The last couple of years have firmly established that – when it comes to big-budget superhero epics – Marvel Studios, Warner Bros. and Fox all have a solid handle of how to translate their respective franchises into multibillion-dollar returns. Only Sony, which is still smarting from the disappointing performance of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, has been left out in the cold. That film was intended to jumpstart a new wave of Spidey flicks, but now the series is stuck in perpetual limbo with all previous plans either put on indefinite hold or cancelled outright.

While many fans are hoping that Sony will lend the webslinger to Marvel Studios (allowing him to join the Avengers, alongside the likes of Iron Man and Captain America), there is still no clear indication that this is how Sony will proceed. However, screenwriter David Koepp (writer of the 2002 Spider-Man film) recently suggested that Sony actually endeavor to put multiple Spider-Man film series in the works simultaneously. This is a radical notion to be sure but one that could, in fact, reinvigorate the franchise.

Koepp mentions that there would be distinct brands of Spider-Man, in keeping with the various comic book lines the character has starred in. Each would be aimed at a distinct demographic, ranging from kid-friendly adventures to darker, edgier material. In fact, his example is that the Spider-Man films (like the ones Sam Raimi directed back in the 2000s) would be the more expensive crowdpleasers and The Amazing Spider-Man series would provide more adult adventures in the vein of a hard PG-13. These two approaches directly correspond to the two live-action takes on the character thus far, but taking Koepp’s idea a step further: why not combine the two?

Hear me out… Fans have bemoaned how The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has damaged the franchise, leaving some to feel like the franchise is beyond salvation while others believe it should merely forge ahead undeterred. However, if Sony were to relaunch the original Spider-Man continuity (perhaps even bringing back Raimi and star Tobey Maguire), this would reinvigorate the franchise and allow The Amazing Spider-Man 3 to serve as a soft reboot for that arm of the series. The existence of more than one tentpole release for the character would allow the studio to take more risks on the Amazing side of things without worry that it might irreparably crush the character’s big-screen future.

Then, when the time is right, and both individual series are back afloat, Sony could accomplish what none of their competition has yet to acheive: a multiverse. Comic books have toyed with alternate dimensions/realities/continuities for ages, but no one has effectively brought it to life in the film world. Marvel is hell-bent on connecting all its properties to the point that it is revamping the comics into one cohesive universe, and DC has thus far kept its TV and film projects completely independent. Since Sony only has one marquee character to its name (and clearly aims to make the most of him), why not extract the most creative and financial potential possible and have separate creative teams bringing different interpretations to life?

Each franchise could be targeted for a different audience, and while there may be initial concern that moviegoers will be confused by it all, there is already existing precedents with films like The Avengers and X-Men: Days of Future Past having brought in record-breaking numbers that – with the appropriate marketing – audiences can be sold on ambitious storytelling concepts. Plus, with multiple versions of Spider-Man in play, Sony can (as Koepp mentioned) launch long-desired spinoffs for characters like Black Cat and Venom and even put together more risky endeavors like The Spectacular Spider-Man, bringing in Latin teen Miles Morales from the comics as yet another take on the material. This approach would also keep the franchise in a constant state of reinvention and allow Sony to hold onto the character’s film rights, since the studio’s deal with Marvel reportedly depends on the franchise’s active development.

The possibilities are literally endless and would allow Sony the chance to truly leverage the brand recognition and broad appeal of a character that should already be a guaranteed box office draw. After all, in the past 15 years, Fox has released entries in arguably three separate series (the original 2000-2006 trilogy, the Wolverine-centered films and the prequel trilogy that concludes with next year’s X-Men: Apocalypse) and has numerous offshoots and spinoffs on the way as well. Sony could and should be developing the same kind of ambitious ideas for the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. Whether or not the studio is able to pull it off is another question entirely, but Koepp’s idea is certainly worth a shot.

What are your thoughts on the Spider-Man franchise? Send me a tweet @crookedtable and let me know how Sony should handle the character going forward.