Was ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Delayed Because of ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse?’

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  • Sony Wanted ‘Beyond the Spide-Verse’ But Got ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Instead
  • ‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Should Have Been the End to the Sony Universe

As a long-time fan of superhero movies and a connoisseur of the Spider-Man universe, I must say that this year has been a rollercoaster ride, but not in a good way. The string of disappointing films from Sony Pictures’ shared universe left me feeling more like a punching bag than a spectator.

Isn’t it a bit unusual for a film like Kraven the Hunter to be released during the holiday season, given that we’re accustomed to major studio holiday releases such as new Star Wars, Avatar, or Spider-Man films? Even Aquaman from 2018, which was a DC and Warner Bros. production, felt more like a big event movie compared to Kraven the Hunter. The latter seems less likely to generate the same level of excitement as the final installment in what appears to be an untrue Spider-Man Shared Universe (SSU), reminding me more of The Spirit, another December superhero movie that was critically panned and underperformed at the box office.

The mysterious launch of Kraven the Hunter, scheduled for December 2024, stands as Sony Pictures’ key holiday film and their last movie to commemorate their centennial year. Originally slated for a late summer premiere, Kraven the Hunter was unexpectedly postponed to December at the eleventh hour. It would have been more fitting for the December 2024 slot to be held by Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, the upcoming third installment in the successful and critically lauded Spider-Verse franchise.

It seems quite plausible, given all the available data, that Sony Pictures may have planned Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse as their major release for 2024, culminating their film lineup. However, due to repeated postponements of this movie, we’ve instead got Kraven the Hunter, which too has been delayed and is now set to release towards the end of the year with minimal buzz.

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Sony Wanted ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’ But Got ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Instead

The release date for Kraven the Hunter has seen quite a few adjustments over time. Originally planned for January 2023, it was later rescheduled to October 6, 2023, which would have been an ideal match with the upcoming PS5 Spider-Man 2 game that heavily features Kraven the Hunter, making it a potential “Kraven October” event. However, this opportunity seemed to slip away as Sony opted to push back the release of Kraven the Hunter to August 30, 2024, marking the end of the summer movie season in a more traditional fashion for the Spider-Man Universe.

On April 26, 2024, the much-anticipated release of Kraven the Hunter was postponed yet again, this time until December 2024. This unexpected move came only a week prior to the start of the summer movie season, causing quite a headache as the MovieWeb 2024 Summer Movie Preview had already been finalized, requiring immediate revisions to exclude Kraven the Hunter before it went to print.

It was announced that “Kraven the Hunter,” which was initially scheduled for October 2023, has been pushed back to August 2024. Simultaneously, it was disclosed that “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” would no longer be part of the release schedule. Originally planned for a March 29, 2024 release, coinciding with Easter weekend and nine months after “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse,” the delay in “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” appears to be related to issues such as the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike, SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) strike, and allegations concerning unjust and inhumane working conditions faced by animators during the production of “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

Reports about the potential delay of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse surfaced as soon as three weeks after the premiere of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. It turns out that those who confidently told their friends they wouldn’t have to wait long for the cliffhanger in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse to be resolved may have spoken too soon (and I, unfortunately, am one of them).

Initially, when Sony Pictures decided to postpone “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse,” they had planned to release “The Karate Kid: Legends” on December 13, 2024 as their major holiday film. However, due to delays in “Cobra Kai” and Netflix’s decision to split the final episodes, Sony Pictures shifted the release date of “The Karate Kid: Legends” to summer 2024. It appears that Sony Pictures had been counting on “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” as their big holiday movie for 2024.

Six years following the debut of “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” on December 14, 2018, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which was also released in December, topped the charts as Sony Pictures’ most successful Spider-Man movie during the 2021 holiday season. It would have been fitting to conclude Sony Pictures’ centennial celebration with a film titled “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.

Initially, I had high expectations that Sony Pictures would be able to complete “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” by December 13, 2024, giving their animators an extra nine months and a year and a half. However, as we approach the summer of this year, it’s evident that the production process is moving at a slower pace than anticipated. It seems that the original plans for the film were revised or postponed further, although there have been some disputes regarding this matter.

As a supporter, I find it intriguing how Sony Pictures decided to fill the gap in their holiday lineup with “Kraven the Hunter.” The film has been delayed numerous times, leading me to wonder if they’re strategically positioning it for a pre-holiday release. If “Kraven the Hunter” had made its initial release date, “Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse” would undoubtedly have been the most eagerly anticipated movie of the holiday season, outshining blockbusters like “Sonic the Hedgehog 3” and “Mufasa: The Lion King.” Instead, it seems that “Kraven the Hunter,” a film that appears to lack interest from audiences, is set to compete. In contrast, Disney’s final movie of their 100th anniversary year, “Wish,” now appears remarkably brilliant in comparison.

‘Venom: The Last Dance’ Should Have Been the End to the Sony Universe

2022 saw a dip in the quality of superhero films, but Sony Pictures bucked the trend with three instalments in their Spider-Man Shared Universe that didn’t include Spider-Man: Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance, and Kraven the Hunter. Interestingly, Kraven the Hunter was initially scheduled to be released before Venom: The Last Dance, but Sony Pictures unexpectedly changed this order.

Venom: The Last Dance would have been a more appropriate ending for Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. While it certainly wasn’t good, it would have made more sense as an ending. Venom started the franchise; it feels like a Venom movie should have ended it. Even the film’s title, Venom: The Last Dance, could have worked as the end for Venom’s story and this universe that never actually connected. The film’s final scene is set to Maroon 5’s “Memories” and might not be Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” from Deadpool & Wolverine that paid tribute to the 20th Century Fox era of Marvel movies, but it feels like an ending more than Kraven the Hunter.

It seems unclear when Sony Pictures officially ended their shared universe, but given the lukewarm reception to Madame Web and the lack of new movie announcements other than Spider-Man 4 in the MCU, many suspected it was a long time coming. The announcement that Kraven the Hunter would be the last film in this universe didn’t shock anyone. This leaves us puzzled as to why there was a post-credit scene at the end of Venom: The Last Dance hinting at the arrival of Knull, since it seems they knew it wouldn’t lead anywhere. However, it appears that Sony Pictures was trying one last time to catch viewers’ attention with this move.

This raises one final question: Why not delay Venom: The Last Dance until December 2024 and make it the big holiday movie instead of Kraven the Hunter? Venom had previously been a big box office hit, and from a business standpoint, it makes more sense as a big holiday movie release than Kraven the Hunter.

There isn’t a good answer, really, and the only thing I can think of is that Sony Pictures decided to bookend 2024 with two laughably bad, critically panned superhero movies because if you are going to bow out, it doesn’t need to be good, it just needs to be memorable. The release of Kraven the Hunter brings this bizarre franchise to an end. The state of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe can best be summed up by this quote from The Simpsons episode “Rosebud.”

Homer: Marge, I’m confused. Is this a happy ending or a sad ending?

Marge: It’s an ending, that’s enough.

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2024-12-13 05:02