Kraven the Hunter has made an unfortunate splash in the world of superhero films, but not for any of the right reasons. The movie, released on December 12, 2024, had a disastrous opening weekend, grossing only $11 million domestically. To put that into perspective, even critically panned Marvel films like Morbius and Madame Web managed to do better in their opening weekends, with Morbius pulling in $39 million and Madame Web earning $15 million.
The film’s performance is considered one of the worst in recent Marvel history, even beating out The New Mutants, which opened to $7 million during the early days of the pandemic in 2020. Although Kraven the Hunter did manage to rake in an additional $15 million internationally, bringing its total box office to $26 million, it’s still a far cry from the $110 million production budget.
So, what went wrong? Early reviews and audience reactions likely played a huge role in turning off potential viewers, with many sharing negative feedback after early screenings. Moreover, the film’s promotional campaign was lackluster, ramping up too late to build significant buzz and leaving fans largely unaware of its release until the final stretch.
Despite securing the record for the worst opening weekend of any Sony Marvel film, some fans have argued that Kraven the Hunter isn’t the worst movie in the franchise, giving that title to Madame Web, which holds a 11% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes.
While Kraven the Hunter may have earned the title of a box office bomb, some may look back and appreciate it in the future, especially when it becomes available for streaming. But for now, it’s clear that Sony has some serious reevaluating to do if they want to salvage their Marvel franchise.