Kraven the Hunter Panel at Brazil’s Comic-Con Experience Bombs

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Kraven the Hunter Panel at Brazil's Comic-Con Experience Bombs

Key Takeaways

  • Kraven the Hunter is poised to be another box office bomb in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
  • Sony is shifting focus away from the live-action Spider-Man Universe due to financial losses.
  • Audiences have rejected Sony’s Spider-Man Universe films due to poor quality and lack of interest in Spider-Man-less stories.

As a seasoned gamer and comic book enthusiast with over two decades of fandom under my belt, I can’t help but feel a mix of disappointment and resignation as I reflect on Sony’s latest endeavor, “Kraven the Hunter.

Kraven the Hunter appeared to be heading towards trouble following a disappointing outcome from a recent promotion, and it seems that Sony anticipates the upcoming Spider-Man Universe film may not fare well at the box office.

In a departure from previous Sony Spider-Man Universe films, “Kraven the Hunter” focuses on Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s character Sergei Kravinoff, one of Marvel Comics’ most formidable Spider-Man adversaries who isn’t Spider-Man himself. Unlike other Sony Spider-Man Universe movies, this film doesn’t include the web-slinging hero. The absence of Spider-Man and the underwhelming box office performance of previous Sony Spider-Man films could be reasons why audiences aren’t showing much interest in “Kraven the Hunter.” Except for Tom Hardy’s “Venom” movies, other Sony Spider-Man Universe films have not been profitable for the studio.

At Brazil’s Comic-Con Experience (CCXP), it was revealed that the secret panel was for “Kraven the Hunter.” As reported by The Wrap, someone who attended the panel mentioned that the event was largely empty, with no stars appearing on stage during the presentation. If the sparsely-attended panel suggests that box office predictions for “Kraven the Hunter” are accurate and predict a flop, it seems that Sony has taken notice. In comparison to “Venom: The Last Dance,” which debuted on over 4,000 screens in October, “Kraven the Hunter” will only be released on approximately 3,000 screens, making it the lowest release count for any movie in the Sony Spider-Man Universe.

Kraven the Hunter Panel at Brazil's Comic-Con Experience Bombs

It seems that the most challenging development for the Spider-Man franchise is Sony’s apparent decision to wind down the live-action Spider-Man Universe, as reported by The Wrap. According to this source, Sony is now concentrating on projects related to Spider-Man. A leading talent agent shared with TheWrap their understanding that Sony has completed its current plans for Spider-Man stories. The focus, they say, is on the next “Spider-Man” film. Furthermore, a second insider from Sony reportedly informed The Wrap that the studio is working on Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4, the animated movie Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and the live-action Spider-Man Noir series featuring Nicolas Cage.

It’s not too shocking that Sony might temporarily step away from its Spider-Man Universe live-action franchise, given that every SSU film has been panned by both audiences and critics. The movie “Morbius” had a cult following due to being so bad it was enjoyable, but this fan excitement didn’t result in strong financial returns when the movie was re-released. In fact, “Morbius” flopped twice at the box office. Even the Venom films, which were box office hits despite COVID-19 impacting the second film’s earnings, saw a decline in success with the third installment.

One way of rephrasing this could be: “The Sony Spider-Man Universe’s struggles can easily be attributed to ‘superhero overload,’ considering Marvel Studios and DC have had their fair share of disappointments with films like ‘The Marvels’ and ‘Joker 2.’ Nevertheless, it is hard to argue that the Sony Spider-Man Universe isn’t self-responsible for its downfall. The films generally fail to impress viewers, and it appears that audiences are no longer interested in Spider-Man movies unless they feature the web-slinger himself.

Kraven the Hunter will be released in theaters on December 13, 2024.

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2024-12-11 16:26