As Sony's Spider-Man universe continues to move forward without its web-slinger, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's superhero past should serve as a tonic for concerned Kraven the Hunter fans. Kraven the Hunter will mark Taylor-Johnson's return to the superhero genre after participating in Christopher Nolan's Tenet and the Brad Pitt action vehicle Bullet Train. Taylor-Johnson has a lot to offer Sony, especially since their recent Spider-Man spin-offs were met with a less-than-stellar reception.
While 2018's eleven more Spider-Man universe films on the way, ranging from the highly-anticipated Across the Spider-Verse to the more questionable Venom 3. Kraven is next in line as far as the brand's live-action efforts are concerned - and therefore the future of Sony's Spider-Man endeavors may hinge on the reception of Kraven the Hunter.
Despite the poor reception of both Venom 2 and Morbius, fans can still be cautiously optimistic about Sony's continued Spider-Man universe thanks to the genre experience and established credibility that Aaron Taylor-Johnson brings to Kraven the Hunter. Taylor-Johnson has more than a decade of professional exposure to the superhero genre since he led the universally praised Kick-Ass in 2010. At that point in time, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hadn't yet released its third film, most influential superhero films of that entire decade.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson's contributions to live-action superhero adaptations didn't stop there, however. He would star in to return in Doctor Strange 2, a whole nine years after his initial performance as Pietro.
Of course, simply playing superheroes in the past isn't a guarantee of success in the future. Morbius was Jared Leto's second genre effort after starring as the Joker in David Ayer's Suicide Squad - but that did precious little to bolster the vampire film's box office performance. Thankfully, there is another role that has already proven that Aaron Taylor-Johnson can play not just a hero but also a despicable villain as needed. Delivering the antagonistic layers of Kraven the Hunter, if the film's character is anything like his comic book counterpart, will require Taylor-Johnson to deliver moments of vile unlikeability. The actor executed precisely that in 2016's Nocturnal Animals, stealing entire scenes from Jake Gyllenhaal by giving a career-defining performance as the monstrous Ray Marcus. That was certainly no easy feat, especially considering where Nocturnal Animals ranks in Gyllenhaal's own filmography. Still, Taylor-Johnson succeeded in a role that didn't fit the mold of his prior characters - and it's this level of star that Sony needs now to save a dwindling universe.
While Let There Be Carnage and Morbius have succeeded more as internet punchlines than as cinematic experiences, all hope is not lost for Sony's Spider-Man spin-offs. There are still plenty of opportunities for success in the Sony-verse thanks to powerful casting decisions like Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular lead in Kraven the Hunter and Dakota Johnson as Madame Web.
