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Netflix brings Kraven the Hunter to your home this Thursday. Allow him to enter at your own risk, as this appears to be the film that killed not only Spider-Man but also the non-Spider-Man Spider-Verse.

Sony's Spider-Man films were, on the whole, a pretty solid group. They got much better once they finally accepted assistance from Marvel Studios, beginning with Spider-Man: Homecoming. But those Spider-verse movies without Spidey? I mean, the first Venom was okay, but after that? Yeesh. And they got yeeshier as they went along.

Let me put it this way. The reputation of these movies is so bad that Netflix has been essentially dumping them onto their schedule. Venom: The Last Dance debuted on February 25th with little advance notice at all. The streaming giant did the same with Madame Web nearly a year ago, on May 14th. Both films performed much better on streaming than they did at movie theaters.

Kicking off in 1982 with the first Tron movie, followed by the 2010 sequel Tron: Legacy, the sci-fi franchise didn’t exactly witness box office success. Yet both films turned into cult classics, with fans obsessed over the neon-lit world of The Grid, and Daft Punk’s legendary soundtrack. Now, Disney is bringing the franchise back with Tron: Ares, the long-awaited third installment.

A still from Tron: Legacy (2010) | image: Disney

Meanwhile, people might not know this but Joseph Kosinski had previously tried to develop a sequel to Tron: Legacy until the project was ultimately canceled by Disney. But now that the studio had a change of mind, fans will finally get to see the third installment, now officially titled Tron: Ares in 2025. So, let’s check out every little detail we know so far about the upcoming movie.

When will Tron: Ares hit the theatres?

Fans of the Tron franchise have been...

For whatever reason, Sony became convinced that crafting an entire franchise set in the Spider-Man universe without featuring the webslinger himself was a good idea. In fairness, Kevin Feige and the folks at Marvel Studios did create the most successful box office franchise in history by taking lesser-known characters and giving them the A-list character treatment. But the key thing there was that those early Marvel Cinematic Universe films were actually pretty good. At the least, they were solid blockbuster entertainment. Sony, on the other hand, has pumped out a string of truly bewildering films based on the Marvel characters to which it owns the rights.

"Morbius," for example, became nothing short of a joke upon its 2022 release, with Sony then trying to double down on that joke with a theatrical re-release that also flopped. Just in case the studio hadn't already doomed its then lamentably-titled "Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (Spumc)," Sony delivered,...

Entertainment journalism is, modestly speaking, a vital but mentally taxing burden we bear with quiet bravery.

We've had to not only see but analyze and remember corners of this industry no one should ever be exposed to. Our writers sometimes wake in a cold sweat, screaming about how it's fine to think the Snyder Cut is just "okay." If we close our eyes too tightly, we see flashes of the cursed photoshoot for Universal's Dark Universe, complete with Russell Crowe's hand awkwardly hovering over an invisible chair. And, when the night is quiet, the ghost of Dwayne Johnson promising to change the "hierarchy of power" echoes in the recesses of our once pure psyches.

But none of these compare to the pain that is remembering the birth, life, and agonizing death of Sony's "Spider-Man" Universe. For seven years, we watched them try again and again to prove...

Back in September 2000, Marvel made history by re-imagining one of their most popular heroes ever. The original Ultimate Spider-Man comic book series took over the world by introducing unexpected changes to the character's mythos. The Green Goblin was pictured as a huge rampaging monster, Gwen Stacy would eventually perish at the hands of Carnage, and Norman Osborn was involved in the creation of the wall-crawler. However, while fans fell in love with these original stories, the most important contribution of the series would come after the death of its main character: Peter Parker.

Spider-Man died in his last fight against Norman Osborn, leaving New York City without one of its greatest protectors. At the time, it was a very shocking moment for superhero fans, but little did we know that Marvel had bigger plans in store. After Peter left the scene, Miles Morales swung into the picture and became...

Following yesterday's behind-the-scenes photo of Masters of the Universe stars Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes (Riverdale) in the process of training for the lead roles of He-Man and Teela, we now have some new casting news courtesy of Deadline.

The live-action take on the classic animated series has added Morena Baccarin as The Sorceress and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Malcolm, aka Fisto.

In the cartoon, the Sorceress was the powerful guardian of Castle Grayskull, and could transform into a falcon named Zoar. Fisto started out as a villain before turning his back on Skeletor and becoming an ally of He-Man's.

Baccarin recently reprised her role as Vanessa Carlyle in Deadpool and Wolverine, while Jóhannesson will soon be seen as the villainous Copperhead in Captain America: Brave New World.

Morena Baccarin and Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson join the cast of the upcoming feature film Masters of the Universe as The Sorceress and Fisto.

Amazon MGM and Mattel's live-action Masters of the Universe reboot is set to begin filming very soon, and thanks to a new photo shared on social media, we have some idea of how Nicholas Galitzine and Riverdale alum Camila Mendes will look as Prince Adam/He-Man and his right-hand woman/possible love-interest, Teela.

Galitzine and Mendes are posing alongside Game of Thrones alum Hafthor Bjornsson, who will also star as Goat Man (we have no idea why they didn't go with Beast Man), and is likely putting his cast mates through their paces in the gym.

The actors are obviously not in-costume as their respective characters here, but this is clearly going to be Galitzine's unmistakable He-Man hairdo, while Mendes is also sporting Teela's red locks.

Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes training for the upcoming ‘Masters Of The Universe’ film. pic.twitter.com/gnQYj8qRmn

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) February...

There's a moment near the climax of 2018's "Black Panther" when you realize, while watching it for the first time, that a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie is about to stick the landing on one of the greatest superhero stories told in any medium. It isn't Okoye's (Danai Gurira) stand-off with her traitorous husband (Daniel Kaluuya), nor is it the heartbreaking death of the lost prince Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan).

It's Chadwick Boseman, rising with the sun over his subjects on the plains of Wakanda, proclaiming to his would-be usurper, "I never yielded!" It's arguably the best moment in the entire MCU -- and it undeniably cemented Boseman as a performer with an incomparable mixture of dramatic gravitas, genre savvy, and sheer talent.

When Boseman passed away in August 2020, he had already earned a legacy in Hollywood that few could ever dream of, much less achieve. We've ranked every Chadwick Boseman...

Jack Quaid is known for his performance as Hughie in The Boys and has recently become a subject of discussion among fans. However, it’s not for his role in the chaotic superhero series, but rather for his potential to become the next Spider-Man.

Jack Quaid as Hughie in The Boys | Prime Video

A comical video starring Quaid prompted a viewer to say the same and it’s been discussed before as well. While the suggestion might seem odd to some, Quaid’s talent is undeniable, so he could possibly pull off the web-slinger’s role.

Jack Quaid roasts Morbius and fans want him to play Spider-Man Jack Quaid as Hughie in The Boys | Prime Video

In a recent upload on Josh Horowitz’s YouTube channel, Jack Quaid took part in a parody-like video. The Criterion Collection’s series Closet Picks, where we see stars recommend their favorite movies was...

When Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios parted ways after Spider-Man: Far From Home, Sony executives immediately started making plans to continue the franchise without Kevin Feige's input.

We'll likely never know what that would have entailed. However, once both sides managed to get back on good terms, the wall-crawler found himself caught up in the Multiverse with 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. That led to the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as their respective Peter Parker Variants, not to mention some familiar villains.

Sony tried to get in on the Multiversal action with Morbius. However, after cutting several confusing nods to Sam Raimi's Spider-Man franchise, the studio settled for one of the worst post-credits scenes ever which saw the Living Vampire meet The Vulture.

The idea of Venom fighting Spider-Man was teased but never followed up on and Sony has now given up on its slate of Marvel spin-offs.

With 2025 officially upon us, excitement for some of this year's biggest releases is at an all-time high. Yes, it's expected to be a major year for the box office, with big properties making their presences felt on the silver screen. That also includes some returning Hollywood heavyweights.

Among the biggest films this year are James Gunn's Superman, Jurassic World Rebirth, Predator: Badlands, Wicked: For Good, and so much more. Yes, that's barely scratching the surface of what we can expect from the cinematic landscape this year, and that doesn't even include the big Marvel movies - which have become an annual tentpole for the movie industry.

Marvel characters always draw audiences and it's safe to say that this year will be no different, with some major characters set to either return or debut on the big screen. That said, one mysterious Marvel movie will not be making its presence...

Kraven The Hunter Worldwide Box Office: Nearing Its Theatrical End (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Sony Marvel’s Kraven the Hunter, featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, failed to impress the audience and is set to witness an abysmal end of its theatrical run. It will end its run even below the box office dud, Madame Web. This movie suffered from multiple delays, which is another reason for its failure at the box office. Scroll below for the deets.

Last year, three films from Sony’s Spider-Man Universe were released, and Venom: The Last Dance was only a box office success. Other films released were Madame Web and this Aaron Taylor-Johnson starrer. It scored a much lower debut in the United States than Dakota Johnson’s Marvel movie. Madame Web-collected $15.3 million, while Kraven earned only $11 million from 3,211 theatres in its opening weekend and, as predicted, did not rebound over the rest of the course of its theatrical run.

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Max is ready with an entertainment-packed February this year. The upcoming month will see the return of some of HBO’s brilliant original satirical dark comedy-drama anthology series, The White Lotus, as well as the streaming release of Andrew Garfield and Florence Pugh‘s beautiful romantic drama film We Live in Time. Just like every month, Max is ready to overload you with great content. So, we’re here to tell you about the 5 new movies and TV shows coming to Max in February 2025.

We Live in Time (February 7) Credit – A24

We Live in Time is a romantic comedy-drama film directed by John Crowley from a screenplay by Nick Payne. The 2024 film follows the relationship of a young couple over the course of a decade as they go through the ups and downs of life together while learning and growing with each other.

Those holding out hope that we'll see Big Nick and Donnie reunite once more for another totally bats*** crazy heist might not want to hold their breath. "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera" hit theaters in early January and topped the box office with $15.5 million. It essentially matched the original's opening weekend from 2018, which suggested there was a loyal following for this budding franchise. But the outlook has worsened as the weeks have gone on, and the odds of "Den of Thieves" 3 is happening are looking less sure by the minute.

As of this writing, Lionsgate's sequel has earned $31.8 million domestically to go with $8.6 million overseas for a running total of $40.4 million worldwide. Director Christian Gudegast's film carries a $40 million budget, which doesn't account for marketing. Since theaters keep roughly half of the money earned from ticket sales, this one still has a long way to go before it reaches profitability.

Jared Leto is no stranger to comic book movies, having played Joker in David Ayer's Suicide Squad and Zack Snyder's Justice League, as well as the titular Spider-Man "villain" in Sony Pictures' Morbius.

Leto's performances in these movies were not exactly lauded, but it sounds like Marvel Studios is confident that the Academy Award-winner can still deliver in a superhero setting.

According to Mttsh, Leto is now "in talks for a Marvel role (not Ghost Rider)."

The reason she specifies that Ghost Rider is not the character he's in up for is that a number of other internet scoopers have been sharing images and GIFs of the Spirit of Vengeance alongside Leto's photo. It seems word has got around that the actor is in talks for something Marvel-related, but whether anything will come of it remains to be seen.

Leto has expressed interest in returning to the genre in the past.

Max is bringing a lot of content in February, with the highlight being HBO’s Original ‘The White Lotus.’ Here’s every movie and TV show coming to the platform next month.

Titles coming to Max in February

February 1

42 (2013)

Accidentally Brave (2023)

Bad Boys (1995)

Bad Boys II (2003)

Brian Banks (2019)

Cabin in the Sky (1949)

Cleats & Convos with Deebo Samuel, Episode 114 (B/R)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

Deepwater Horizon (2016)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932)

Dredd (2012)

Duplicity (2009)

Entertainment (2015)

Experimenter (2015)

Final Destination (2000)

Final Destination 2 (2003)

Final Destination 3 (2006)

Final Destination 5 (2011)

Ivanhoe (1952)

Jackie (2016)

Jezebel (1938)

Jupiter’s Darling (1955)

Just Mercy (2020)

King Solomon’s Mines (1950)

Kitty Foyle (1940)

Kusama: Infinity (2018)

Lady Be Good (1941)

Lassie Come Home (1943)

Life Partners (2014)

Lili (1953)

Little Women (1949)

Love & Basketball (2000)

Mad Money (2008)

Malcolm X (1992)

Mary of Scotland (1936)

Massacre (1934)

Mechanic: Resurrection (2016)

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Mister Roberts (1955)

Mr. Church (2016)

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Neptune’s Daughter (1949)

Noma: My Perfect Storm (2015)

One Way Passage (1932)

Safe in Hell (1931)

Shadow on the Wall (1950)

Skate Kitchen...

The best Matt Smith movies and TV shows highlight the Doctor Who and House of the Dragon star’s ability to bring an acute level of nuance to even the most complex roles. Born in the UK in 1982, Matt Smith first started his acting career on the stage in 2003. After appearing in plays like The History Boys in theaters in London, Smith landed his first TV role in the BBC fantasy drama The Ruby in the Smoke in 2006. The following year he starred in a leading role in the drama Party Animals, with his film career kicking off in 2010’s Womb.

However, 2010 was a significant year in Matt Smith’s career, not because of his first feature-film appearance, but because he landed the lead role in the legendary sci-fi series Doctor Who as the 11th Doctor. From there, Smith has gone from strength to strength, appearing in franchise blockbusters like...

It’s no secret that Kraven the Hunter wasn’t the hit that Sony hoped for, but I’m surprised to see just how badly it’s doing. The film was essentially doomed before it even premiered. The reputation of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe was already at an all-time low thanks to Morbius and Madame Web, leading to the inevitable end of the Ssu. The fact that Kraven the Hunter was premiering in a dead franchise was enough to deter people from seeing it.

For those who did see Kraven the Hunter in theaters, most audiences left unimpressed with the quality of the film. While the main actors did a decent job in their roles, it was no use due to the poorly written script and the distractingly bad visual effects. Characters and a story that actually had potential were just executed in a painfully average project. It’s not...

The new buddy comedy movie starring Keke Palmer and Sza is coming to theaters on Jan. 17. What about streaming?

Have you ever had a day where nothing seems to go right, no matter how many plans you had? Keke Palmer and Sza know that feeling all too well in “One of Them Days,” the new comedy movie from Sony that will arrive in theaters officially on Jan. 17. When will it be available to stream? We’ll give our thoughts on that below!

Key Details: “One of Them Days” has gotten rave reviews from critics and preview audiences alike. The movie is being distributed by Sony, so will stream on Netflix. Sony typically gives its movies extended theatrical windows to maximize their earnings. Sign Up $6.99+ / month netflix.com Watch a trailer for “One of Them Days”

“One of Them Days” follows a pair of best friends and roommates named Alyssa and Dreux.

After a series of disappointments in 2024, the future of Sony's Spider-Man Universe is in jeopardy, but I think there's one clear way the franchise could continue even stronger than before. Set adjacent to the MCU, Sony's Spider-Man Universe kicked off in 2018 with the release of Venom and came to a lackluster end in December following Kraven the Hunter's premiere. I'm not surprised the Ssu never gained the popularity that other superhero franchises such as the MCU, X-Men and Dcu franchises have earned, but I know how this can change.

Sony's Spider-Man Universe released three movies in 2024, Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance and Kraven the Hunter, and while The Last Dance was met with some appreciation, overall, Sony's 2024 slate was a huge disappointment. However, with projects such as Spider-Noir and Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse on the horizon, I think there's still hope for the Ssu. This would...

Sony’s Marvel Universe is over, at least for now, with Kraven the Hunter putting the final nail in the coffin. The film has earned scathing reviews (only slightly better than Morbius and Madame Web) and stands as the lowest-grossing film in Sony’s Marvel franchise, with a current worldwide gross of just $59.4 million. Still, there must be someone out there who is anxious to add Kraven the Hunter to their 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray collections, and Sony Pictures has announced that the film will be available to purchase on physical media on March 4th.

As previously reported, Kraven the Hunter will be available on Digital on January 14th. The special features included on the 4K Uhd, Blu-ray, and Digital versions of the film include:

Deleted & Extended Scenes Becoming Kraven Beast Mode: The Stunts of the Hunt Outtakes & Bloopers Kraven’s First Hunt: The Direction Allies & Antagonists: The Killer Cast

Per the official synopsis,...

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J.C Chandor's "Kraven the Hunter" is the (for now) final film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe (the Ssu). The various Ssu films released to date haven't been terribly well-received, but most of them have a clunky, shabby charm and some were even commercially successful. "Kraven the Hunter," on the other hand, has tanked at the box office, having only made $59.3 million in theaters against a reported budget of at least $110 million. In addition, the film was roundly derided by critics, scoring a mere 17% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 145 reviews. All that being said, this particular Ssu film isn't the fiasco those numbers might suggest. Don't get me wrong; as I noted in my review for /Film, "Kraven the Hunter" is absolutely ridiculous, but it's also totally harmless.

"Kraven the Hunter" stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff, the...

After the Venom movies and Morbius, it's easy to understand why most fans didn't have high hopes for Madame Web. So, it wasn't a huge surprise when the film debuted with 12% on Rotten Tomatoes and earned only $100.3 million at the worldwide box office by the time its run ended.

Despite boasting an impressive cast and a director with superhero experience in Sj Clarkson, little to nothing about Madame Web worked. Now, it's destined to be remembered as one of the worst superhero movies ever made.

The cast was a highlight, though, with Severance star Adam Scott proving himself a worthy choice to play Ben Parker, the future uncle of the Amazing Spider-Man.

The actor didn't have much to work with but delivered a much better performance than lead stars Dakota Johnson and Tahar Rahim. That meant he walked away from the movie largely unscathed (the same definitely couldn't be said...

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe adapted a litany of great Marvel villains, but their respective threat levels deviate notably from the source material. While some characters in the Ssu have been adapted faithfully, others have fallen short of their comic book counterparts significantly. This ranking focuses on their depictions within the Ssu, assessing their threat levels based on their actions, abilities, and overall presence in the films, as opposed to how they would rank in the comics.

The Ssu aimed to expand Spider-Man's rogues' gallery into a connected universe independent of the MCU timeline. Beginning with Tom Hardy’s Venom, the Ssu quickly released two Venom sequels, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter. The lukewarm reception for most of these led to the Ssu’s conclusion long before Sony’s Sinister Six plans. Each of these features a famed Spider-Man villain facing another, often shifting one into the role of tragic antihero.

It's wild that Venom's movie franchise was so successful that it outperformed the rest of Sony's Spider-Man Universe by more than five times the total global box office. The first installment of Sony's Spider-Man Universe, Venom, earned promising results upon its release in 2018 after debuting one of the most popular characters associated with Spider-Man. Unfortunately, this initial success would fail to bear much fruit as subsequent installments of Sony's Spider-Man franchise failed to inspire half as much enthusiasm from fans as it introduced even more minor characters like Morbius and Madame Web.

This would lead to the apparent death of the franchise just six years later at the tail-end of 2024 as Kraven the Hunter became its most catastrophic bomb yet. While there are plenty of reasons suggested for why Sony's Spider-Man Universe fizzled out with three bombs under its belt, it's notable that Venom largely averted the same...

Whether you call it "Sony Pictures' Universe of Marvel Characters," "Sony's Spider-Man Universe," or every insulting expletive under the sun, it's fair to say the studio's attempt at building its own Marvel Universe has largely failed.

While the financial success of the Venom trilogy is undeniable, each instalment has made less than its predecessor and they've all received a largely negative response from fans and critics. As for Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter, they rank among the biggest superhero movie flops ever.

After the latter bombed, we heard that Sony had decided to give up on its villain-led Marvel movies to instead concentrate on Spider-Man 4 (produced hand-in-hand with Marvel Studios), Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, and Amazon's Spider-Noir.

However, knowing there's still money to be made, the studio might be planning to take a new approach to these spin-offs.

According to scooper @MyTimeToShineH, there are rumblings that...

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Palak Patel, who oversaw Sony Pictures' slate of Marvel movies for Columbia Pictures, is leaving the studio.

He's been named Chief Content Officer for Prime Focus Studios, the finance and production arm of visual effects company Dneg. It's unclear whether his involvement with a series of movies that were critical and commercial disappointments has in any way contributed to his leaving Sony.

Patel worked with Sony and Columbia for the better part of a decade; he oversaw Venom, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Venom: The Last Dance, Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter. The Venom trilogy was a financial success but each instalment made less than its predecessor and received negative reviews.

As for the other three spin-offs, they rank among Sony's biggest box office flops.

It's worth noting that, according to the trade, Patel "acted as the studio's point man on the Tom Holland-starring Spider-Man films,...

Updated Exclusive: Sony Pictures EVP of Production and Development Palak Patel is leaving the Culver City lot for a new gig as Chief Content Officer at Namit Malhotra’s Prime Focus Studios.

Prime Focus recently co-produced The Garfield Movie with Alcon Entertainment for Sony Pictures, grossing more than $257 million at the worldwide box office.

Prime Focus Studios was founded by Dneg CEO Malhotra to finance and produce films, TV series and other content at major studios, as well as independently. It is currently in production on Animal Friends, The Angry Birds Movie 3, and Ramayana.

Patel has been at Sony for the last 10 years, and played a key role in the $1.8 billion-grossing Venom franchise as well as Morbius.

Patel came to Sony in August 2015 as part of a motion picture group realignment by chairman Tom Rothman and then Sony Pictures Entertainment Group president Doug Belgrad.

Patel came in to Columbia Pictures...

This past year has been quite the major one for all-things Marvel. Granted, not all of the releases came from Marvel Studios, so there have been plenty of ups and downs in there. But if we were just talking about Marvel Studios, the operative word would undoubtedly be: Comeback. It was a comeback year through and through.

After having an uncharacteristically weaker year in 2023, Marvel Studios needed to come into 2024 strong and they did. They absolutely did. And that's pretty impressive considering there was only one Marvel Cinematic Universe movie arriving in theaters this year. But somehow, some way, they pulled it off.

Deadpool and Wolverine's big-screen release brought two beloved Marvel characters together on-screen and in the MCU; the interest was always there, but boy oh boy did the fans come out to see it, making it the franchise's first billion-dollar phenomenon in almost three years. And over on the Disney Plus side,...

The entire box office of Sony's Spider-Man Universe movies put together fails to beat the numbers of one Marvel Cinematic Universe release. The Ssu started in 2018 with Tom Hardy's Venom. According to Box Office Mojo, the film finished its worldwide run with $856 million. That led some to believe that Sony had found a viable route to continue developing Spider-Man characters while Tom Holland's Peter Parker stayed in the MCU. However, all of the Ssu movies after Venom faced different kinds of issues, with no entry in the franchise ever reaching the same success it did.

I enjoyed the first Venom film and hoped the Ssu would succeed. While the Venom movies still remained fairly enjoyable throughout the rest of the character's trilogy, they and the Ssu as a whole failed to be the major success that Sony was expecting. I don't see how the studio thought leaving...

After what felt like endless delays and false starts, we're finally going to get a live-action Masters of the Universe movie in theaters next year. Nicholas Galitzine is playing He-Man and Suicide Squad and Morbius star Jared Leto will transform into the evil Skeletor.

The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com) recently caught up with Galitzine and asked if he's been watching the classic He-Man and the Masters of the Universe cartoon and, if so, how that compares to the upcoming movie.

"I have, yeah. Look, what I will say is our version is quite different from the original animation, which we all agree was camp within its own right and worked so well for the time," the actor explained. "But there’s been a couple of iterations, obviously since there was the Revelation version of Master of the Universe, and the comics themselves."

"And we’re very much treating our script as as Bible,...

The superhero movies of the MCU, the Dcu, and beyond are sometimes far from flawless, and some actors have been unlucky enough to feature in more than one bad movie in the genre. Though the movies of the MCU have given the superhero genre a reputation for box office success, this isn’t always the case. Throughout the history of the genre, there have been many notable superhero movies that proved disappointing, whether from a box office or a critical perspective.

Many of the actors who feature in these disappointing superhero movies can consider them just a single black mark on their filmography. However, there are a select few who have actually appeared in multiple comic book movie failures, being let down by the superhero genre on more than one occasion. It may not always be a reflection on the actors themselves, as it’s sometimes down to a poor script or production issues,...

If some certain Kraven the Hunter scenes had gone in a different direction, the project could’ve arguably been Sony’s strongest Spider-Man Universe movie. While not the worst entry in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe movie roster, the antihero's debut film was not the success that the studio hoped for. Kraven The Hunter reviews were decidedly mixed, as while audiences gave it an average 74% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it was panned by critics with a 16% score.

Unlike Madame Web and Morbius, which seemed to be weak projects from their inceptions, Kraven the Hunter actually had potential. This is especially clear given the Kraven the Hunter cast, which was also stacked with two Academy Award winners: Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe. However, the film didn’t utilize its strong actors to its advantage, and was ultimately weighed down by the likes of poor writing, visual effects, and Adr. This is especially...

There have been many great Marvel and DC movies over the years, but it is true that some films missed the mark, though even a few of those who did not succeed still featured exciting fight scenes. Marvel and DC have a bright future ahead. The McU's upcoming movies include a pair of Avengers films, Spider-Man 4, and more. As for DC, James Gunn's DC Universe has films like Superman, Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, and more on the way.

However, both franchises — and others — have produced a number of projects that did not work quite as expected. From the Spider-Man franchise to the old Dceu to more, both Marvel and DC have had their fair share of films that struggled at the box office or with critics. Thankfully, some of them had redeeming qualities, even if they were not among the best Marvel movies or the most exciting DC films,...

Sony’s solo Spider-verse continued to stumble despite being six movies deep with three Venom movies and entries like Morbius, Madame Web and the recent Kraven The Hunter. When Kraven flopped, Sony Pictures CEO, Tony Vinciquerra, blamed critics when he said, “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.”

Kraven‘s story has been criticized for being a mess and the end result can usually be traced to studio interference and too many cooks in the kitchen. However, one of the film’s stars, Alessandro Nivola had nothing but good things to say about his...

House of the Dragon star Emma D'Arcy recently stopped by the Happy Sad Confused podcast to talk about their career, playing Rhaenyra Targaryen and their relationship with some of their famous costars. Although D'Arcy has arguably been the biggest breakout star of the Game of Thrones prequel series — they just secured their second Golden Globe nomination for playing the role — but the most famous cast member coming into the show was undoubtably Matt Smith, who plays Rhaenyra's husband Daemon.

Before coming into House of the Dragon, Smith was already known for playing Prince Philip on the early seasons of The Crown, and before that the Eleventh Doctor on Doctor Who, a role that immediately shoots anyone who plays it to stardom. He's even starred opposite folks like Jared Leto in movies like Morbius, although he and everyone else in that movie might prefer we forget that.

With all this in mind,...

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe has been a divisive addition to the Marvel movie landscape, but it did produce some effective features. From compelling character relationships to awe-inspiring action sequences, Sony has managed to get several things right, adding unique layers to Spider-Man’s extended mythology. By exploring Spider-Man’s universe from alternative angles, these films provide fresh narratives that enrich the lore surrounding the web-slinger’s world.

The Ssu began in 2018 with Venom, a film that surprised many by becoming a box office success despite its mixed reviews. Since then, Sony has expanded the universe with Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Morbius, Kraven the Hunter and Madame Web. Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Ssu primarily focuses on antiheroes and villains, offering a darker, more unconventional approach. The decision to exclude Spider-Man as a central figure has allowed for unique storytelling opportunities. With Sony’s Spider-Man Universe officially over, it...

Launching a successful movie franchise has become a more and more difficult task for studios in today’s day and age, with even the most successful of properties not always leading to sure-fire hits at the box office.

Sony’s Spider-Man franchise is a perfect example of this with Sony now planning on slowing down on its Spider-Man universe after a series of flops at the box office in the form of Morbius, Madame Web, Venom: The Last Dance, and Kraven the Hunter. However, Sony’s failed Spider-Man Universe isn’t the only franchise that has struggled in recent years.

Back in 2017, Lionsgate attempted to bring one of the most successful franchises back to the big screen with Power Rangers. The film had all the makings of a hit including a strong cast led by Stranger Things breakout Dacre Montgomery and an ensemble that included the likes of Elizabeth Banks,...

Prior to its release in 1991, there was every reason to believe that Michael Lehmann's heist comedy "Hudson Hawk" would be a hit. It was written by star screenwriter Steven E. de Souza, who had already had gigantic success with film like "48 Hrs.," "Commando," "Jumping Jack Flash," and "The Running Man." His biggest smash was "Die Hard" in 1988, and he was tapped to write the sequel two years later. "Hudson Hawk" would re-team de Souza with "Die Hard" star Bruce Willis, and the film would boast performances from Danny Aiello, fresh from "Moonstruck," as well as James Coburn, Richard E. Grant, Sandra Bernhard, and Andie MacDowell. Lehmann, meanwhile, also had a big cult success in 1988 with "Heathers." Never mind that his bonkers mutant-bug movie "Meet the Applegates" bombed in 1990. The sensibility was there. 

"Hudson Hawk" is an odd duck. Willis plays the titular cat burglar, freshly released from prison,...

Sony Pictures attempted to make a universe out of Spider-Man characters through movies like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter, but they were unfortunately major flops at the box office.

While Disney owns Marvel, Sony has the rights to the Spider-Man character and has created several spin-offs featuring other characters from the Spider-Man universe. Other movies include the Venom franchise and Morbius.

Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra is responding to backlash for the movies and putting blame on critics and the press for the poor reception.

Keep reading to find out more…

“Madame Web underperformed in the theaters because the press just crucified it,” Vinciquerra told the Los Angeles Times. “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.”

“These are not terrible films.

Out with the old, in with the new. That’s how the saying usually goes but for Sony, it seems that the old should have been the new and Sony shouldn’t have deviated too much from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions.

Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man in Spider-Man 2 | Credits: Sony Pictures Releasing

Although every movie had some minor (and some major) flaws, the overall recognition and love for Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s performances was far greater than the rest of the recent Sony movies. Now, the CEO of Sony is calling the Spider-Man franchise “Snake-bitten.”

Is the Spider-Man franchise doomed?

Well… we wouldn’t go so far as to call it “doomed”. But the CEO of Sony will! Although he hasn’t said the words directly, Tony Vinciquerra’s words were enough to haunt all the fans of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

Andrew Garfield...

Sony Pictures CEO Tony Vinciquerra recently told the Los Angeles Times that “Kraven the Hunter” is “probably the worst launch we had” in the nearly eight years he’s been at the studio, adding: “I still don’t understand, because the film is not a bad film.”

“Kraven” opened in theaters Dec. 13 to a paltry $11 million, the lowest debut yet for a Sony-released Marvel movie. The movie’s current domestic box office total stands at just $18 million, while its global haul is $43 million. These are more or less catastrophic results for a superhero movie and cap off a lackluster year for Sony comic book movies after “Madame Web” flopped with $100 million worldwide and “Venom: The Last Dance” became the franchise’s lowest-grossing entry.

“Let’s just touch on ‘Madame Web’ for a moment,” Vinciquerra said. “‘Madame Web’ underperformed in the theaters because the press just crucified it. It was not a bad film,...

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (Ssu) is a movie franchise focused on characters from Spider-Man comics. It started in 2013 when Sony planned spin-offs from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, including a Venom movie.

After The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn’t do well, Sony teamed up with Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man into the MCU but kept building a separate Venom universe.

The Ssu includes the Venom series (ending with Venom: The Last Dance), Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter. Most of these movies got bad reviews, especially Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven.

Kraven the Hunter failed in every way, and reports suggest it might be the last movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (Ssu). The studio seems unwilling to keep investing in a franchise with poor ratings and frequent financial losses.

Sony CEO Tony Vinciquerra recently spoke to the Los Angeles Times about his time at Sony. He said the studio...

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (Ssu) is a film franchise centered around characters from Spider-Man-related Marvel Comics. It began in 2013, with Sony planning spin-offs from ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2,’ including a ‘Venom’ movie.

After ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ underperformed, Sony partnered with Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man into the MCU, while continuing to develop a separate ‘Venom’ universe.

The Ssu included the ‘Venom’ franchise, ‘Morbius,’ ‘Madame Web,’ and ‘Kraven the Hunter.’ Most of these films received poor reviews, with ‘Morbius’ and ‘Madame Web’ and ‘Kraven’ being particularly criticized.

‘Kraven the Hunter’ bombed in every imaginable way, and some recent reports claim that it was Ssu’s final movie as the studio no longer wants to invest in a franchise with desperate ratings that frequently serve as nothing but net loss.

Sony CEO Tony Vinciquerra recently sat down with the ‘Los Angeles Times’ and commented on his career at Sony.

He was...

Tony Vinciquerra—CEO of Sony Pictures since 2017—has a stunning new explanation in the Los Angeles Times for why his studio's less-than-stellar superhero offerings have tanked at the box office. Madame Web's massive underperformance was "because the press just crucified it," obviously—not because it was blue-screen nonsense that...

Following the release of Kraven the Hunter, Sony's Spider-Man Universe as we know it is coming to an end, which leaves many questions unanswered and loose ends unexplored. Originally planned to be connected to Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man duology, the Ssu became its own entity with the release of 2018's Venom. Despite its name, Sony's Marvel movie franchise featured some of Spider-Man's greatest villains from Marvel Comics, but not the wall-crawler himself, who was instead introduced to the MCU, but this may have contributed to the franchise's downfall.

Ssu Movie

Release Date

Director

Box Office

Venom

October 5, 2018

Ruben Fleischer

$856.1 million

Venom: Let There Be Carnage

October 1, 2021

Andy Serkis

$506.8 million

Morbius

April 1, 2022

Daniel Espinosa

$167.5 million

Madame Web

February 14, 2024

S. J. Clarkson

$100.5 million

Venom: The Last Dance

October 25, 2024

Kelly Marcel

$475.4 million

Kraven the Hunter

December 13, 2024

J. C. Chandor

$42.8 million (as of 22.12.24)

Despite starting strong with an impressive box office total of $856.1 million for Venom,...

Amazon MGM is putting together a new movie based on Masters of the Universe, about the oiled-up fantasy hero He-Man and his battle against the skull-faced Skeletor. The series began as a collection of action figures released in the early 1980s, continued with an animated series released soon after, and landed in theaters with a live-action movie in 1987, starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor. The new Masters of the Universe movie will star Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man. Meanwhile, Oscar winner Jared Leto will play Skeletor.

Between playing the Joker in movies like Suicide Squad and playing the title character in Morbius, Leto has made a habit in recent years of playing freaky villains and anti-heroes, so this more or less fits that pattern. Variety also revealed who will be playing some of Skeletor's henchmen: Kojo Attah is Tri-Klops, Sam C. Wilson is Trap Jaw, and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is Goat Man.

Love it or hate it, Rotten Tomatoes is now more important than ever when it comes to whether moviegoers decide to check out the latest releases on the big screen, and it's not uncommon for studios to tout scores as proudly as star ratings.

Poor old Sony Pictures has never had the opportunity to do that with its so-called "Spider-Man Universe." Conceived in 2018 with Venom, the cash grab has been a dismal failure with five more critical failures - along with a few box office flops - following. 

Rumour has it that the Ssu's time is up following Kraven the Hunter. Sony has decided to focus on Spidey, putting its spin-off plans on hold for the foreseeable future (though there's some chatter about them eventually going back to the drawing board). 

In this feature, we take a closer look at how each of these titles compares according to their respective Rotten Tomatoes scores.

Love it or hate it, Rotten Tomatoes is now more important than ever when it comes to whether moviegoers decide to check out the latest releases on the big screen, and it's not uncommon for studios to tout scores as proudly as star ratings.

Poor old Sony Pictures has never had the opportunity to do that with its so-called "Spider-Man Universe." Conceived in 2018 with Venom, the cash grab has been a dismal failure with five more critical failures - along with a few box office flops - following. 

Rumour has it that the Ssu's time is up following Kraven the Hunter. Sony has decided to focus on Spidey, putting its spin-off plans on hold for the foreseeable future (though there's some chatter about them eventually going back to the drawing board). 

In this feature, we take a closer look at how each of these titles compares according to their respective Rotten Tomatoes scores.

As Sony's Spider-Man Universe has officially ended, it can be definitively said which are the franchise's all-time worst moments. Starting in 2017 with Venom, the movies of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe introduced multiple characters from the hero’s stories into live-action, while never actually featuring Spider-Man himself. Despite considerable difficulties in finding consistent success, the franchise saw the release of six movies over a seven-year span, producing box office results that can only be described as remarkably unpredictable.

What exactly went wrong with Sony’s Spider-Man Universe is subject to some debate, but the franchise certainly didn’t achieve the heights of success of other Marvel movie franchises. As its movies often lacked general quality in their writing or presentation, the Ssu developed a reputation for featuring moments that were laughable or cringe-inducing. With that in mind, here are the 10 worst moments of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, now that it’s officially dead.