The Sony Spider-Man Universe (SSU) has been on a downward spiral with each new film, and the company seems to have selected an interesting new direction for the future. Rather than reaching for the top shelf and trying their hand at all the fan-favorite characters, they're introducing an extremely minor figure to the big screen.
Venom focused on one of the most beloved villains in comic book history, one who has been demanded by fans for decades. Morbius was a significant step-down, with predictable results, but still featured a compelling narrative and some small fan base. El Muerto is a character who has appeared in two Spider-Man comics.
Juan-Carlos Estrada Sanchez was born into a long line of men who would inherit a mysterious and powerful mantle. His father, like his father before him, wore a mystical black mask adorned with a small skull which granted him supernatural strength, speed, and fighting skill. Those who wore this mask took the name El Muerto and fought in the ring under the honorable rules of Lucha libre. El Muerto is capable of immense feats of physical strength and is a world-class wrestler. Despite those advantages and the long line of tradition, Juan-Carlos was reluctant to accept the mantle of El Muerto. Against his will, Juan-Carlos was trained for his entire life to bear the magic mask and carry on the family name, but, in the final ritual, he made a decision that would change his life forever.
Though much of the ritual remains unknown to comic readers, the final challenge required facing off against a fellow superhuman luchador. El Dorado challenges Juan-Carlos to the match that will seal the young man's fate as the new El Muerto, but in defiance of tradition, he refuses. The punishment for denying his destiny is harsh, and El Dorado prepared to kill his reluctant opponent. Juan-Carlos's father, Marcus, gives his life trying to protect him. Marcus's act of bravery doesn't defeat El Dorado, but it does impress the empowered wrestler enough to strike a deal with Juan-Carlos. Juan-Carlos is granted a reprieve, ten years to travel the world and train himself for the challenge ahead. At the end of that time, Juan-Carlos must don the mask of his forefathers and use its power to defeat and unmask a masked hero. This grand challenge is what finally brings El Muerto into conflict with Spider-Man.
El Muerto makes his way to New York City to do battle with the Wall-crawler in a traditional bout. He approaches J. Jonah Jameson and uses his paper to issue a public challenge. Jameson is more than happy to oblige, thrilled with the possibility of his nemesis being unmasked. Spider-Man accepts the challenge and the pair square off in the ring. Surprisingly, El Muerto almost bests the superhero in a fair fight and prepares to unmask him. In reflex, Spidey stings El Muerto with a paralyzing poison to keep his secret from being revealed. Spider-Man rushes the now-stunned wrestler to the hospital and ensures that he's taken care of. While there, El Dorado appears once more. Now that Juan-Carlos has failed in his quest, El Dorado has come to claim his life. Spider-Man, however, refuses to allow his former opponent to be slain. The two heroes defeat El Dorado, and the luchador teleports away to avoid being unmasked.
This is the one and only story about El Muerto. He challenges Spidey, nearly succeeds, is taken down by his power, and teams up with his enemy to defeat a greater foe. This obviously seems like an extremely sparse source material to base a film off of, especially a solo project that is likely to skip Spider-Man. El Muerto has a personal lore and power set that could theoretically support a stand-alone story. It will barely be an adaptation, closer to a new story featuring a borrowed character. There are a ton of great movies about wrestlers, this could be a moving action drama with a supernatural edge. The generational struggle between the Sanchez family and El Dorado isn't the most original or fleshed-out narrative, but it could provide the basis for a solid superhero film. El Muerto won't bring in the crowds on name recognition alone, but a good filmmaker can make more with less.
The biggest news about this upcoming film is the casting, rapper Bad Bunny is headlining the upcoming production. This will make history as the first Marvel Comics adaptation with a Latino lead actor. Bad Bunny has a couple of acting roles under his belt, most prominently F9 and Narcos: Mexico. Perhaps more impressively, Bad Bunny has a history with professional wrestling. Most recently, the performer made into the final five of this year's Royal Rumble. Bad Bunny is the primary reason anyone seems to be paying attention to the upcoming film, but he seems to be an excellent choice for the part. There might not be much connection to the web-swinging hero, but El Muerto could be the hero of a film franchise of his own if Sony plays it just right.