MOVIE NEWS – Kraven the Hunter was the final misstep in Sony’s ill-fated Spider-Man Universe (SSU). The film flopped both critically and at the box office, underperforming even compared to Morbius and Madame Web. Its earnings fell short of those lackluster titles, cementing its place as a low point for the franchise.
Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the movie reimagined Spider-Man’s classic foe as yet another anti-hero. Rather than facing off against Spider-Man, Kraven instead clashed with The Rhino and The Foreigner in a lackluster showdown. However, at one stage, a far more compelling vision for Kraven the Hunter was in development—one that could have connected the SSU with the Venom films.
Concept artist Jules Darriulat recently shared artwork he created for a scrapped sequence in Kraven the Hunter. Darriulat, part of Framestore’s art department, commented: “Here’s an environment shot done for a canceled Kraven sequence. It was a lot of fun working on this with Framestore’s team!” The image depicts an alien planet littered with dead symbiotes, a species prominently featured in the Venom franchise but absent from Kraven the Hunter.
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Darriulat did not explain the sequence’s purpose or when during production the artwork was created. Concept artists often begin working on visuals even before scripts are finalized, presenting potential ideas for the project’s look and feel. For example, early Deadpool and Wolverine concept art included Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider, Ben Affleck’s Daredevil, and even a dinosaur version of Deadpool—none of which made it into the movie. It remains unclear if this Kraven concept hinted at a confrontation with Venom or was simply intended as a setup for a crossover event.
Was Kraven the Hunter Meant to Lead Into Sony’s Crossover Plans?
With the concept art showcasing a mound of lifeless symbiotes, fans might speculate that Kraven was originally meant to battle an invading army of these parasitic creatures, drawing inspiration from the 1995 comic storyline Planet of the Symbiotes. This tale featured an attempted Earth invasion by the alien species. Although this premise sounds more engaging than what the film delivered, its ambition likely ensured it never became part of Sony’s actual plan. Instead, the art might depict Klyntar, the symbiotes’ home planet and the dwelling place of the cosmic villain Knull, who appeared in Venom: The Last Dance.
For now, fans can only imagine what Kraven the Hunter could have been, while Sony’s next projects like the live-action Lilo & Stitch and Moana remakes aim to keep audiences entertained.
Source: MovieWeb
