‘Kraven the Hunter’ Scores Lower Than ‘Morbius’ and ‘Madame Web’ on CinemaScore

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As a lifelong movie buff and someone who’s seen more than their fair share of flops, I can’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Kraven the Hunter. It seems that Sony’s latest attempt at spinning off the Spider-Man universe is going about as well as a spider on roller skates – not very well!

Despite a disastrous start at the box office, the film’s poor performance continues as its Rotten Tomatoes score plummets, Sony announces no further Marvel movies for now, and to top it off, the CinemaScore grade is unfavorable.

Although speculation suggests that Sony may re-enter the Marvel universe before long, it’s clear that no Spider-Man Universe films are scheduled for release within the next year. Consequently, Kraven the Hunter was set to serve as a symbolic herald of a funeral procession, given the current situation seems to reflect a mournful acceptance of another impending loss. This is quite fitting, as it echoes the feeling that we’re witnessing the death of something significant within the family.

Although audiences on Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie a positive 71% rating, those who rated it at CinemaScore upon leaving theaters on opening night gave it a less than enthusiastic response. CinemaScore measures how well a film meets audience expectations, and for ‘Kraven the Hunter’, this has resulted in a C grade, which is not only average but falls below the C+ grades received by both ‘Morbius’ and ‘Madame Web’.

Can ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Catch a Break?

It’s possible that the writing was already on the wall for Kraven, as Sony’s decision to pause further Spider-Man villain movies might have been foreshadowed. The successful debut of Venom in 2018 led Sony to consider a Sinister Six movie, a crossover featuring some of Spider-Man’s most notorious adversaries. This possibility grew stronger when Morbius was finally released in 2022, following several delays. Notably, the post-credits scene in Morbius hinted at a collaboration between Jared Leto’s Morbius and Michael Keaton’s Vulture from the MCU, suggesting they were planning to take on a Spider-Man who hadn’t yet appeared in that universe.

Excluding the “Venom” series, Sony’s films have not been interconnected. Movies like “Morbius,” “Madame Web,” and now “Kraven the Hunter” are each standalone productions that might struggle to make a significant impact at the box office initially, but could still achieve success relatively quickly on streaming platforms.

It turns out that Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter all found a new fan base when they became available on different streaming services following their time in movie theaters. It appears that Kraven the Hunter will follow suit. However, this was not the original intention. Kraven, like those who came before, was designed to capitalize on Spider-Man’s popularity. Unfortunately, it now seems that its best realistic chance is a brief spell at the top of Netflix in early 2025.

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2024-12-15 18:33