Sony Pictures Entertainment has confirmed Marc Webb will return to the director's chair for
The Amazing Spider-Man 3, which is set to be released in June of 2016. Co-chairman Amy Pascal also revealed plans to expand the franchise with an annual
Spider-Man movie or spin-off: "We are expanding the
Spider-Man universe into
The Sinister Six and
Venom, so that we have
Spider-Man movies every year." Webb's
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens in U.S. theaters on May 2nd.
Previously, Alex Kurtzman was announced as the director of
Venom (from a script co-written with Roberto Orci), while Drew Goddard has been attached to
The Sinister Six. Marvel Studios has yet to comment on the recent news, although it's clear from Sony and Fox's respective
Spider-Man and
X-Men plans that both studios are eager to emulate the expanded-universe success of the sprawling, multi-phase
Marvel Cinematic Universe saga.