Struggling Spider-Man Universe: Kraven the Hunter Flops Without Venom Connection

by Sylvia January 13, 2025

Hold on to your spandex, folks! The superhero genre sure knows how to keep us on our toes, doesn’t it? While the MCU continues to soar high like a majestic cape, Sony’s Spider-Man universe seems to be struggling without its friendly neighborhood web slinger. Kraven the Hunter just couldn’t hunt down the box office success it aimed for, joining the ranks of other less-than-stellar Sony titles. But here’s the kicker – fan excitement was almost swinging into overdrive when scrapped Venom connections were revealed! Imagine the symbiotic chaos that could have ensued! Unfortunately, we’ll never know, thanks to Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s comic book flick. What a tantalizing web of possibilities lost.

Struggling Spider-Man Universe: Kraven the Hunter Flops Without Venom Connection

– Sony’s Spider-Man universe, including films like Kraven the Hunter, Morbius, and Madame Web, has been struggling at the box office.
– Fan interest may be lacking due to the lack of crossover with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and other films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
– There were originally plans to connect Kraven the Hunter with the Venom franchise, but this idea was scrapped.

The superhero genre remains incredibly popular, with numerous shared universes vying for box office dominance. While the MCU, available for streaming with a Disney+ subscription, continues to thrive, Sony’s Spider-Man universe seems to be struggling without the web slinger. Recently revealed Kraven the Hunter concept art indicated a scrapped connection to Venom, causing some Spider-Man-related FOMO for fans.

Unfortunately, Kraven The Hunter flopped at the box office, following in the footsteps of other Sony titles like Morbius and the infamous Madame Web movie, which is available to stream with a Netflix subscription. One reason for this underperformance may be a lack of fan interest, as these movies have not crossed over with each other or, more significantly, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. However, it was discovered that Kraven could have included a tie to Venom, as shown in concept art on Instagram.

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This scrapped idea for Kraven The Hunter would have brought symbiotes into the story, potentially exciting moviegoers by connecting Sony’s universe of movies. Unfortunately, the concept was abandoned in Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s comic book flick.

Although Sony reached a joint custody agreement with Marvel over Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, the same cannot be said for projects like Venom, Madame Web, Morbius, and Kraven. As a result, Peter Parker has yet to make an appearance in these movies, and they lack the crossover appeal found in other shared universes. Consequently, Sony’s releases are considered less essential viewing compared to upcoming Marvel movies that may influence the future of their shared universe.

Kraven The Hunter’s trailers showcased the film’s R-rated action and highlighted how physically prepared Aaron Taylor-Johnson was for the titular role. However, despite the intense battles depicted, audiences failed to show up at theaters to watch the blockbuster. As a result, the film only made .4 million worldwide—a meager sum considering its budget of 0-130 million.

Although most of Sony’s Spider-verse movies have disappointed at the box office, Tom Hardy’s Venom managed to resonate with audiences. If Kraven the Hunter had included ties to the Tom Hardy franchise, it might have attracted more moviegoers to see the Spider-Man villain’s standalone film.

Considering the underperformance of Kraven, one might wonder if Sony will abandon its shared universe altogether, especially if the Venom franchise is coming to a close. Only time will tell which villains will appear in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4.

Kraven the Hunter will be available on VOD starting January 14th. For now, check out the upcoming movie release dates for 2025.