Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is optimistic fans will still want to see more of his lead character...even if Sony Pictures is seemingly giving up. After years of directors like Sam Raimi, Marc Webb, and Jon Watts trying to get Kraven the Hunter in a Spider-Man movie, Sony has instead decided to give the Spider-Man foe his own origin movie in the style of Venom and Morbius. Taylor-Johnson was cast as Kraven the Hunter in summer 2021, and after multiple release date delays, the film is finally set to hit theaters. Yet the fanfare has been little to non-existent.
At the premiere of Kraven the Hunter in New York, Aaron Taylor-Johnson told The Hollywood Reporter that he believes fans who go out to see the film will be left wanting more, hinting at a sequel that seemingly might never come. He put the ball in the fans court saying:
"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. It's up to you guys, it's all over to you now."
Johnson's comments come shortly after it was reported that Sony is abandoning their shared universe of movies based on Spider-Man supporting characters. Which, for some reason, was still called the Spider-Man Shared Universe (SSU) for short. While Venom got the franchise off to a strong box office start, follow-ups like Morbius and Madame Web received some of the worst reviews in the superhero genre, as well as being box office flops. Kraven the Hunter will now be the last film in this failed franchise, likely putting Aaron Taylor-Johnson's time as Kraven to an end before it even began.
Will 'Kraven the Hunter' Really Ever Return? Close
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's optimistic declaration that fans will want to see more of Kraven the Hunter certainly seems laughable, as critics have panned the movie. It sits on Rotten Tomatoes with a rating of 15%, just a few points above Madame Web's 11%. Audiences aren't craving Kraven either, as the film is now looking to open to an abysmal $13 to $15 million. With terrible word of mouth and a poor-looking box office, the hunter will soon become the prey when Kraven the Hunter is devoured at the box office by animal-themed movies like Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
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Yet, give something enough time, no matter how bad the initial reaction might be, people will inevitably grow nostalgic for it. For proof, look no further than the warm reaction Jennifer Garner got playing Elektra in Deadpool & Wolverine, despite her solo 2005 film being considered one of the worst superhero movies ever and with a review score lower than Kraven the Hunter's. So, perhaps in 20 years, if the superhero genre is still going, Aaron-Taylor Johnson will cameo in a comic-accurate costume, and people will cheer.
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2.5 /5 Kraven the Hunter R ActionAdventure Sci-Fi
Release Date December 13, 2024 Director J.C. Chandor 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 Expand