With a lack of competition in terms of rival superhero projects from Marvel Studios and Warner Bros./DC (with Deadpool & Wolverine and Joker: Folie a Deux the only other major comic book movie releases of the year), 2024 was always going to be make or break for Sony Pictures and its fledgling Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
Having released three instalments between 2018 and 2022 in Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Morbius, the SSU would expand exponentially with the release of new properties Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter, along with the final chapter of Tom Hardy’s Venom trilogy, Venom: The Last Dance.
However, rather than taking the opportunity to firmly establish itself as the #2 cinematic superhero universe ahead of 2025’s Superman reboot, the third Venom film was met with diminishing box office returns, while Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter bombed hard – so much so that the studio has reportedly given up on its shared superhero universe ambitions and pulled the plug on future Spidey spinoffs.
Speaking to The Los Angeles Times in the wake of Kraven the Hunter’s release, Sony’s outgoing CEO Tony Vinciquerra described the Aaron Taylor-Johnson-led film as “probably the worst launch we had” under his tenure at the studio, and that I still don’t understand [why], because the film is not a bad film.”
Vinciquerra then went on to lay the blame at the feet of critics, who ripped Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter to pieces with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 11% and 14% respectively.
“Let’s just touch on Madame Web for a moment,” said Vinciquerra. “Madame Web underperformed in the theaters because the press just crucified it. It was not a bad film, and it did great on Netflix. For some reason, the press decided that they didn’t want us making these films out of Kraven and Madame Web, and the critics just destroyed them. They also did it with Venom, but the audience loved Venom and made Venom a massive hit. These are not terrible films. They were just destroyed by the critics in the press, for some reason.”
It’s probably worth pointing out that it wasn’t just critics trashing the films, as audience reception was little better, and even lead actress Dakota Johnson spent so much of the Madame Web press tour taking jabs at the film, reportedly much to the ire of the studio. Fans haven’t exactly been crying out for any of the films in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe either – especially without the involvement of the web-slinger, and when Sony’s very insistence on milking the Spidey film rights with a spinoff universe has prevented those characters appearing alongside Tom Holland’s Spidey in Sony and Marvel’s MCU-set co-productions.
What are your thoughts on Sony’s Spider-Man Universe? Were critics responsible for the failures of Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
