Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Kraven the Hunter.It looks likethe Sony Spider-Man Universecomes to a screeching halt with its latest installment,Kraven the Hunter. While there have beenconflicting reports in the Hollywood tradesregarding what’s next forSony Pictures' Marvel-based properties, the lack of end-credit scenes inKraven the Hunteris the biggest example that the Sony Spider-Man Universe is all but dead. It’s a stark contrast to the multiple credit scenes included inVenom: The Last Danceearlier in October. Despite apparent intentions to usethe symbiote creator, Knull (Andy Serkis), for a multi-film arc, it looks like Sony’s SSU plans have been called off, perThe Wrap.Kraven the Hunterlacking any additional post-credit scenes all but confirms thatthe R-rated comic book feature signals the death of the SSU.
‘Kraven the Hunter’ Features No Ties To Previous Entries
Kraven the Hunteris chock-full of characters and Easter eggs from theSpider-Mancomics. However, despite lots of sequel-baiting and appearances by prominent characters setting up potential future installments,Kraven the Huntermakes no effort to tie into previous entries of the SSU. Previous SSU films made poor attempts to vaguely tie intothe MCUSpider-Manseries.Morbiusfeatures the eponymous Michael Morbius (Jared Leto) meeting Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), aka The Vulture. Despite the credit scene’s existence,no idea or plan exists for how to pay off that meeting.Venom: Let There Be Carnageteases Venom entering the MCU and possibly encountering Peter Parker/Spoider-Man (Tom Holland). That culminates in a disappointing bait-and-switch inSpider-Man: No Way Home, continuing intoVenom: The Last Dance.Kraven, despite setting up a ton of new characters, fails any type of future integration with Spider-Man or the MCU. The fact thatKraven the Huntercontains no such credit scenes symbolizes howSony has essentially given up on the SSU after its previous flawed and failed attempts.
The SSU Was Poorly Conceived From the Beginning
For the last decade, Sony’s attempts to expand theSpider-Manfilm franchise with spin-off movies have been a misguided endeavor. Initially, Sony was hoping to make spin-off movies for supervillain teams, such asThe Sinister Six and others. Most of the SSU movies have the same problem because they feature supervillains who are foils, adversaries, and antagonists to Spider-Man. Kraven the Hunter, Morbius, and Venom do not work as well without Spider-Man. Of those three, at least Venom has a fairly well-established history and a sizable fanbase as a solo character that a film franchise can build on. The quality oftheVenomfilmsis arguable, butfans and moviegoers at least showed up to see them. Characters such as Morbius and Kraven did not have that type of intrigue, and the final products were unable to convince audiences to check out the results. Likewise,Madame Webwas never a strong enough character to supporta film franchise. She was always a background, tertiary character, and not a suitable candidate to lead her own film series.
It’s Time for Sony to Re-Focus Back to Spider-Man
Hopefully, the abhorrent failures of the SSUsend a loud and clear message to the Sony executives. Spin-offs featuring Spider-Man villains and supporting characters who cannot mention or interact with Spider-Man do not work. The focus ofthe live-actionSpider-Manfranchisemust return to Spider-Man, and that meansthe untitled fourth Spider-Man installment for the MCU. If Sony seriously wants to explore spin-off opportunities, it should do so for characters such as Miles Morales/Spider-Man; Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy; and other related Spider-Man heroes such as Spider-Man 2099 and Scarlet Spider. Those are all characters who have already proven sizable popularity throughthe animatedSpider-Versefilm series. They are well-established Spider-Heroes who could lead their own stories. Also, if characters such as Kraven, Morbius, or Venom are used on the big screen again,they should be used as foils or antagonists who are set against Spider-Man.
For now, the only other confirmedSpider-Man-related projects coming next from Sony are the upcoming fourthSpider-Manmovie, which isdue out in June 2026;Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, with a release date of TBA; andthe live-actionSpider-Man Noirtelevision seriesstarringNicolas Cage.
Kraven the Hunteris playing in theaters now in the U.S.
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Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
