How Amazon’s Spider-Noir Takes Sony’s Spider-Verse to a Dark, Gritty New Level

Sony has expanded its interpretation of the Spider-Man multiverse with the release of a project featuring Spider-Noir on Amazon. The move continues the company’s effort to diversify the character’s appearances across different media and platforms, though the expansion has met with critical scrutiny regarding its narrative cohesion.

According to a review by The Verge published May 26, 2026, the addition of Spider-Noir contributes to what the publication describes as a sloppy Spider-Man universe that has become even messier with this latest iteration.

This critical reception stands in contrast to the previous successes Sony achieved with its animated features. The release of Into the Spider-Verse demonstrated that Sony was capable of producing phenomenal stories involving the character, distinguishing itself through sumptuous visuals and a narrative focus on Miles Morales.

The animated series set a high bar for the franchise, which Sony later attempted to build upon. The studio followed the first film with Across the Spider-Verse, a project characterized as a bigger, bolder, more imaginative sequel that further explored the concept of the multiverse.

A key element of the appeal in the early Spider-Verse films was the clever integration of lesser-known versions of the character. However, the transition of these concepts into new formats on platforms like Amazon has created challenges in maintaining a consistent and streamlined universe.

The ongoing management of Spider-Man film rights between Sony and Marvel remains a central point of industry interest. While the animated films proved Sony could handle the intellectual property with creativity, the current trajectory of the expanded universe suggests a struggle to balance quantity with narrative clarity.