Spoiler Alert: Spoilers follow for Kraven the HunterSony’s extended Spider-Man universe is ending not with a bang, but a whimper. Following on the heels of the widely mocked one-two punch that was Morbius and Madame Web, as well as multiple delays, this weekend sees the release of Kraven the Hunter. Anyone hoping this would turn Sony’s luck around is mistaken; the film currently boasts a 14% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and is currently projected to open to a pitiful $15 million.
This, coupled with the recent announcement that Sony plans to redirect its focus onto Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, makes it clear that their planned cinematic universe is effectively dead. Much like with Dark Phoenix for Fox and Aquaman 2 for the DCEU, it feels like a particularly unceremonious farewell, especially seeing as Kraven ends by setting up a sequel we’ll almost certainly never see. Nonetheless, we’re breaking down the film’s ending, what it meant, and where a hypothetical sequel could go.

Release Date

December 13, 2024

Runtime

127 Minutes

Cast

Aaron Taylor-Johnson
, Russell Crowe
, Fred Hechinger
, Ariana DeBose
, Christopher Abbott
, Alessandro Nivola
, Levi Miller
, Chi Lewis-Parry
, Billy Barratt
, Jessica Zhou
, Michael Shaeffer
, Dritan Kastrati
, Greg Kolpakchi
, Elander Moore
, Filiz Fairweather
, Duran Fulton Brown
, Alex Skarbek
, Rachel Handshaw
, Preslav Shipkaliev
, Murat Seven
, Robert Ryan

Franchise

Expand

Read Our Review
What Happens in the Ending of ‘Kraven the Hunter’?

The final act of Kraven sees crime lord Aleksei Systevich (Alessandro Nivola) teaming up with The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) as they attempt to take on the titular character. About halfway through the runtime, they attempt to assassinate Kraven’s brother Dmitri (Fred Heichinger) and abduct him in the hope they can use his life to force his crime lord father to pay a high price in exchange for his life.
As Aleksei and his army storm Kraven’s hideout, the titular hunter, with help from Calypso (Ariana DeBose), sets a series of traps that quickly mow down the goons. While The Foreigner manages to tranquilise Kraven, Calypso kills him with an arrow to the eye. Kraven then confronts Aleksei in a final battle, during which Aleksei fully unveils his indestructible skin, taking the mantle of the Rhino. He also reveals that scientist Miles Warren (the villainous Jackal in the comics) was the one who helped accelerate his mutation.
Nonetheless, Kraven manages to defeat the Rhino, but he also realizes that his own father Nikolai (Russell Crowe) had set up the assassination attempt on his brother. Upon being confronted by his son, Nikolai admits the truth but insists that he never intended for Dmitri to be put in danger, as he was convinced that Kraven’s retaliation would allow him to dispose of a rival crime boss. However, Kraven isn’t willing to forgive being used as a pawn, and he leaves his father to be brutally killed by a bear.
After this, Kraven is disappointed to discover that Dmitri has chosen not to dismantle their father’s criminal empire, but to instead become its new leader. Realizing Kraven was behind Nikolai’s death, he declares his brother his enemy while revealing that he’s recently gotten treatment from Miles Warren as well. Able to shapeshift into anyone he wants, he names himself the Chameleon and presumably Kraven’s next target. The final scene shows Kraven finally donning the classic lion vest from the comics, left behind as a gift from his father, while embracing his role as “the Hunter.”

Related

I’m Fully Convinced ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Was Delayed Because of ‘Beyond the Spider-Verse’

The delays to ‘Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse’ left Sony in a position to make ‘Kraven the Hunter’ their underperforming 2024 holiday release

Where Could ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Go in a Sequel (If It Even Happens?)

Let’s cut to the chase right now: no, Kraven the Hunter does not include a post-credits scene. On one hand, it is admittedly refreshing to see a mostly self-contained superhero film, as Kraven doesn’t set up anything further than its own sequel. On the other hand, it does feel like a particularly unceremonious end to Sony’s shared universe, almost as if they realized this film was going to be their final chapter at the last minute and decided any further teases were now pointless.
But for the sake of argument, where could a hypothetical sequel for Kraven the Hunter go? To begin with the obvious, the titular character would be facing off against the Chameleon, in the kind of former-friends-turned-enemies conflict that drove Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. It also seems safe to say that a sequel would see Kraven being closer to his incarnation in the comics, seeing as the final scene saw him donning his iconic costume. Considering how surprising it was to see a long-anticipated character make his cinematic debut in a John Wick-esque crime thriller, it’d be exciting to see a fully wilderness-set Kraven sequel in the vein of The Grey.
While the film is mostly self-contained, there is nonetheless a bit of set-up as to where Sony’s extended universe could go if it weren’t ending prematurely. It’s clear that director J.C. Chandor and the creative team are setting up Miles Warren as a key figure in the franchise, specifically as the figure behind many of the more recognizable figures like the Rhino and Chameleon. In the comics, Warren was most recognizable as the Jackal, one of Spider-Man’s most feared enemies; he began as Peter Parker’s biochemistry professor and developed feelings for his then-girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. Warren blamed Peter for her death and donned the mantle of the Jackal in a quest for revenge.
While we’ll never know if the character would’ve played a key role in Sony’s planned Sinister Six film or assisted Knull in his quest for world domination, obviously Warren was being set-up as an overarching villain, at least in Kraven’s story. Eeven though Morbius and Madame Web made countless moronic creative decisions in building up to the intended crossover, we’ll admit that including Warren would’ve been a clever way to introduce some of the fan-favorite villains into the mix.
‘Kraven’ Is the End of the Line For Sony

But the sad fact is that Kraven the Hunter is the end of the line for Sony’s shared cinematic universe, and we’ll likely never get to see how this film’s intended set-up would’ve paid off down the line. Admittedly, a franchise made up of Spidey foes without the web-slinger seemed like a long-shot from the beginning, and it’s frankly amazing it managed to last as long as it did. Alas, all good(ish) things must come to an end, and we’ll have to live in a world where we never get to see Kraven fight against the Chameleon or Jackal, or team up with the Sinister Six, or even say, “it’s Kravin’ Time.” Kraven the Hunter is now playing in theaters.