Is Kraven the Hunter the last hope for Sony's Spider-Man universe?

In recent developments, Sony has officially announced the cessation of its Spider-Man Villain Universe franchise following a series of disappointing films. These films, intended to leverage characters from the Spider-Man comic series, failed to connect with audiences and were met with critical backlash. The first installment, Venom, released in 2018, was a financial success, grossing over $856 million globally. However, subsequent releases, including Morbius and Madame Web, performed poorly, earning only $168 million and $101 million worldwide, respectively. The decline continued with the latest installment, Kraven the Hunter, which was met with harsh criticism, being labeled a chaotic and unoriginal addition to a franchise marred by lackluster storytelling. Despite an array of characters and nods to the Spider-Man lore, the movies failed to deliver compelling narratives, leading to a disillusionment among fans and audiences alike. Critics pointed to the underlying problem of uninspiring scripts as the core issue, rather than the potential of the characters or the acting. Moreover, as Sony grapples with its film strategy concerning Spider-Man-related properties, the focus will reportedly shift back towards Spider-Man himself, featuring characters like Tom Holland's Spider-Man and possible animated iterations. Sony aims to re-direct its efforts to create films that will resonate more with audiences, rather than continuing to explore its previous villain-centric attempts. This radical shift in strategy indicates a need for rejuvenation in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, marking an era of introspection for the studio as they acknowledge the unfruitful engagement with the superhero genre that exploits Spider-Man's iconic adversaries without the hero himself. The decision emphasizes the importance of a well-established narrative framework, built on the character that started it all. If the franchise hopes to find success, it must return to its roots by embracing the character that has broader recognition and appeal.