Sony Pictures has big plans for the Spider-Man universe. Though The Amazing Spider-Man 2 won't be hitting theaters until March, the studio is already announcing three new movies in the franchise: a third Amazing Spider-Man film, a Venom film, and a film featuring The Sinister Six — a group of Marvel supervillains. The Amazing Spider-Man 3 will begin production this fall with a planned release date of June 10th, 2016. Marc Webb, who directed the first two Amazing Spider-Man films, hasn't signed on to direct it just yet, but Sony Pictures says that it hopes he'll return.

The studio appears to be interested in recreating Marvel's success with The Avengers. "Until now, we have approached each film as a separate, self-contained entity, but with this move, we have the opportunity to grow the franchise by looking to the future as we develop a continuous arc for the story," Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach, who will produce the three new films, say in a statement. Sony Pictures has assembled a broader team to oversee all three upcoming films as well, ensuring that a continuous tone and plot arc tie them together.

Alex Kurtzman, previously a writer on Star Trek and Transformers, will direct and co-write Venom. The Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard will write, and may also direct, The Sinister Six. Sony Pictures doesn't detail where the franchise might go beyond these next three films, but if they're successful, it appears that the studio will be eager to call up new Spider-Man stories and villains to bring to life. Arad and Tolmach say there's plenty to look through: "With more than 50 years’ wealth of stories in the comic books to draw upon for inspiration, the Spider-Man universe is truly boundless."