How will the success of Ultimate Spider-Man (2024) impact the franchise?

[Kevinroc]

It's way too early to be sure.

The first issues are a hit, but we don't know where sales will settle a year into the run. Amazing Spider-Man also seems to be selling rather well, so Marvel wouldn't see that title as being in need of improvement.



I could see an animated film, but a live-action one is unlikely, unless they want some kind of reboot with an actor already playing the role.

https://prhcomics.com/book/?isbn=75960620796100212

Ultimate Spider-Man 2 is also getting a second print (and this was known for a few days, IIRC it was about a week, before the issue released).

[the illustrious mr. kenway]

We're barely two issues into the new Ultimate Spider-Man, but it's safe to say that it is a major hit in the comics market.

Now the question is... what changes will we see as a result of this book's success? What will its impact be on the Spider-Franchise as a whole? Will we see a film series about a middle-aged Peter Parker, who is already a husband and a father, becoming Spider-Man for the first time? Will we see Uncle Ben alive in any future adaptations? Will this further cement MJ as "the one" in the wider franchise?

What do you think?

6160 works as a cool what if premise. Sony might do something with it in the future but their Sonyverse is rather slapdash so it's hard to say what exactly.

I don't think it would replace Peter's origin as a teen as the angle gives him a stronger USP than if he was just starting out as an adult hero. 6160 Peter just being referenced or use a variant teen Peter would meet is more likely.

I doubt it would effect the comics anytime soon. Maybe in a decade?

[bob.schoonover]

It's cool that this book is selling so well, but I doubt it will have a broad effect until or unless Marvel can say, definitively, the status quo in this book is a sales driver and not it being "Ultimate" and "Hickman" driving the sales.

If this was DC, I'd say we'd definitely get an animated movie or two of this iteration of Spidey pretty quickly, but Marvel seems less interested in that kind of thing.

[bat39]

I dunno a lot about the new Ultimate Spider-Man, since I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. But based on what little I do know, I think what we'll likely see is more of a 'mainstream' push towards an adult, maybe married-to-MJ Peter Parker in the franchise. I don't think the more explicitly AU aspects like Uncle Ben being alive will have much of an impact outside this series. I also don't think we'll ever get a version of Peter who becomes Spider-Man well into his thirties...though I can see us getting versions of Peter who became Spider-Man in college, as was the case with the 90's TAS and the Raimi movies.

[Vordan]

I’d say the real shift in perspective we’re likely to see because of Hickman USM and Spiderverse is that a bunch of people are going to grow up thinking it’s natural for Peter to have a daughter with MJ named Mayday who has spider powers of her own (I definitely think that’s the endgame for Hickman). Peter being a dad is something that used to be relegated to obscure alternate realities and now we’re seeing big works (including theatrical movies!) portray him that way. Poor Marvel editorial, it’s only going to get worse for them with how they portray 616 Peter (although given the sales of ASM I doubt they’re that worried).

Mj is already cemented as "the one" in the wider franchise didnt need this book for that. Maybe the next spiderman film reboot will have spider-man already as an adult with kids or not.

Yeah she got cemented as “the one” after the Raimi films and Bendis USM. Those two were such defining Spider-Man works for millennials and zoomers that they basically ensured Marvel could not move permanently away from MJ like they wanted to (and still do).

[bat39]

I’d say the real shift in perspective we’re likely to see because of Hickman USM and Spiderverse is that a bunch of people are going to grow up thinking it’s natural for Peter to have a daughter with MJ named Mayday who has spider powers of her own (I definitely think that’s the endgame for Hickman). Peter being a dad is something that used to be relegated to obscure alternate realities and now we’re seeing big works (including theatrical movies!) portray him that way. Poor Marvel editorial, it’s only going to get worse for them with how they portray 616 Peter (although given the sales of ASM I doubt they’re that worried).



Yeah she got cemented as “the one” after the Raimi films and Bendis USM. Those two were such defining Spider-Man works for millennials and zoomers that they basically ensured Marvel could not move permanently away from MJ like they wanted to (and still do).

I can attest to that, as one of those Millennials who grew up with the Raimi films and the Bendis USM. Hell, a Spider-Girl comic was among my earliest Spider-Man comics too, so the idea that Peter and MJ would eventually get married and have a kid in a possible future has long been pretty natural for me.

[Hurricane Billy]

It's possible but far from likely.

I don't think this Ultimate universe will last as long as the first one and I don't see Hickman writing this book as long as Bendis.

If the run doesn't last long, I don't see there being a live action movie based on it (but a live action streaming series could work).

Considering that the OG Ultimate Spider-Man series from Bendis quickly became a source of influence and inspiration for the first Raimi film a year after the run started and how other recent Spider-Man media have been quick to integrate and pull from other recent successes with the character in other formats (i.e. the Spider-Verse films pulling from two relatively new comic concepts from the early 2010s or NWH drawing a bit of inspiration in Peter's fight choreography in the Insomniac games), I don't think an extended decade-plus run is going to be a mandate.

Hell, I'm not even saying that a live action adaptation would include the broader Earth-6160 elements with the Maker and his Council. Hickman's USM run's central sales pitch about a version of Peter Parker who only becomes Spider-Man in his mid-30's after he's already happily married with kids and a scenario where Uncle Ben is alive and well, while Aunt May has recently passed away is exactly the sort of fresh reinvention on Peter that would be appealing to Sony when the time comes for them to do a new live action Peter film. That could be aways off, as it's likely that we'll see Miles finally debut in live action as Tom Holland wraps up his tenure.

But the fact of the matter is that the young Peter in high school well has been dried up. We all know the Great Power, Great Responsibility origin story. So something as exciting and unique as what Hickman's doing- and so far, to pretty big success for comics today- is an easy and appealing route to go in for the next Peter reboot. Plus it has the added advantage of opening up the door to also pulling ideas and certain narrative concepts from the 616 Marriage era of Spidey comics too.

[bat39]

Considering that the OG Ultimate Spider-Man series from Bendis quickly became a source of influence and inspiration for the first Raimi film a year after the run started and how other recent Spider-Man media have been quick to integrate and pull from other recent successes with the character in other formats (i.e. the Spider-Verse films pulling from two relatively new comic concepts from the early 2010s or NWH drawing a bit of inspiration in Peter's fight choreography in the Insomniac games), I don't think an extended decade-plus run is going to be a mandate.

Hell, I'm not even saying that a live action adaptation would include the broader Earth-6160 elements with the Maker and his Council. Hickman's USM run's central sales pitch about a version of Peter Parker who only becomes Spider-Man in his mid-30's after he's already happily married with kids and a scenario where Uncle Ben is alive and well, while Aunt May has recently passed away is exactly the sort of fresh reinvention on Peter that would be appealing to Sony when the time comes for them to do a new live action Peter film. That could be aways off, as it's likely that we'll see Miles finally debut in live action as Tom Holland wraps up his tenure.

But the fact of the matter is that the young Peter in high school well has been dried up. We all know the Great Power, Great Responsibility origin story. So something as exciting and unique as what Hickman's doing- and so far, to pretty big success for comics today- is an easy and appealing route to go in for the next Peter reboot. Plus it has the added advantage of opening up the door to also pulling ideas and certain narrative concepts from the 616 Marriage era of Spidey comics too.

I think this can be accomplished even without having to go with a radically different status quo. Hell, it can be done with Tom Holland's Peter Parker as well. Just let him grow up and get married to MJ. Or introduce a rebooted version, but show him already established as an adult Spider-Man.

Uncle Ben being alive can be done, but it would push the movie firmly into 'alternate universe' territory, rather than being a variation of the 'canonical' Spider-Man mythos.

[Toonstrack]

I’d say the real shift in perspective we’re likely to see because of Hickman USM and Spiderverse is that a bunch of people are going to grow up thinking it’s natural for Peter to have a daughter with MJ named Mayday who has spider powers of her own (I definitely think that’s the endgame for Hickman). Peter being a dad is something that used to be relegated to obscure alternate realities and now we’re seeing big works (including theatrical movies!) portray him that way. Poor Marvel editorial, it’s only going to get worse for them with how they portray 616 Peter (although given the sales of ASM I doubt they’re that worried).



Yeah she got cemented as “the one” after the Raimi films and Bendis USM. Those two were such defining Spider-Man works for millennials and zoomers that they basically ensured Marvel could not move permanently away from MJ like they wanted to (and still do).

They don't. If they didnt you wouldn't see mj at all. In any continuity. They, zeb, nick, everyone else cobsider her a central spider character and the last 2 or 3 runs have all featured significant plot lines if not solo books for mj.

[Username taken]

Given how much ASM is selling, I can't imagine it'll have too much of an impact.

[Mercwmouth12]

Given how much ASM is selling, I can't imagine it'll have too much of an impact.

Does anyone publicly know how it's selling? Seems to be just a term thrown out there with no actual data behind it

[Frontier]

They don't. If they didnt you wouldn't see mj at all. In any continuity. They, zeb, nick, everyone else cobsider her a central spider character and the last 2 or 3 runs have all featured significant plot lines if not solo books for mj.

Though you can tell when they really feel invested in her and when they don't...

[Spider-Clone]

I just wish ASM was better written.

and better drawn!

[Username taken]

Does anyone publicly know how it's selling? Seems to be just a term thrown out there with no actual data behind it

No, we don't have raw data however Dan Slott has noted a number of times just how well the book is selling.

I believe he confirmed that some of ASMs issues were Marvel's highest selling last year.

[Jman27]

Does anyone publicly know how it's selling? Seems to be just a term thrown out there with no actual data behind it

the same can be said for any series