Sony’s line of Marvel films centered around Spider-Man Universe characters continues this week with the opening of Kraven the Hunter, but according to a new report, it will also mark an ending of sorts. A detailed report claims that compounded stumbles of Morbius, Madame Web, a Venom Trilogy of diminishing returns — and even all those bungled plans from the 2010s Amazing Spider-Man franchise — are making Sony press “pause” on its attempts to build a separate Marvel franchise. Instead, it’s being said that all efforts are now turning toward working with Marvel Studios to make Spider-Man 4 with Tom Holland.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“They’ve developed what they want to develop for now,” a “top talent agent” was quoted as saying. “It’s really about the next ‘Spider-Man’ film.”
The Wrap‘s Umberto Gonzalez points to some ominously low early tracking and hype measures for Kraven the Hunter as everything that Sony is concerned about. Kraven marks Sony’s third Marvel-themed film released in 2024: Madame Web had a budget of $80-100 million and made just $100 million at the worldwide box office; Venom: The Last Dance cost $120 million and its box office haul of $472.8 million was just over half of what the original film earned, and less than the sequel film earned while releasing within the restrictions and limits of the COVID pandemic. Kraven the Hunter cost roughly $110 million and — unless some Christmas miracle takes place — it’s looking like it could potentially be the biggest flop of all three of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe releases this year. Kraven the Hunter would have to earn over $300 million at the box office just for Sony to say that it earned a combined $1 billion from its 2024 Marvel movies; the fact that the studio could end the year not even being able to make that claim is a depressing indictment of the brand — and maybe the state of the superhero movie genre, in general.
[RELATED: Marvel’s Spider-Man 4 Plot Details Revealed]
“The biggest issue with the Sony Spider-Man spinoffs seems to be the lack of quality control. The movies just aren’t good,” an “insider” was quoted as saying. “Sometimes that lack of quality meets a movie no one asked for, which was the case with Madame Web, and that is a no-win scenario. It may be time for Sony to start cultivating different IP to launch new franchises.”
Sony Is Still Focused on Spider-Man TV & the Spider-Verse
It is noted in The Wrap‘s report that Sony is not only focusing on Spider-Man 4, the studio is still putting efforts into the other area of the brand that has managed to be a breakthrough success: the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was a dark horse breakout hit that earned an Oscar; the sequel film, Across the Spider-Verse was a box office hit, doubling the first film’s earnings with nearly $700 million, earning critical acclaim and a slew of major award nominations and wins. The film was hit with some controversy after its release, with rumors of chaotic production troubles that were derailing the timeline of the third film. Sony is now reportedly pushing to get Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse complete, and there are indications that the franchise’s protagonist, Miles Morales, will make the jump into the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe.
That could be a much bigger door for Sony to open, and it doesn’t seem like the studio is wasting the opportunity. Even as Beyond the Spider-Verse gets into production, Sony has partnered with Amazon Prime Video and MGM on a live-action Spider-Noir series, with Nicolas Cage taking his role from the animated films into a live-action TV series.
Kraven the Hunter will be released in theaters on December 13th.
