Will there be a Kraven the Hunter 2?
The future isn't looking bright for Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
For months before the (long-delayed) release of Kraven the Hunter, there was speculation that it did not seem likely to fix the Sony Spider-Man Universe's unenviable reputation as a franchise of flops – at least as far as critical reception is concerned.
And so it has proved. Following the much maligned releases of both Madame Web and Venom: The Last Dance earlier in 2024, Kraven has suffered a familiar fate, with overwhelmingly negative reviews for the film which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular super-villain.
Our own two-star verdict on the film said that "the leaden script lacks zing and zingers" and called it "sadly underwhelming".
So what does all this mean for the future of Kraven and further films in the so called SSU? Read on for everything you need to know.
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Will there be a Kraven the Hunter 2?
Sorry Kraven fans – it's not looking good at the moment.
Although director JC Chandor recently told Collider that he'd love to conclude the story with an adaptation of the comic book story Kraven's Last Hunt, it seems that plans for the Sony Spider-Man Universe in general are on hold, if not outright scrapped.
Still, star Taylor-Johnson appeared bullish about the future when promoting the movie, explaining in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter: "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."
He added: "It’s up to you guys, it’s all over to you now."
Meanwhile one of the film's supporting stars, Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose, had another suggestion for who the character could stay on: by moving into the main MCU.
"This is meant to be a standalone film and an origin story, but I do think Kraven deserves that epic showdown with Spider-Man," she told Variety. "There’s literally a whole comic about it. Give the people what they want. I think they should do that. And if there’s space for Calypso and Kraven’s journey, then great!"
Despite all that optimism from the cast and crew, though, the reality feels far less rosy. A recent report in The Wrap revealed that Sony had had enough of successive flops and were ready to shelve their entire Spider–Man Universe franchise.
Of course, this isn't 100% confirmed yet, but given the reception to most of these films it can't come as too much of a shock. We'll be keeping track of all the latest developments so do keep checking back for any further updates on the outside chance of a Kraven 2.
Kraven the Hunter is now showing in UK cinemas.
Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
Patrick Cremona is the Senior Film Writer at Radio Times, and looks after all the latest film releases both in cinemas and on streaming. He has been with the website since October 2019, and in that time has interviewed a host of big name stars and reviewed a diverse range of movies.
