Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, grossed just $62 million worldwide. A significant commercial failure for Sony. Polygon reported that weak box office performance and critical reception have effectively ended Sony's Spider-Man Universe strategy. Sony will not continue its standalone Spider-Man films beyond this installment.
Critics panned the film. Rotten Tomatoes gave it 15 percent. Polygon described it as a "bizarre movie" that does not ultimately work, noting visible evidence of reshoots and studio intervention throughout.
Kraven's cast includes Fred Hechinger as the Chameleon, Ariana DeBose as Calypso, Russell Crowe in a Russian accent role, and Alessandro Nivola as the Rhino. Taylor-Johnson's version of Kraven departs significantly from comic book tradition, portraying the character as an animal-loving vigilante rather than a hunter seeking to prove himself against Spider-Man.
Kraven the Hunter will become available on Disney Plus in September following its Netflix run. Its arrival continues consolidation of Sony's Spider-Man Universe catalog on Disney Plus, joining Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, and Madame Web. Venom: The Last Dance arrives imminently.
Sony released three Spider-Man-adjacent films in 2024: Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance, and Kraven the Hunter, as part of a significant push to establish a universe around these characters. However, only Venom: The Last Dance achieved meaningful box office returns, leaving both Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter as clear commercial disappointments. Sony abandoned its Spider-Man Universe plans after this string of failures.
Christopher Abbott plays the Foreigner, an obscure Marvel character, before his upcoming role as Professor Charles Xavier in Marvel Studios' X-Men film. Kraven's commercial collapse carries added significance given that director Ryan Coogler was reportedly denied access to the character for his Black Panther films, suggesting Sony may have underestimated the character's strategic value.