Sony Pictures chairman Tom Rothman has revealed that audience response played the biggest role in halting the studio’s expansion of its Marvel character films. Speaking to Variety following the record-breaking debut of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Rothman admitted that recent spin-offs failed to connect with moviegoers and confirmed that Sony currently has no additional Marvel character projects in active development.
The comments come after Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened to an extraordinary $360 million domestically and $932 million worldwide, becoming the biggest domestic opening and the second-largest global debut in box office history. The film’s success also helped deliver one of the biggest theatrical weekends ever, reinforcing Rothman’s belief that audiences continue to embrace the cinema experience.
Tom Rothman says audience response shaped Sony’s Marvel strategy
When asked why films such as Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web underperformed despite the commercial success of the Venom trilogy, Rothman pointed to audience reception rather than internal studio decisions.
“Ultimately, the audience wasn’t satisfied enough with them,”
Rothman told Variety.
“The audience is the boss, and they didn’t respond. It’s as simple as that.”
His comments also clarified Sony’s current direction for its Marvel-related projects. Asked whether more spin-offs are planned, Rothman replied,
“Right now, we don’t know. We never looked at it as the ‘Sony-Marvel Universe.’ We looked at if there were worthwhile movies to make with other characters. At the moment, there are none in active development.”
The remarks suggest Sony is taking a more cautious approach following the mixed performance of several recent superhero releases.
Despite slowing plans for Marvel spin-offs, Rothman remains optimistic about the future of theatrical releases. Reflecting on the historic opening of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, he said,
“What happened is miraculous. ‘Spider-Man’ is uniting people across cultures and ages. People can piss on theatrical all they want, but that’s one thing that only movies — and movie theaters — can do.”
Rothman also confirmed there is still a possibility of another Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland. When asked whether another sequel could happen, his response was brief but encouraging:
“Yes.”
He added that Sony would love for Holland to continue in the role if the actor chooses to return.
Elsewhere in the interview, Rothman explained that Sony lost Quentin Tarantino’s Cliff Booth sequel because director David Fincher has an exclusive deal with Netflix. He also expressed confidence in Sony’s upcoming four-film Beatles project and reaffirmed the studio’s commitment to theaters through its ongoing restoration of the iconic Cinerama Dome.
