Kraven the Hunter has finally hit theaters after several delays spanning nearly two years, which now begs the question of whether and when the latest installment of Sony's Spider-Man Universe will receive a sequel. The question is particularly pertinent after Sony's Spider-Man Universe has been struggling under the weight of the critical and financial disappointments of Morbius and Madame Web. Now that the franchise's most dependable character, Venom, has rounded out his trilogy, it seems the future of the franchise rests purely on Kraven the Hunter's shoulders.
This is an unenviable position for Aaron Taylor-Johnson's titular villain/antihero, as the general lack of enthusiasm surrounding Sony's Spider-Man franchise makes its success an uphill battle. Still, while the movies comprising Sony's Spider-Man Universe are yet to convey how they are interconnected, this does not preclude Kraven the Hunter 2 from picking up where Kraven's story left off in a more freestanding franchise like Venom's. With that in mind, here's everything that's been revealed about that eventuality and whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson will carry the torch after Tom Hardy.
Kraven The Hunter 2 Has Not Been Confirmed
Sony's Cinematic Franchise May Be At An End
At the time of writing, Kraven the Hunter 2 is not an official part of Sony's upcoming release slate. This isn't surprising, as Sony will no doubt intend to see how Kraven the Hunter fares at the box office before committing to a sequel. Venom kick-started Sony's Spider-Man Universe with a dazzling $856 million worldwide gross, after all, immediately justifying subsequent installments. Unfortunately, Kraven the Hunter is a far less recognizable character and the lead-up to his live-action debut has been marred by a general air of skepticism.
Venom (2018) | $856,081,053 | 30% |
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) | $501,546,922 | 57% |
Morbius (2022) | $162,759,437 | 15% |
Madame Web (2024) | $100,298,817 | 11% |
Venom: The Last Dance (2024) | $472,447,179 | 41% |
Furthermore, the prognosis does not look good according to recent developments. A report by The Wrap revealed via insiders that Sony has put a hold on its Spider-Man spinoff movies following lackluster early reviews for Kraven the Hunter, all but confirming that it will be the final installment of Sony's Spider-Man Universe as the studio focuses on its more bankable franchises. While this doesn't necessarily mean that Kraven the Hunter will never receive a sequel, this revelation means it is unlikely that Kraven the Hunter 2 will be announced any time soon.
What The Director And Star Have Said About Kraven's Future
Both Seem Keen For Kraven's Story To Continue
Custom Image by Simone Ashmoore Kraven the Hunter director J.C. Chandor recently acknowledged the state of Sony's Spider-Man Universe in an interview with ScreenRant, addressing how past failures will impact his project. At the same time, he highlighted the intention to make Kraven the Hunter a self-contained movie. This tracks with Kraven's generally autonomous nature in Marvel Comics and the fact that none of Sony's Spider-Man spinoff stars have convincingly started to collaborate. This leaves the door open for Chandor and Sony to continue Kraven's story as a standalone franchise, given he is not tied to the characters that failed to deliver for Sony.
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Where to Watch Kraven The Hunter: Showtimes & Streaming Status
Kraven the Hunter has his live action debut in the eponymous movie, exploding into cinemas worldwide as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
Chandor also mentioned how Kraven the Hunter takes Kraven on a journey that definitively sets him up as a true-blue villain like his comic book counterpart. This suggests that there is still plenty to explore with Taylor-Johnson's Kraven as a more comic-accurate embodiment independent of any involvement with the Sinister Six that Sony was ostensibly attempting to set up. Chandor confirmed as much when speaking with The Hollywood Reporter at the Kraven the Hunter premiere, stating:
"Let’s hope this one works, and then there’s a lot of places he could go."
This sentiment was mirrored by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who stated during the same interaction that audiences are going to want to see more of Kraven after watching his debut, but that the fate of a sequel rests in their hands. His full comments are as follows:
"This first movie is for everybody — the audiences, come see it, and I think by the end of the movie you’re going to want to see him go on. It’s up to you guys, it’s all over to you now."
Aaron Taylor-Johnson also expressed his enthusiasm for Kraven's return in an interview with ScreenRant's Liam Crowley. Addressing if and when Kraven could face off against his arch-nemesis, Spider-Man, down the line, he stated:
"I mean, it's very much the question to everyone else really, right? Because I think what we've done, what we've set up in this story is a really rich character that definitely has the legs to go on and do more damage. I think he should go toe-to-toe with some superheroes that we know. One of my favorite stories is Kraven's Last Hunt. It was one of the source materials I used to go back from. He's got some dark demons there and we are basically showing the birth of that and how he becomes a villain that we then come to know. So really come see this movie, man. Come see this movie. I promise you it won't disappoint. It's got all the beats that you want and more. I think it could be an audience’s sort of villain favorite, definitely go toe-to-toe with some other people down the line, man."
Evidently, it seems that both are keen to continue Kraven's story. Regarding Taylor-Johnson's appeals to the audience, this also hinges on Kraven the Hunter's success and whether Sony gives the go-ahead.
Kraven The Hunter 2 Cast: Who Could Return?
Prominent Spider-Man Villains Still Need To Face Spider-Man
Should Sony decide to greenlight Kraven the Hunter 2, the only character certain to return would be Kraven the Hunter himself. Aaron Taylor-Johnson's comments about going toe-to-toe with "some superheroes" speaks to a wider desire amongst audiences for Spider-Man to finally debut opposite Sony's spinoff characters, yet with recent developments suggesting that Sony wishes to focus on the MCU's Spider-Man 4 and its own animated Spider-Verse franchise, this doesn't seem likely to happen any time soon, at least.
Morbius teased the Sinister Six in a post-credits scene that saw Morbius interacting with the MCU's Vulture.
Still, this wider desire to see Sony's Spider-Man villains actually fight Spider-Man himself suggests that other recognizable villains appearing in Kraven the Hunter may reprise their roles. Fred Hechinger's Chameleon and Alessandro Nivola's Rhino are the most likely among these. Whether they do so in Kraven the Hunter 2 or in another movie that spotlights Spider-Man remains to be seen, however.
Kraven The Hunter 2 Story Details: How The Movie Could Set Up A Sequel
Kraven The Hunter Needs To Face His Arch-Nemesis
Kraven the Hunter culminating in Kraven adopting a more villainous guise would make Kraven the Hunter 2 particularly interesting. Of every Marvel Comics character who stars in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, Kraven is the most overtly villainous, which is conspicuously contradicted by his heroic actions in Kraven the Hunter. To have Kraven follow up his debut as a more fiendish character would certainly flip the script on the typical superhero movie formula, and could become so unique as to help change Sony's fortunes with the Spider-Man IP.
With that in mind, Kraven the Hunter 2 needs to set up (or preferably debut) Sony's live-action Spider-Man himself. Kraven's best stories in Marvel Comics - including the Kraven's Last Hunt run referenced by Aaron Taylor-Johnson - pit him against the iconic web-slinger as an integral part of his story. To avoid feeling disconnected from the source material and capitalize on the star power of Spider-Man, every narrative after his origin story should see Kraven at least gear up to confront his arch-nemesis.
Sony also opened up another obvious narrative thread for Kraven the Hunter 2 to pursue in the form of Knull.
Sony also opened up another obvious narrative thread for Kraven the Hunter 2 to pursue in the form of Knull. The God of Symbiotes appeared in a post-credits tease in Venom: The Last Dance, where he threatens to attack Earth. It's hard to see how Kraven could approach this threat alone in Kraven the Hunter 2, making it more likely that the movie could see Kraven rallying help against the cosmic threat in a future ensemble sequel in Sony's Spider-Man Franchise, provided the studio ever decides to revisit it.
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.
Release Date December 13, 2024
Runtime 127 Minutes
Director J.C. Chandor
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Sources: The Wrap / The Hollywood Reporter
English (US) ·