KRAVEN THE HUNTER Will Be the Last Entry in the Sony Spider-Man Universe

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As a longtime comic book enthusiast and moviegoer, I can’t help but feel a mix of relief and disappointment at the news that Sony is finally wrapping up their “Spider-Man Cinematic Universe.” Relief because it means we might finally get a well-executed Spidey film without the unnecessary spinoffs. Disappointment because, as a fan, I wanted to see these characters brought to life on the big screen in a way that does justice to their comic book roots.

Based on a report in The Wrap, it appears that the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film will mark the conclusion of Sony’s Spider-Man Cinematic Universe, at least temporarily. While there’s always the possibility that Kraven could become a massive success, current predictions suggest otherwise. If the film underperforms as expected, it seems Sony may be winding down this universe and instead focusing their efforts on standalone Spider-Man movies and the Spider-Verse animated films. An anonymous Sony representative confirmed this to The Wrap. For now, that’s where things stand.

Occasionally, an unrequested film with subpar quality can be disappointing, like the example of “Madame Web“. This situation offers no advantages; it might be prudent for Sony to begin nurturing other intellectual properties to initiate fresh franchises instead.

There are a lot of reasons why Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, or SSU, failed. Chief among them, the movies have not been exactly stellar. And that’s us being nice about it. Morbius and Madame Web crashed spectacularly at the box office, and became jokey internet memes. But bad movies make money all the time, especially the ones starring superheroes. So why not Sony’s? What made Sony’s Spider-Man universe such a disaster?

Essentially, it’s clear that a Self-Contained Spider-Man Universe (SSU) can’t exist without the real Spider-Man being part of it. Unfortunately, due to legal complexities surrounding Marvel Studios’ association with Sony’s Spidey movies, they couldn’t include Tom Holland’s Peter Parker in their standalone films. This meant that characters like Kraven and Madame Web, who have significant interactions with Spider-Man in the comics, couldn’t be portrayed as such on screen. As a result, it felt like an empty endeavor. One might expect these movies, like Morbius and Venom, to at least connect with each other, but that wasn’t the case either.

As a diehard fan, I must admit that the unexpected triumph of Venom took Sony aback, making them think they could repeat the formula with other Spidey villains and sidekicks. While it’s true that Venom initially appeared as a Spider-Man nemesis, for the last three decades, he’s proven to be a thriving solo antihero. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with Kraven, who is solely defined by his adversarial role towards our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. It seems the higher-ups at Sony might have overlooked this fact. (And trust me, having someone like Kevin Feige in charge would have been a game-changer!) Here’s hoping that when all’s said and done, and the SSU dust settles, Sony will utilize characters like Kraven and Morbius in their intended roles—as Spider-Man villains within the Spider-Man cinematic universe.

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2024-12-11 03:02