Sony blocked theMarvel Cinematic Universefrom using the originally planned villain forSpider-Man: No Way Home, all for a film that ended up being a massive box office bomb.Tom Holland’s Spider-Man moviesare some of the most successful and popular entries in the MCU. That was clear from 2017’sSpider-Man: Homecoming. However, the hero’s latest adventure on the big screen, 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home, was a generational event unlike any film focused on the wall-crawler had seen before.It united the three live-action movie versions of Peter Parker for the first time.
It’s hard to describe how emotional it was to see the stars of all myfavorite Spider-Man moviescoming together like that. With Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, and Holland’s Spider-Men, the MCU needed a group of worthy villains to present them with a challenge. The franchise did so in spades, withWillem Dafoe’s Green Goblin leading the charge, as othervillains from the Maguire and Garfield Spider-Man franchisesalso entered the MCU to give the heroes a hard time. However, another villain was originally planned forNo Way Home, and his inclusion could have saved a box office bomb.
Kraven The Hunter Was Spider-Man: No Way Home’s Original Villain
The MCU Almost Crafted A Very Different Spider-Man Movie
While one ofSpider-Man: No Way Home’s most attractive factors was how it pulled villains from the past two cinematic Spider-Man franchises, that almost did not happen. At one point, it seemed like the multiverse angle would not work for the film due to the many moving parts of making such an ambitious plan work. Due to that, Kraven the Hunter was planned to serve as the movie’s villain. However,Sony blockedSpider-Man: No Way Homefrom using Kraven, which wasrevealed by the film’s writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, in theMCU: The Reign of Marvel Studiosbook.
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
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According to the writers, Kraven could not be used because Sony wanted to establish the character first in a solo movie. That ended up being Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter, which was released in 2024 and grossed a measly $61.9 million worldwide, becoming the lowest-grossing film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Holland also talked about the idea of having Kraven be Spider-Man: No Way Home’s villain, commenting on how he would have been used because “things weren’t working out.” However, he kept more details under wraps in case the idea was used in the future. Check out the full quote below:
“For a long time, there was going to be a Kraven movie that was going to be the third movie because things weren’t working out and all sorts of different stuff. Jon pitched me this Kraven movie, which actually was really cool. I don’t want to talk about it in case that movie ends up happening down the line, but it was fun.”
I Believe The SSU’s Kraven The Hunter Movie Could Have Been A Hit After An MCU Debut
The Film Did Not Perform Well At The Worldwide Box Office
I think Kraven would have been an interesting foe for Spider-Man to fight inNo Way Home. Adding to that, Sony’s reasoning why the character was not available for the MCU to use is one that I’m convinced ultimately backfired for the studio. Holland’s Spider-Man movies are incredibly successful. Not only do all three of them have positive scores from critics and the audience alike, but they are also surefire box office hits. With a roster of multiverse heroes and villains,Spider-Man: No WayHome made Avengers-level numbers, grossing $1.9 billion worldwide (viaBox Office Mojo).
Now That Marvel’s $61M Box Office Bomb Is A Hit On Netflix, I’m Convinced There’s A Perfect Way For The Hero To Return In The MCU
Despite a Marvel movie having bombed at the box office, there is a perfect way for the MCU to bring back its main hero in a popular franchise.
I’m convinced that if Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter had made his debut inSpider-Man: No Way Home, he would have been part of a very successful movie and become a beloved villain. Based on that,more fans would be interested in knowing his backstory, which Sony could then have explored through its plans for 2024’sKraven the Hunter, but now with a built-in audience. As recent Netflix data reveals,Kraven the Hunterbecame a hit when it dropped on the streamer. The potential was there for the film to be a box office success if Spider-Man had helped Kraven.
It Is Not Too Late For Kraven The Hunter To Enter The MCU
There Are Two Easy Ways For The Villain To Enter The Cinematic Universe
While Sony blockedSpider-Man: No Way Homefrom using Kraven the Hunter, I don’t believe the door is closed for Taylor-Johnson’s version of the character to join the MCU. Sure,Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is dead, as most of its latest releases underperformed. However, Taylor-Johnson showed in the action-packedKraven the Hunterthat he has what it takes to play a major role in at least one future Spider-Man movie, and based on his connection to Marvel Studios — he previously played Quicksilver inAvengers: Age of Ultron— Kraven could fit the franchise’s plans for the multiverse.
Spider-Man: Brand New Daywill be released between the next two Avengers movies. With the Multiverse Saga, Kraven could be pulled into the MCU’s upcoming Spider-Man movie alongside other multiverse heroes and villains. If Marvel chooses to go for a street-level story forSpider-Man: Brand New Day,Kraven could always join the MCU through the events ofAvengers: Secret Wars. In the comics, the storyline ended with the multiverse being rewritten, so I think that Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven, Tom Hardy’s Venom, and perhaps more SSU characters could join the Spider-Man movies afterNo Way Homeopened the door for the multiverse.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Cast
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the trials and tribulations of being a superhero. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his identity becomes a problem for the ones he loves. Unfortunately, when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man will now have to face off with villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) as Peter finally comes to terms that he can’t run from being Spider-Man. Supported by his close friends and help from an unexpected place (or multiverse), Spider-Man will go toe-to-toe with some of the most legendary foes in his storied history.
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.
