The Key Reason Spider-Man Was Absent in Sony’s Spinoff Movies

As the newest installment in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, *Kraven the Hunter* faces significant criticism and serves as yet another instance of a Spider-Man spin-off devoid of its titular character. Despite Sony’s ongoing attempts to leverage the popularity of Spider-Man’s rogues, this latest film has stirred considerable controversy.

This is not the first time Sony’s Spider-Man adjacent projects have fallen short. Earlier this year, *Madame Web* was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from both critics and audiences, marking it as one of the poorest performing films of 2024. Prior entries like *Morbius* and the *Venom* series have also faced mixed receptions, with *Morbius* particularly noted as a box office failure.

Scheduled for release on December 13, *Kraven the Hunter* joins a lineage of Spider-Man films that have intentionally excluded the wall-crawler himself. Recent insights reveal that this decision was deliberate on Sony’s part.

The MCU’s Impact on Spider-Man’s Absence in Kraven the Hunter

Since Spider-Man made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in 2016’s *Civil War*, the complexities of character rights have intensified. With Tom Holland’s portrayal leading to a trilogy that integrated appearances from other Spider-Man actors like Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, questions have arisen about Spider-Man’s absence in Sony’s spin-offs.

A report from Variety sheds light on this conundrum. It suggests that while Sony had the rights to feature Spider-Man in films like *Venom* and *Morbius*, the studio chose not to bring him into the spotlight. This decision is attributed to a concern that audiences might struggle to accept Holland’s Spider-Man in non-MCU contexts, especially in the wake of *No Way Home*, *Loki*, and *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*, which set definitive boundaries within the cinematic universe.

These constraints have undoubtedly affected films like *Morbius*, which required substantial reshoots to accommodate the introduction of Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes. The character, known from the MCU, had to be justified in a scene with Jared Leto’s Morbius, highlighting the intricate balancing act required by Sony.

As with its predecessors, *Kraven the Hunter* does not feature Spider-Man. Current reviews indicate a dismal score of 15% on Rotten Tomatoes, and projections suggest it may only generate $13-15 million during its opening weekend.

For more insights, be sure to check out our detailed breakdown of the *Kraven the Hunter* ending and streaming release information.

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