Sony’s Spider-Verse without Spider-Man can’t seem to catch a break. From the moment its trailer was released and memed into oblivion, the odds have been againstMadame Web, and reception of the final film has done little to dispel that perception. In fact, the overwhelmingly negative reviews only confirm that Sony’s extended universe is built upon a shaky foundation at best.Box-office trackingis almost as dire;Madame Webis expected to lose the top slot over the six-day weekend toBob Marley: One Love. EvenMorbiusbriefly managed to land at number one.
But what does this mean for Sony’s upcoming slate going forward? The long-awaitedKraven the Hunter, delayed from last year thanks to the writers' and actors' strikes, is finally opening on Aug. 30. It will be followed by a thirdVenominstallment on Nov. 8, but after that, no further installments in the extended universe have been definitively scheduled. DoesMadame Web’s disastrous reception spell further doom for the entire franchise, specifically forKraven the Hunter, the only installment to have drummed up even slight interest in the last few years?
Kraven the Hunter Is a Fan Favorite Villain
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter is the fourth movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, set in the same Marvel continuity as Tom Hardy’s Venom and Jared Leto’s Morbius. Played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the titular Kraven goes on a solo adventure as an anti-hero, this time independent of his comic book counterpart’s crusade to hunt down Peter Parker.
It’s been clear for a long time that Sony has been heavily invested in replicating the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s resounding success. The final scenes of 2014’sThe Amazing Spider-Man 2showed an obvious setup to aSinister Six movie(scheduled for release in 2016), but after that film underperformed, Marvel reclaimed the rights to Spider-Man and most of his rogues gallery through a licensing deal with Sony. While Sony still had distributing rights to the Tom Holland-led installments, they were creatively without their golden goose. Undeterred, the studio pressed forward on their shared universe plans despite losing the rights to most of the fan-favorite villains, greenlighting a soloVenommovie.
While the final film wasn’t well-received, the fact that it was a resounding box office hit did make sense; Venom has always been afan-favorite villainthat many were waiting to see finally get his due on the big screen. The subsequent greenlighting of two additional sequels and films based on lesser-known Spider-Man foes like Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter only confirmed what many suspected – the plan to assemble the Sinister Six was back on.
It’s safe to say not much has gone right since then. WhileVenom: Let There Be Carnagewas another monster hit and received a slightly better critical reception, all of this paled in comparison to the disastrous critical and audience reception ofMorbius. The major tentpole release was widely mocked and memed online, to the point where Sony made the baffling decision to re-release it as a result of the attention it was getting (it didn’t go their way,flopping at the box officeonce again).
Dakota Johnson Says ‘Drastic Changes’ Were Made to Madame Web Script, but Would Return for More
Madame Web star Dakota Johnson has revealed that major changes were made to the Sony Spider-Man spinoff movie after she signed on.
SinceMorbius’s ending setup for the Sinister Six was arguably the most ridiculed part, Sony has mostly shifted away from building a shared universe. As further evidenced by Marvel’s recent woes (their universe’s once exciting interconnected nature has become more a bug than a feature), prioritizing self-contained storytelling seems like a smart way forward if studios want to dispel superhero fatigue. Indeed,Madame Webhas no references to Venom or Morbius whatsoever, and by all accounts,Kraven the Hunterwill also be completely standalone.
Will Kraven the Hunter Command Audience Interest?
However, there’s arguably a much bigger factor working against Sony’s extended universe, and by all accounts,Madame Webfurther confirms it – the characters simply don’t command much excitement. While theVenomfilms were divisive on the whole, their success wasn’t surprising, as the character has always been a fan favorite. In contrast, characters like Morbius and Madame Web don’t have much to them, so it doesn’t make sense to build entire films around them.
One thing that could work inKraven the Hunter’s favor is that Kraven himself isa fan-favorite villain. He’s been the central focus of some of the most beloved Spider-Man comic storylines (namelyKraven’s Last Hunt), and if Sony still intends to make the Sinister Six happen, well, he was one of the team’s original members. It helpsthat the trailersthus far have shown significantly higher production values thanMorbiusorMadame Web,and if nothing else, the fact that the creative team is gunning for a hard R-rating at least raises curiosity.
But has Sony used up all their audience goodwill already? By and large, none of Sony’s extended universe films have captured audience interest; most notably,Morbius, debuting at number one at the box office, faced a 70%+ drop in its second weekend thanks to poor word-of-mouth. Therefore, even ifKraven the Hunteris better, it could very well be too late for Sony to win back the people who’ve jumped ship. It’s not unlike what happened with the DCEU, which faced early box-office success until the consistently poor quality eventually drove its audience away.
Madame Web’s Rotten Tomatoes Score Couldn’t Be Much Worse
Director S.J. Clarkson’s Madame Web currently holds the second worst Tomatometer rating of all Sony’s live-action Spider-Verse films.
Is It Kraven the Hunter’s Time?
And what happens ifKravenis as bad as its predecessors likeMadame Web? Nothing beyondVenom 3is officially dated on Sony’s calendar, so it seems as though 2024 will be their make-or-break year. TheSony extended universedoesn’t seem to capture audience interest as it is (and superhero fatigue doesn’t help); fans seem infinitely more invested in Sony Animation’sSpider-Versefilms, which have seen much more consistent critical and box-office success. As such, it feels like the future of the extended universe could lie withKraven; if it succeeds, there may be hope for the Sinister Six, but if it doesn’t, they could end up dead in the water.Kraven the Hunteris heading to theaters on Aug 13, 2025.
