TheMarvel Cinematic Universe’s next Thanos-level threat afterAvengers: Secret Warsmay have been revealed by the death of a $2+ billion superhero franchise. Whereupcoming Marvel moviesare 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 thestory ofAvengers: Doomsdayand its sequel,Avengers: Secret Wars.
Avengers: Secret Wars’climactic storyis expected to be based on the comic book run of the same name, with Doom presiding over Battleworld. DespiteSecret Warsbeing 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 theMCU’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’sVenomand has since spawned five other movies;Venom: Let There Be CarnageandVenom: The Last Danceconcluded the trilogy, whileMorbius, Madame Web,andKraven the Hunterattempted to kickstart more franchises based on some of Spider-Man’s antagonists from Marvel Comics.Kraven the Hunteris the most recent of these and was released in December 2024. However,The Wraprecently confirmed (viaDiscussing Film) thatKraven the Hunterwill 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 theVenommovies have performed well commercially, withMorbiusandMadame Webflopping in every conceivable way.Kraven the Hunter’s Rotten Tomatoes scoreand 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. TheMarvel Comics villain Knull was teased inVenom 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 inVenom: The Last Dance, meaning the MCU has a perfect actor to utilize for the character.
Knull’s story inVenom 3involved him trying to get the Codex, a DNA-based key that unlocked his prison onVenom’s planet of Klyntar. Venom sacrificed himself in the final act to prevent Knull’s escape, but a tease fromSpider-Man: No Way Homecould reignite his quest. As Venom and Eddie Brock were pulled back to the SSU inSpider-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 theMarvel Cinematic Universebeing the home for Knull is simply more befitting of a villain of his caliber.
