The Marvel Cinematic Universe‘s next Thanos-level threat after Avengers: Secret Wars may have been revealed by the death of a $2+ billion superhero franchise. Where upcoming Marvel movies are concerned, Doctor Doom is shaping up to be the next major villain for the franchise’s heroes to overcome. This was confirmed via the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic Marvel Comics villain for the story of Avengers: Doomsday and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars.
Avengers: Secret Wars’ climactic story is expected to be based on the comic book run of the same name, with Doom presiding over Battleworld. Despite Secret Wars being the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga, Kevin Feige has already confirmed a future for the MCU beyond this. Naturally, this will raise questions about who the next Thanos, Kang the Conqueror, or Doctor Doom will be. With that in mind, the death of a franchise worth over $2 billion may have provided the perfect candidate for the MCU’s next powerful movie villain.
Kraven The Hunter Will Be The Last Sony Spider-Man Universe Movie
Sony’s Villain-Centric Franchise Is Coming To An End
Firstly, it is worth exploring the franchise in question: the Sony Spider-Man Universe. The SSU began with 2018’s Venom and has since spawned five other movies; Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Venom: The Last Dance concluded the trilogy, while Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter attempted to kickstart more franchises based on some of Spider-Man’s antagonists from Marvel Comics. Kraven the Hunter is the most recent of these and was released in December 2024. However, The Wrap recently confirmed (via Discussing Film) that Kraven the Hunter will be the last film in the Sony Spider-Man Universe.
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The franchise is essentially dead, with the report claiming that Sony is instead focusing on other upcoming projects in collaboration with Marvel Studios, as opposed to further fleshing out their own corner of the multiverse. The reason for this stems from the fact that only the Venom movies have performed well commercially, with Morbius and Madame Web flopping in every conceivable way. Kraven the Hunter‘s Rotten Tomatoes score and lowly projected box office proved not to break the trend started by its predecessors, forcing the attempted Sony franchise to a somewhat abrupt end.
Venom 3’s Post-Credit Scene Teased Knull & Now There Is Only 1 Place For Him To Turn Up
Knull’s Future Is Confined To One Universe
Circling back to the villain who could become the MCU’s next Thanos-level villain, the Sony Spider-Man Universe has already set him up. The Marvel Comics villain Knull was teased in Venom 3, including a post-credit scene that hinted he will have a much bigger future going forward. With Sony pivoting away from crafting movies in the SSU, there is only one place where Knull could show up next: the MCU. After all, the MCU is the only other live-action Marvel universe currently functioning, and some prior teases could be retconned into awakening Knull in the franchise.
Knull was also played by Andy Serkis in
Venom: The Last Dance
, meaning the MCU has a perfect actor to utilize for the character.
Knull’s story in Venom 3 involved him trying to get the Codex, a DNA-based key that unlocked his prison on Venom’s planet of Klyntar. Venom sacrificed himself in the final act to prevent Knull’s escape, but a tease from Spider-Man: No Way Home could reignite his quest. As Venom and Eddie Brock were pulled back to the SSU in Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending, a drop of the symbiote was left behind. If this symbiote bonds with the variant of Eddie Brock in the MCU, the Codex could be reforged and may be sought out by Knull once more.
Knull’s Comic Book Story Makes The MCU A Better Option For His Future
The MCU’s Heroes Are Best Suited To Face Off Against Knull
Despite the ending of a franchise, this outcome may be the best for Knull’s future based on his comic book storyline. The story involved Knull breaking free from his captivity and looking to cover the entire universe in darkness, spreading his armies across the cosmos. Upon reaching Earth, this caused the likes of the Avengers, The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Spider-Man, Venom, and several other heroes to unite to stop him. This proves just how strong Knull truly is, placing him on a similar level to the likes of Thanos and Kang the Conqueror.
Having Knull be a major antagonist in the MCU simply makes sense and will allow the full scale of his storyline from Marvel Comics to be translated…
Of course, the Avengers already exist in the MCU. As of the next few years, so too will The Fantastic Four and the X-Men. Therefore, having Knull be a major antagonist in the MCU simply makes sense and will allow the full scale of his storyline from Marvel Comics to be translated. This is a better outcome than Knull facing off against the SSU’s antiheroes, like Venom, Madame Web, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter. At the end of the day, the potential of the Marvel Cinematic Universe being the home for Knull is simply more befitting of a villain of his caliber.
5/10
Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
