Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Is Finally Building To The Sinister Six

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe Is Finally Building To The Sinister Six

Warning: The following contains SPOILERS for Morbius

A cameo from the Vulture (Michael Keaton) in Morbius suggests that Sony’s Spider-Man universe truly is building toward the introduction of the Sinister Six. In Marvel Comics, the Sinister Six is a team of Spider-Man’s biggest villains whose primary goal is to bring down their greatest nemesis. The team was originally formed in the 1960s when Doctor Octopus, Electro, Kraven the Hunter, Mysterio, Sandman, and Vulture decide that since they can’t beat Spider-Man alone, an alliance between the six of them could bring Spider-Man to his knees. Fifty years later, they remain one of the most popular villain teams in the comics, which is why fans have been eagerly anticipating their live-action debut.

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Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Morbius is the reveal that it takes place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Apparently, this goes for Venom and its sequel as well. When Venom was in production, there was much talk over whether or not the film was set in the MCU, and contradicting comments made it unclear. It was eventually understood that Venom existed outside of the MCU and instead served as the first installment in Sony’s Marvel Universe, a cinematic universe which only includes Spider-Man characters owned by Sony.

Related: Morbius and New Mutants Crossing Over Into Horror Is Smart For Superhero Movies

Morbius changes everything by confirming that it and Venom share the same world as the MCU. A scene where Spider-Man is labeled as a “murderer” clearly acknowledges the cliffhanger ending of Spider-Man: Far From Home. Also, Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming appears at the end of the movie, erasing any lingering doubts about the integration of Sony’s Marvel Universe into the MCU. The Vulture cameo will have significant ramifications for the MCU and Sony’s Marvel Universe going forward, not least of which is the implication that the Sinister Six team is on its way.

Sinister Six Teases In The MCU Spider-Man Movies So Far

Scorpion in Spider-Man Homecoming

Vulture’s cameo in Morbius is far from the first indication that the MCU could have its own Sinister Six team. The notion of an MCU Sinister Six has been present since Spider-Man: Homecoming. The movie includes three iconic Spider-Man villains – Vulture, Scorpion (Michael Mando), and Shocker (Bokeem Woodbine) – and all three have been members of the Sinister Six at some point or another. All three are still alive by the end of the movie, so an eventual team-up isn’t ruled out by the events that take place in Homecoming. The Spider-Man: Homecoming mid-credits scene takes this setup a step further by having Scorpion ask Vulture about Spider-Man’s identity. According to the Scorpion, there are quite a few people who want revenge on Spider-Man. Vulture doesn’t seem interested at the time, but Scorpion at least is presented as a possible future member of the Sinister Six.

The sequel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, doesn’t directly set up the Sinister Six team or take any meaningful steps toward the team’s introduction, but it does add one key Sinister Six member, Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), to the MCU. Mysterio is seemingly killed at the end of the movie, but the character’s deceptive nature could open the door for a return. Given Mysterio’s expertise when it comes to illusions and special effects, it may not be outside of the realm of possibility that Mysterio faked his own death. Also, Spider-Man’s public identity reveal paints a target on his back that would present an opportunity for Spider-Man’s villains to plot their revenge. Now that the world knows who he is, tracking him down or luring him out shouldn’t be too hard.

Michael Keaton’s Vulture Wants To Recruit Morbius… For The Sinister Six?

When Vulture makes his appearance, he tries to talk Morbius into joining a team. Vulture was last seen in prison, but his situation has obviously changed. He could have escaped or have been released legally – or perhaps Morbius finds himself in prison, temporarily, at one point in the film. Either way, Vulture must have a reason for seeking out Jared Leto’s Michael Morbius. Vulture openly states that he wants to recruit Morbius for some nefarious purpose, and it could be that the team Vulture has in mind is the Sinister Six outfit.

Related: Morbius Cast & Marvel Character Guide

If Vulture has experienced a change in heart about going after Spider-Man, he could be putting together a team of criminals to go up against the wallcrawler. However, this was just the goal of the comic book team. The movie version of the Sinister Six could have a goal that has nothing to do with Spider-Man (especially if Vulture has given up his vendetta against Peter Parker). Having a different goal would make sense since the movie versions of Venom and Morbius currently have no reasons to hate Spider-Man.

Who Is On Sony’s Sinister Six Team?

Jared Leto as Morbius the Living Vampire

Vulture clearly has his eye on Morbius, but who else would be on his Sinister Six team? Venom and both Spider-Man movies have created numerous candidates for membership. Aside from Vulture and Morbius, there’s Venom, Shocker, Scorpion, Mysterio, and soon, Venom 2’s Carnage. However, only some of these characters may actually make it onto the team. Mysterio could be dead, and the MCU (and Sony) may not have any further plans for Shocker. Scorpion and Venom, on the other hand, do feel like they have good chances of making the team. The Scorpion, in particular, is a character that the MCU still hasn’t properly developed. His role in Homecoming was limited, and he still hasn’t received his signature tail or “Scorpion” moniker. For this reason, Scorpion could be revisited later.

The Sinister Six team could also include yet-to-be-introduced characters, such as a villain from Spider-Man: Homecoming 3. Who Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will be fighting in his third solo film hasn’t been announced, but a heavy favorite is Kraven the Hunter, who Spider-Man: Far From Home director Jon Watts has already expressed interest in using. Kraven would diversify the Sinister Six roster in a way, as the character’s reputation as a man who relies on his natural skills as a hunter rather than technology would make him a unique addition to the group. Kraven’s inclusion could provide interesting interactions between members of the Sinister Six. Other possible members (who haven’t been used yet) include Spider-Man 3’s Doctor Octopus, Norman Osborn, and Rhino.

How No Way Home Sets Up A Sinister Six Movie

Andrew Garfield Spider-Man No Way Home

No Way Home sets up a Sinister Six movie because of the possibilities invented with time-hopping. Other than all of the Spider-Man variants showing up in No Way Home, the Multiverse is now a reality because of Dr. Strange. The events of No Way Home show that Strange’s spells are far from fool-proof. This is evidenced by his inadvertent creation of the Multiverse of Madness. Villains can in fact hop through universes because of this, which is how Vulture was able to weasel his way into the Spider-Man universe. Now that Vulture doesn’t remember who Peter Parker is, only that Spider-Man ruined his life, he’ll be looking for revenge. Vulture will be trying to gather a team together to defeat Spider-Man, and this is teased through Morbius’ post-credits scene in which Michael Keaton’s Vulture appears. The villain tries to recruit Morbius for something, though what that is isn’t explicitly stated. Most likely, the timeline-jumping supervillain will also try to recruit Venom and Kraven the Hunter for a Sinister Six movie.

Related: No Way Home: Garfield’s Funny Avengers Comment Is Secretly A Dig At The MCU

Will Sinister Six Be A Marvel Or Sony Movie?

Tom Holland as Spider-Man with Shield in Captain America Civil War

What exactly is the plan for the Sinister Six? Sony could have another project in the works that hasn’t been announced yet. If this plan is a Sinister Six movie, it’s worth noting that this is something Sony actually wanted years ago back before the Sony-Marvel deal that brought Spider-Man into the MCU. Given the success of Venom and the connections to the MCU, Sony could finally see a future for the Sinister Six.

Alternatively, the Sinister Six may appear in a Marvel movie instead, but this is unlikely because of Sony’s Morbius. The Sinister Six would be featured as the villains of Spider-Man: Homecoming 3, which would make it Marvel’s biggest crossover movie of 2021. While Sony’s Morbius is what sets them up, it could be a Marvel film that acts on Morbius’ Sinister Six tease. However, since Sony’s multiverse now features Morbius and Venom it’s much more likely that a Sinister Six movie would be a part of the Sony-verse rather than the MCU. With Venom and Morbius potentially appearing in a Spider-Man movie, it would greatly enhance the film’s box office potential.

Sony’s Sinister Six Movie Can Now Succeed (Despite Failing Before)

A Sinister Six movie has been planned, replanned, shot down, and brought back up again numerous times over the past decade. With the number of villains brought back into Sony’s multiverse, it’s clear to see how No Way Home fuels the Sinister Six movie. The only heroes not included in the Homecoming universe so far that were a part of the six are Dr. Octopus, Electro, and Sandman. Mysterio is deceased and therefore couldn’t be a part of the Sinister Six, but Morbius has been in future iterations of the group. With Vulture appearing in both Morbius and Venom, it’s more than possible that he’s trying to gather the group. Now that a wide enough tribe of supervillains has been introduced to Sony’s Spider-Man multiverse, a Sinister Six movie can finally happen.

As things stand, the Sinister Six team could fit into either studio’s plans, but the most interesting scenario would be one that allows them to cross paths with Spider-Man. Sony and Marvel have a new deal that doesn’t seem to lock Tom Holland’s Spider-Man out of Sony’s universe, and the confirmation that both universes are connected provides further proof that Spider-Man could appear in one of Sony’s films. This means that the Sinister Six may be able to fight their archenemy, regardless of which studio makes the movie.

Next: MCU Theory: Spider-Man Villains For Tom Holland’s Next Trilogy

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 2 (2022)Release date: Oct 07, 2022
Kraven the Hunter (2023)Release date: Jan 13, 2023

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About The Author

Nicholas Raymond
(3352 Articles Published)

Nicholas Raymond is a staff movies & TV features writer for Screen Rant. He has a degree in journalism from the University of Montevallo, and is the author of the psychological thriller and time travel novel, “A Man Against the World.” Nicholas’ love for telling stories is inspired by his love for film noir, westerns, superhero movies, classic films, and ancient history. His favorite actors are Tyrone Power and Eleanor Parker. He can be reached by email at cnrmail@bellsouth.net and on Twitter at @cnraymond91.

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