Kraven the Hunter suffered a record-breaking failure in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, but Marvel’s new тιтle announcement for Spider-Man 4 may mark the beginning of a new era for the character. One of the main criticisms leveled at Sony’s live-action adaptation of Kraven the Hunter mirrors those of other villains/antiheroes in its now-defunct cinematic franchise centered around Spider-Man’s conspicuous absence. Characters like Kraven and Madame Web are traditionally inexorably tied to the wall-crawler, and the fact that Kraven the Hunter grossed just $60 million worldwide speaks to the general sentiments surrounding Spider-Man’s absence.

So far, the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise has been giving Spider-Man villains their due, with Vulture and Mysterio being among the best-adapted Spider-Man villains to date. The success of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man also speaks volumes, with his movies comprising one of the MCU’s most successful franchises. This franchise is set to continue riding that wave with Spider-Man 4 on July 31, 2026 – and while story details remain scarce, it could be a great opportunity for Marvel to restore the reputations of some of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains.

Spider-Man 4’s Brand New Day тιтle Makes Several Story Possibilities More Likely For The MCU

“Brand New Day” Was A Soft Reboot For Spider-Man In Marvel Comics

Spider-Man: Brand New Day looks set to adapt the comic book run of the same name. This run sees Spider-Man revert to his roots as a street-level superhero after a deal with Mephisto retconned his marriage to Mary Jane and reinstated Spider-Man’s anonymity. While controversial, “Brand New Day” was at least an exciting reboot of the character and took the opportunity to debut a litany of new supervillains and characters as Spider-Man re-embraced his earlier characterization in Marvel Comics.

One of the most popular theories for Spider-Man: Brand New Day is that it will debut Mister Negative, a villain who made his debut during the same comic book arc. Other, more obscure villains like Menace and Freak could also feature heavily as Marvel Studios might continue to adapt more obscure characters using Spider-Man’s incredible star-power as a springboard. This could also lead to the debut of a version of Kraven the Hunter that could help to remedy the sullied reputation of the character following Sony’s Spider-Man franchise adaptation.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day Opens The Possibility For A Very Different MCU Kraven Story

Anastasia Kravinoff Picks Up The Kraven The Hunter Mantle

The “Brand New Day” run of comics leads into the debut of Anastasia Kravinoff, the daughter of Sergei Kravinoff, AKA Kraven the Hunter. Following Kraven’s death in “Kraven’s Last Hunt” in the 1980s, the character left a large gulf as one of Spider-Man’s foremost nemeses, albeit in a story that remains one of Marvel Comics’ most beloved. His daughter, Anastasia, fills that void after “Brand New Day,” in an arc that sees her attempt to resurrect her father and adopt his mantle as the new Kraven the Hunter and nemesis of Spider-Man.

While Marvel Studios would have to take some creative liberties in adapting this character, especially as the original Kraven the Hunter was never established in the MCU, Spider-Man: Brand New Day could introduce a compelling way to adapt the Kraven the Hunter mantle. Anastasia is crucially different enough from Kraven the Hunter to avoid Marvel treading the same ground as Sony, especially as moods may have soured on the character following the flop that was Kraven the Hunter. Alternatively, it could set up Anastasia as a future villain, given that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will likely precede even more sequels.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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