Marvel Reportedly Rejected This Live-Action Spider-Man and Superman Crossover

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As a huge movie fan, I was surprised to hear that Marvel shut down the idea of a live-action team-up between Spider-Man and Superman. It’s not like it’s never been done before – DC and Marvel actually just released a comic book crossover, Superman/Spider-Man #1. Apparently, people have been pitching ideas for a Spidey-Supes movie ever since the 1970s, which is pretty wild to think about!

The exciting part of this DC and Marvel team-up is bringing together different versions of the same characters and watching how they interact with each other.

The recently released Superman/Spider-Man #1 is already generating excitement among fans, and writer Dan Slott is currently developing a follow-up story featuring the same characters, but reimagined in a dark, noir style.

Writer Dan Slott and artist Marcos Martin teamed up to create a story featuring a showdown between Spider-Man Noir—the character who’s getting a new TV show—and the very first version of Superman, who debuted in 1938’s Action Comics #1.

Interestingly, Dan Slott didn’t come up with the idea himself. He shared with the Word Balloon podcast that he once proposed a story to Marvel featuring a team-up between the Spider-Man from the 1977 TV series (played by Nicholas Hammond) and Christopher Reeve’s Superman. If Marvel had agreed, it would have been a one-of-a-kind crossover event, bringing these two live-action heroes together in a comic book.

Marvel, of course, shut it down immediately, with Slott recounting their response:

Imagine Nicholas Hammond’s Spider-Man running into Christopher Reeve’s Superman, and them being frustrated with each other, like they hadn’t listened to what the other said before.

Before settling on the idea of a live-action project, Slott initially proposed a crossover between the 1967 Spider-Man cartoon and either the Superman cartoon from Filmation or the Super Friends series designed by Alex Toth. However, Marvel rejected this concept due to complex ownership rights. It became clear that basing the project on comic book versions of characters, rather than TV or movie adaptations, would be a simpler approach.

I was so relieved when Slott figured out a way to make the story work! He decided to set it back in the 1930s, and it’s heavily inspired by those old, awesome Fleischer Superman cartoons – it just fits perfectly.

The biggest team-up story featuring Superman and Spider-Man involves them battling Lex Luthor and Norman Osborn, who are working together as villains.

It’s ironic, but a live-action DC-Marvel crossover actually seemed more feasible back when the first Superman movie and Spider-Man TV show were made. Today, it’s much harder, especially since the rights to all Marvel characters aren’t held by a single company.

With both Superman (played by David Corenswet) and Spider-Man (Tom Holland) currently starring in major blockbuster movies, it makes you wonder if we’ll ever see them share the big screen together.

Could Spider-Man & Superman Crossover?

The comics have been great, but a live-action team-up between Superman and Spider-Man seems unlikely right now. Still, it’s not impossible, so don’t completely rule it out.

James Gunn, now in charge of DC Studios after directing the popular Guardians of the Galaxy movies for Marvel, has said that he’s had conversations about combining characters from both universes. He’s interested in the possibility, but emphasizes that any crossover would need a compelling story to work.

Because he has connections to both DC and Marvel, he’s uniquely suited to potentially make a live-action crossover happen. However, even with his influence, the practical challenges of bringing such a project to life are enormous.

Right now, a team-up is unlikely. Different studios, existing agreements, and the ongoing stories within each major franchise all create significant obstacles, meaning any real collaboration is years off, if it happens at all.

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2026-03-30 20:05