching way to say goodbye to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and introduce a live-action Miles Morales.

Superior Spider-Man

By all means, this story is a serious stretch to how crazy Sony wants to go, but it would be awesome to see this fantastic run on screen. Doctor Octopus is dying and, in a last-ditch effort, he creates a machine that allows him to transfer his consciousness in Spider-Man’s body, which leaves Peter’s body stranded in Doc Ock’s dying body. Ock’s body dies, seemingly taking Peter with it (wow, a lot of Peter Parker deaths in this list), leaving Otto Octavius to become a “superior” Spider-Man.

As crazy as the premise sounds, this is a story that could make for an excellent trilogy of films. Much of the story is about Otto Octavius learning how to be a better man, despite his ego telling himself that he already is the best. If Spider-Man: Homecoming was a coming-of-age story about Peter learning how to be true to himself, then Superior Spider-Man is a coming-of-age story about an old man learning what it means to be a good man. The premise is insanely outlandish, so it probably wouldn’t have even passed a first draft at Marvel Studios but, at Sony, it’s still unclear about how insane they are willing to go.

Amazing Spider-Man No. 300

This is the story probably at the forefront of most people’s minds when it came to the news that Sony and Disney’s deal was headed for its end. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Tom Hardy’s Venom can now be in the same film together. But how could they get them organically in a film together? Arguably the easiest way would be to have a soft adaptation of Amazing Spider-Man No. 300, which details their first meeting.

It’s unclear how quickly Sony will want to combine Spider-Man and Venom given that the last two solo films have garnered around $2 billion. Sony may want to keep them separate for the time being simply from a monetary standpoint but, eventually, they will want the two to crossover with each other.

Spider-Island

Imagine Marvel’s version of New York if everyone had spider-powers. Well, that’s essentially the basic premise behind “Spider-Island.” In a mysterious happening, everyone present on the island of Manhattan has gained powers like Peter Parker’s, thus quickly descending into madness once villains begin to use their new powers.

Much like Superior Spider-Man, this story comes down to how weird Sony is willing to go. Honestly, this story gets really weird at times. There are more grounded ways to go with this story so, even if Sony didn’t want to go all-in on the weird factor, they could still at least adapt part of the storyline. Plus, this is a really fun, adventure story that doesn’t quite get as dark as some of the other stories on this list.

And if you’re unsure still skeptical about any of these Spider-Man tales, seek them out for yourself and let us know if they would make great big-screen stories for the Web-Slinger.