THE Marvel Cinematic UniverseThe next Thanos-level threat after Avengers: Secret Wars may have been revealed by the death of a $2 billion-plus superhero franchise. As far as upcoming Marvel films go, Doctor Doom is shaping up to be the next big villain to be overcome by the franchise's heroes. This was confirmed by the casting of Robert Downey Jr. as the iconic Marvel Comics villain in the story of Avengers: Judgment Day and its sequel, Avengers: Secret Wars.
Avengers: Secret Wars' The climactic story is expected to be based on the comic book 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 one. Naturally, this will raise questions about who will be the next Thanos, Kang the Conqueror or Doctor Doom. With that in mind, the death of a franchise worth over $2 billion may have been the perfect candidate for the MCU's next powerful movie villain.
Kraven the Hunter will be the last film in Sony's Spider-Man universe
Sony's villain-centric franchise is coming to an end
Firstly, it's worth exploring the franchise in question: the Sony Spider-Man Universe. SSU started in 2018 Poison and has since spawned five other films; Venom: Let There Be Carnage and Venom: The Last Dance concluded the trilogy, while Morbius, Madame Web, and Kraven the Hunter attempted to launch more franchises based on some of Marvel Comics' Spider-Man antagonists. Kraven the Hunter is the most recent of them 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.
The franchise is essentially dead, with the report claiming that Sony is focusing on other future projects in collaboration with Marvel Studios rather than further developing its own corner of the multiverse. The reason for this stems from the fact that only the Poison films performed well commercially, with Morbius and Lady Teia failing in every conceivable way. Kraven the HunterThe Rotten Tomatoes score and projected low box office proved not to break the trend started by its predecessors, forcing Sony's franchise attempt to a somewhat abrupt end.
Venom 3's post-credits scene teased Knull and now there's only one place for him to appear
Knull's future is confined to one universe
Returning to the villain who could become the next MCU villain on the level of Thanos, Sony's Spider-Man Universe has already prepared him. Marvel Comics villain Knull was teased in Poison 3including a post-credits scene that suggested he would have a much bigger future in the future. With Sony moving away from creating films in the SSU, there's only one place Knull could appear next: the MCU. After all, the MCU is the only other live-action Marvel universe currently running, and some previous teases could be retconned to awaken Knull into the franchise.
Knull was also played by Andy Serkis in Venom: The Last Dancewhich means the MCU has a perfect actor to use in the character.
Knull's story in Poison 3 it involved him trying to obtain the Codex, a DNA-based key that unlocked his prison on Venom's planet Klyntar. Venom sacrificed himself in the final act to prevent Knull's escape, but a provocation from Spider-Man: No Way Home could reignite your search. When Venom and Eddie Brock were pulled back to SSU in Spider-Man: No Way HomeIn the end, a drop of the symbiote was left behind. If this symbiote bonds with the MCU variant of Eddie Brock, the Codex could be reforged and sought after by Knull once again.
Knull's comic book makes the MCU a better option for its future
MCU heroes are best suited to face Knull
Despite the end of a franchise, this outcome could be the best for Knull's future based on his comic book storyline. The story involved Knull breaking free from his captivity and seeking to cover the entire universe in darkness, spreading his armies throughout the cosmos. Upon arriving on Earth, this caused the Avengers, Fantastic Four, X-Men, Spider-Man, Venom and several other heroes to unite to stop him. This proves how strong Knull really is, putting him on a similar level to the likes of Thanos and Kang the Conqueror.
Having Knull as a major antagonist in the MCU simply makes sense and will allow the full scale of his Marvel Comics storyline to be translated…
Of course, the Avengers already exist in the MCU. In the next few years, the Fantastic Four and X-Men will also happen. So having Knull as a major antagonist in the MCU simply makes sense and will allow the full scale of his Marvel Comics storyline to be translated. This is a better outcome than Knull facing off against SSU anti-heroes like Venom, Madame Web, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter. Ultimately, the potential of Marvel Cinematic Universe being home to Knull is simply more befitting a villain of his caliber.
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 revenge sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for frightening brutality.