When it comes to bungling a superhero franchise, the facts and evidence have made it abundantly clear that nobody does it quite like Sony, with the studio’s insatiable desire to build a Marvel universe of its very own having consistently failed to catch fire outside of Venom and sequel Let There Be Carnage.
Kraven the Hunter might be R-rated, but it hasn’t managed to convince the doubters and skeptics that genuine change is afoot, while the rest of the planned output doesn’t exactly stoke the fires of excitement. In a damning indictment and hilarious vote of no-confidence, James Gunn has only gone and cast a star who hasn’t even debuted yet in a recurring DCU role, and the chances are high he’ll be proven right to risk a double booking.
Isabela Merced will make her first Marvel appearance in next year’s Madame Web, which has been touted as a multiversal story roping in various Spider-People from across comic book history. If it turns out to be a massive success – which can never be guaranteed with Sony – then you’d imagine that the higher-ups would love for the likes of Merced, Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney, and others to return for sequels.
However, Gunn has stolen a march by tasking Merced with the responsibility of bringing Hawkgirl to life in Superman: Legacy, and the co-CEO of the entire studio isn’t going to cast somebody as such a major character without having plans for them to become a recurring feature in the years to come.
On the plus side, the actress gets to play in both sandboxes for the time being, but there’s no prizes for guessing which one stands the better chance of longevity.