Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Kraven the Hunter

The decision about whether to include any credits scenes in Sony's latest Marvel movie, Kraven the Hunter, is an important indication about the future of this franchise. Since Venom premiered in 2018, MCU by telling stories about villains or lesser-known heroes from Marvel Comics. However, all the films have struggled to connect with critics, and while Tom Hardy's Venom movies found an audience and were mostly financially successful, the others have bombed at the box office and with viewers.

Part of the reason for the lack of interest in Sony's Spider-Man Universe is the absence of its titular wall-crawler. The latest iteration of Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, resides in the MCU, and the creative decisions for when and where he appears seem to be made by Marvel Studios. It's difficult to sell movies about Venom, Morbius, Madame Web and Kraven—all characters who are connected to, or villains of Spider-Man in the comics—without Spider-Man. This has led to a pair of major box office disappointments with Madame Web and Morbius, and diminished returns on Venom: The Last Dance.

Now, following the introduction of Thanos-level villain Sony's Spider-Man Universe is dead for all intents and purposes, the lack of any credits scenes seems to confirm it to be true.

Kraven The Hunter Not Having Credits Scenes Confirms Sony's Spider-Man Universe Is Dead

Sony Is No Longer Trying To Set Up A Future For The Franchise

The ending of Kraven the Hunter is the only setup as the movie offers audiences about what could come in the future of Sony's Spider-Man Universe, but the final shot is simply a look at Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven finally donning the lion head vest the character wears in the comics. There's no mention of Knull or Spider-Man, or any of the other characters introduced in previous Sony Marvel movies. Kraven the Hunter just ends, and without any tease of where the SSU is going, it seems safe to say the franchise itself has ended.

Arguably, Kraven the Hunter not including credits scenes was a smart decision. Considering the main film doesn't feature any explicit connections to Venom or other SSU movies, it operates as a standalone feature. Tacking on a credits scene connecting it to the larger universe would've felt cheap and unearned. Plus, considering how poorly received the non-Venom SSU movies have been, it seems like a good idea for Sony to hedge their bets and see how Kraven performs before making any decisions about Taylor-Johnson's future in the Marvel franchise.

Why It's Good Sony Is Focusing On Proven Spider-Man Franchises

The MCU's Spider-Man 4 And Spider-Verse Projects Will Have The Studio's Full Attention

According to the report about Sony's Spider-Man movie future, the studio isn't currently developing any more villain movies like Kraven the Hunter or Venom. Instead, they're focusing on the untitled Spider-Man 4 movie for the MCU; the third installment of the Spider-Verse franchise, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse; and the Nicolas Cage-starring Spider-Man Noir TV show, which is a spinoff of the Spider-Verse series. These are all established properties that have performed well in the past, which is the smartest route for Sony, especially after a string of duds and disappointments.

While it remains to be seen whether Kraven the Hunter ends up being another box office bomb for Sony, the movie did debut with a Rotten Tomatoes critics score as low as Madame Web and Morbius, so its future isn't looking bright. That said, with Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4, Beyond the Spider-Verse and Spider-Man Noir on the horizon, there are plenty of exciting Marvel projects coming from Sony—all of which are directly connected to Spider-Man.