Sony blocked the Marvel Cinematic Universe from using the originally planned villain for Spider-Man: No Way Home, all for a film that ended up being a mᴀssive box office bomb. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies are some of the most successful and popular entries in the MCU. That was clear from 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. However, the hero’s latest adventure on the big screen, 2021’s Spider-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 my favorite Spider-Man movies coming 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, with Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin leading the charge, as other villains from the Maguire and Garfield Spider-Man franchises also entered the MCU to give the heroes a hard time. However, another villain was originally planned for No 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 of Spider-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 blocked Spider-Man: No Way Home from using Kraven, which was revealed by the film’s writers, Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers, in the MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios book.
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MCU Spider-Man Movies |
Release Year |
|---|---|
|
Spider-Man: Homecoming |
2017 |
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Spider-Man: Far From Home |
2019 |
|
Spider-Man: No Way Home |
2021 |
|
Spider-Man: Brand New Day |
2026 |
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 in No 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 Way Home made Avengers-level numbers, grossing $1.9 billion worldwide (via Box Office Mojo).
I’m convinced that if Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven the Hunter had made his debut in Spider-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’s Kraven the Hunter, but now with a built-in audience. As recent Netflix data reveals, Kraven the Hunter became 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 blocked Spider-Man: No Way Home from 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 ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, as most of its latest releases underperformed. However, Taylor-Johnson showed in the action-packed Kraven the Hunter that 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 in Avengers: Age of Ultron — Kraven could fit the franchise’s plans for the multiverse.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day will 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 for Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Kraven could always join the MCU through the events of Avengers: 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 after No Way Home opened the door for the multiverse.
All Announced Upcoming MCU Movies
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Release Date
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July 31, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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