Marvel Studios may have the opportunity to reinvent many characters fromSony’s Spider-Man Universein theMCUas Sony’s divisive Marvel franchise is officially coming to an end. 2024’sKraven the Hunterwill be the final movie in the primary timeline of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, as Sony will now be focusing more on the MCU’sSpider-Man 4,Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verseand theSpider-Noirseries. Many will be glad to see theconclusion of the SSU, which delivered disappointment after disappointment, but the franchise’s most promising characters are also in jeopardy.
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While Sony’s Spider-Man Universe never actually introduced its own iteration of Marvel’s iconic wall-crawler,the franchise did explore the stories of some of Peter Parker’s greatest villains from Marvel Comics. Unfortunately, lackluster scripts, uninspiring narratives and some wooden performances meant that not all these notable characters were done justice in the SSU. With the franchise finally coming to an end afterKraven the Hunter, it’s possible Marvel Studios could take these characters and make them far stronger alongsideTom Holland’s Spider-Manin the MCU’s main continuity.
10Cassandra Webb’s Madame Web
Dakota Johnson Debuted As Cassandra Webb In Madame Web (2024)
Released in February 2024,Madame Webwas a major disappointment for Sony, and marked a sorry debut for Dakota Johnson as Cassandra Webb, a paramedic whose clairvoyant abilities lead her into battle against the egotistical Ezekiel Sims.Madame Webmade an attempt to deliver an origin story forMarvel Comics' Madame Web, who is depicted as an elderly woman who aids Spider-Man on several occasions. However, the movie fell completely flat, packed full of embarrassing lines, poor visual effects and a predictable plot that went nowhere and explained nothing.
Why Madame Web Is Officially The Worst Spider-Man Movie Ever Made
Madame Web lands a new blow on the Spider-Man franchise, taking the crown from infamous installments like Morbius and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Madame Web is an incredibly powerful character in Marvel Comics, but this did not translate into Dakota Johnson’s portrayal. It would be great to see a more comic-accurate version ofMadame Web introduced into the MCU, especially sinceMarvel Studios could give the character her mutant backstory, which Sony could not. The MCU’s Madame Web could become a fantastic and much-needed mentor to Tom Holland’s Spider-Man now that he’s alone in the world, offering her real redemption afterMadame Webfailed to bring her to life properly.
9Julia Carpenter’s Spider-Woman
Sydney Sweeney Debuted As Julia Carpenter In Madame Web (2024)
Madame Webnot only debuted Cassandra Webb in live-action, but also broughtthree formidable Spider-Women from Marvel Comicsto life, and failed these exciting female heroes in much the same way. WhileMadame Webfailed to capture the essences of Mattie Franklin and Anya Corazón, it was Julia Carpenter - renamed Julia Cornwall for the movie - who was let down the most. Sydney Sweeney was brilliant casting for this role, butMadame Web’sJulia Cornwall had none of the confidence, charisma, fierceness and strength of Marvel Comics' Julia Carpenter.
Julia Carpenter was the second character in Marvel Comics to adopt the Spider-Woman moniker, following Jessica Drew, and she became one of the most popular and notable carriers of the title.She became a member of the Avengers and Omega Flight, and eventually became the new Madame Web, and this whole story could be explored with a proper depiction of Julia Carpenter in the MCU. There are hopes thatSydney Sweeney will be cast in an MCU role, and it would be great to see her play an honest-to-goodness Julia Carpenter’s Spider-Woman.
8Cletus Kasady’s Carnage
Woody Harrelson Debuted As Cletus Kasady In Venom (2018)
Despite comprising mostly disappointing installments, Sony’s Spider-Man Universe did attract some hugely talented actors, including Woody Harrelson. Harrelson debuted asCletus Kasady inVenom’spost-credits scene, and had a larger role as the host of the Symbiote known as Carnage in 2021’sVenom: Let There Be Carnage.TheVenomtrilogy was the SSU’s most successful and popular franchise, but even these movies had noticeable flaws, so it would be great to see Carnage reinvented for the MCU.
Venom: Let There Be Carnageis Sony’s Spider-Man Universe’s highest-rated movie onRotten Tomatoes, with a critics score of 58% and an audience score of 84%.
This would give psychopathic serial killer Cletus Kasady the chance to explore some of his darkest Marvel Comics storylines that were ignored inVenom: Let There Be Carnage.This could include his evolution into Dark Carnage and his connection to Knull, the creator of the Symbiotes, which could make him Spider-Man’s most terrifying and powerful villain yet. It would, of course, be great to seeWoody Harrelson back as Kasady and Carnage, though a more stoic and sinister actor could also assume this haunting role in the MCU’s future.
7The Foreigner
Christopher Abbott Debuted As The Foreigner In Kraven The Hunter (2024)
The Foreigner is one of Marvel’s most mysterious and intriguing Spider-Man villains, as he has no superhuman abilities in Marvel Comics, but has spent years training so his body is in peak physical condition, which makes him a formidable threat to the wall-crawler. With connections to many other powerful Spider-Man villains, the Foreigner was almost an exciting addition to2024’sKraven the Hunter’scast. However, Christopher Abbott did not deliver the magnetism and mysteriousness of Marvel Comics' Foreigner.
After Seeing How Cool Foreigner’s Powers Are In Kraven The Hunter, I Want To See Him Fight Spider-Man
The Foreigner is a standout villain from Kraven the Hunter, and seeing his powers of hypnosis in action would be incredible against Spider-Man.
In the comics, the Foreigner is depicted as one of the most competent and skilled assassins on Earth. InKraven the Hunter, however, Abbott’s minor villain was hastily killed off by Calypso after making very little impact. This was a monumental disappointment, andhe was just one of several iconic villains who didn’t survive the events ofKraven the Hunter, each of whom could do with being reinvented for the MCU. The Foreigner could be one of Spider-Man’s longest-running and most scheming enemies in the MCU, so there are hopes he’ll return in full force.
6Dr. Michael Morbius
Jared Leto Debuted As Michael Morbius In Morbius (2022)
On paper, adaptingMorbius, the Living Vampire, from Marvel Comics should have worked perfectly, but Jared Leto’s dull performance of the vibrant and dark supernatural antihero from the comics completely flopped.2022’sMorbius, similarly toMadame Web(both had the same writers), was packed full of awkward moments and a nonsensical narrative, which meant that Michael Morbius himself did not achieve his full potential. Morbius is one of Marvel’s most beloved monstrous characters, so it was a shame that his live-action debut failed so spectacularly.
Morbius, the Living Vampire, made his Marvel Comics debut as a sympathetic adversary of Spider-Man in 1971’sThe Amazing Spider-Man #101. He was later depicted as an antihero and vigilante in his own right.
Marvel Studios has recently been giving more attention to the MCU’s more supernatural characters, including Werewolf by Night, Man-Thing, Dane Whitman, Agatha Harkness and, soon, Blade. This has spurred theories that theMCU is setting up a live-action Midnight Sons team, of which Morbius is a key member in Marvel Comics.It would be great to see the Living Vampire reinvented for the MCU, removing him completely from Jared Leto’s depictionand setting him up to be a powerful asset to the Midnight Sons.
5Dmitri Kravinoff’s Chameleon
Fred Hechinger Debuted As Dmitri Kravinoff In Kraven The Hunter (2024)
Despite being the final movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe,Kraven the Hunterseemed to tease Dmitri Kravinoff’s Chameleon as a more prominent villain in future movies.Fred Hechinger’s character, Kraven the Hunter’s own brother, didn’t demonstrate his shape-changing abilities until the end of the 2024 movie, after having been enhanced by thedoctor who experimented on Aleksei Sytsevich, the Jackal. Unfortunately, it seems audiences may not see the next chapter in the story of this Chameleon, but Marvel Studios could develop this iconic villain further.
The Chameleon was Spider-Man’s first ever adversary in Marvel Comics, debuting inThe Amazing Spider-Man #1in 1963, so it would be brilliant to see him adapted properly into the MCU. 2019’sSpider-Man: Far From HomesawNuman Acar portray a member of Nick Fury’s team named Dimitri, spurring theories he could become the MCU’s Chameleon, but this hasn’t yet occurred. This could be a possible storyline Marvel follows in Tom Holland’s upcomingSpider-Mantrilogy, reinventing the Chameleon after his lacklusterKraven the Hunterdebut.
4Ben Parker
Adam Scott Debuted As Ben Parker In Madame Web (2024)
Uncle Ben has often been depicted as one of the most important characters in Peter Parker’s evolution into Spider-Man, so it was brilliant to see Adam Scott bringBen Parker to life inMadame Web. He was one of the most welcome and pleasing aspects of the 2024 movie, and showed just how great it would be to see Uncle Ben in the MCU, asMarvel Studios introduced Tom Holland’s Spider-Man after Ben had already passed away. It would be great to see Peter Parker’s origin story explored in the MCU, finally debuting Uncle Ben.
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InMadame Web, Ben Parker was depicted as Cassandra Webb’s best friend and paramedic partner, and the brother-in-law to Emma Roberts' Mary Parker, Peter Parker’s mother.Adam Scott brought levity, lightheartedness and a fatherly tone to the role, which would be incredible to see replicated in the MCU, perhaps with Scott reprising the role. This could see him appear in flashbacks alongsideMarisa Tomei, who portrayed Aunt MaybetweenCaptain America: Civil WarandSpider-Man: No Way Home, allowing the MCU to develop the relationship between Spider-Man and his family even further.
3Sergei Kravinoff’s Kraven The Hunter
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Debuted As Sergei Kravinoff In Kraven The Hunter (2024)
While there are several characters fromKraven the Hunterthat could do with being reimagined in the MCU, none are perhaps more prominent thatKraven the Hunter himself, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Sergei Kravinoff. Taylor-Johnson did as good a job as he could in the 2024 movie, expertly delivering action sequences and bringing fun and intensity to the role, but he was let down by a poor script and lackluster storyline, which became a running theme in the SSU.Kraven the Hunteralso would have benefited from including Spider-Man, Kraven’s greatest enemy in Marvel Comics.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson previously debuted in the MCU as Pietro Maximoff’s Quicksilver in 2015’sAvengers: Age of Ultron. Despite being a huge Marvel Comics hero, Quicksilver was killed off inAge of Ultron, though there has been speculation that he’ll return in Phase 6.
Moving Kraven the Hunter into the MCU after his flawed debut in the SSU would give him the chance to face-off against Spider-Man, which many would love to see.Kraven has almost appeared in the MCU a number of times, most notably in Ryan Coogler’sBlack Pantherfranchise, but Sony has always blocked this inclusion. Perhaps, now the SSU is over, Sony will now allowKraven the Hunter to be integrated into the MCU, though it’s unclear whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson will reprise the role considering his former MCU role of Quicksilver.
2Knull
Andy Serkis Debuted As Knull In Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
Knull, the creator of the Symbiotes, is one of Marvel Comics' newest and most formidable villains, introduced in 2018’sVenom (Vol. 4) #3. Knull, a primordial cosmic being, was dubbed the King in Black by early Celestials, tasked with maintaining the universe, but he renounced this role and wanted to use his new Symbiotes to spread darkness instead. Eventually, however,his Symbiotes turned on him and imprisoned him, which was adapted into 2024’sVenom: The Last Dance, which saw formerVenommovie director Andy Serkis portray the supervillain.
Wait, What About Knull?
Knull was recently set up to be a major threat to Sony’s Marvel Universe, but the release of Kraven the Hunter has raised more questions about him.
Venom: The Last Danceroutinely teased Knull escaping from his prison by using the Codex inside Eddie Brock and Venom, but Venom’s sacrifice made this impossible. Weirdly, Knull still teased his escape, even though there’s now no codex.Confusing storyline aside, Knull is a powerful multiversal villain in Marvel Comics, so it would make a lot of sense for him to make the move into the MCU proper, especially since there’s still a piece of the Venom Symbiote residing in the MCU.Knull could be the MCU’s next Thanos-level villain, which is very exciting.
1Eddie Brock & Venom
Tom Hardy Debuted As Eddie Brock In Venom (2018)
Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock was the only SSU character who received an entire trilogy, comprising half the Marvel movie franchise. Journalist Brock became the host of the Venom Symbiote in 2018’sVenom, and subsequently battled the likes of Riot, Carnage, Shriek and an army of Xenophages before Venom seemingly sacrificed his life and left Brock alone. Unfortunately, even thoughVenom was Sony’s most popular Marvel character, the SSU still did very little with the popular Marvel Comics villain-turned-antihero, but Marvel Studios can do better.
I Know Exactly When Kraven & Venom Should Have Been Added To The MCU’s Spider-Man Franchise, And I’m Mad They Blew It
Marvel and Sony had the perfect opportunity to have Kraven and Venom fight Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and I’m upset they missed the boat.
Doctor Strange’s spell inSpider-Man: No Way Homealso pulledEddie Brock and Venom into the MCU. After hanging out in a Mexican bar,Brock and Venom were sent home, but not before leaving a piece of the Symbiote in the MCU, creating the perfect opportunity for Venom to be integrated fully into the MCU, despite his demise inVenom: The Last Dance. This could lead to Spider-Man receiving his much-wanted black costume, and introduce Venom to many of his other related characters from Marvel Comcis, giving him more attention than he ever got inSony’s Spider-Man Universe.
Marvel Cinematic Universe
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a multimedia superhero franchise that began in 2008 with Paramount’s Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr. The franchise quickly grew in popularity, with Disney eventually buying out Marvel Entertainment in 2009. The MCU consists of dozens of movies and TV shows, most notably Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, and Loki.
