The recent cancellation of Silk: Spider-Society reveals a series of puzzling decisions
Spider-Man and television seem like an ideal combination lately. Prime Video has greenlit Noir, where Nicolas Cage reprises his role as Spider-Man Noir, and Disney+ has 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' on hold. The return of 'Spider-Man: The Animated Series' has even been requested after the success of X-Men '97. However, it hasn't all been plain sailing in the Spider-Verse, as Prime Video recently canceled Silk: Spider Society. This cancellation points to several issues surrounding Spider-Man themed media.
A series in constant agitation
Deadline was the first to report that Silk: Spider Society had been cancelled, tracking its development, which included numerous creative changes. Lauren Moon was initially hired to develop the project in 2019, which was to be the starting point for a series of shows based on Spider-Man for Prime Video. In addition, this project arose from an agreement between Sony Pictures Television, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who revitalized the franchise with 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse'. Eventually, Tom Spezialy (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and Angela Kang (The Walking Dead) came on board as showrunners, with the series getting its official title and a new home at MGM+.
Two factors ended up impacting Silk: Spider-Society's path to the small screen. The first was the delay in reopening the writers' room following the conclusion of the Writers Guild of America strike last year; the WGA was on the brink of legal action when Amazon finally opened its doors in January. The second is even more puzzling, as it was reported that Kang and the writers were asked to reconfigure the series to focus less on Silk. This points to a problem that has plagued Sony for years: its handling of the Spider-Man franchise.
A reflection of bigger problems with the Spider-Man franchise
Since Sam Raimi concluded his Spider-Man trilogy, Sony has struggled to keep the Spider-Man franchise viable. The first big hurdle was the attempt to use Marc Webb and Andrew Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man films as a platform for a cinematic universe. Back then, studios were chasing the appeal of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and with more than 900 characters, Sony went big with plans to release a movie based on Spider-Man every year. However, the reception of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and an internal leak at Sony led to a partnership with Marvel Studios, where Tom Holland took over as Spidey.
Still, Sony tried again to release more Spider-Man-adjacent films with the success of Venom, but Morbius and Madame Web have had less than stellar box office results and have been the subject of scorn from critics and fans. In contrast, the Spider-Verse films have been warmly received, especially for the wide range of characters that appear in both films, such as Hobie Brown/Spider-Punk and Gwen Stacy. The lesson is clear: fans want more Spider-Man in their Spider-Man stories.
Silk can carry her own series
Retconning Silk: Spider-Society to focus less on Silk ignores a decade of stories. Even its origin contradicts that decision. Cindy Moon was an ordinary teenager who was bitten by a radioactive spider, the same spider that transformed Peter Parker into Spider-Man. Cindy was approached by Ezekiel Sims, who also possessed spider abilities; he warned her that a vampiric being called Morlun would want to hunt her and consume her life force. Cindy reluctantly locked herself in a bunker and ten years later, Spider-Man freed her from it. She decided to become a superhero in her own right and adopted the name Silk while she searched for her lost family.
This origin is compelling enough on its own, but there's also the addition of the subtitle. The “Spider Society” first appeared in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and was assembled by Miguel O'Hara, the Spider-Man of 2099, to repair any fractures in the multiverse. Using the Spider Society as a backdrop would have addressed Cindy's struggles with family and connection; Not only could she have found a new family with members of the Spider Society, but she would have allowed different Spider-Men to take center stage, similar to how Miles Morales is the protagonist of the Spider-Verse movies. Leaving it aside betrays a great lack of vision.
Even though Amazon canceled the project, there is still hope for Silk: Spider-Society. The series is being offered to potential buyers, meaning it could find life on a new platform, similar to the ironic fate of Batman: Caped Crusader when it moved from Max to Prime Video. Cindy Moon also appeared at the end of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and a Spider Society comic is in the works, meaning more Silk stories could be on the way.
