With Kraven The Hunter having an abysmal opening weekend, the Sony Spiderman Villian Universe is all but assuredly dead. This ill-conceived cinematic universe began with a fairly promising Venom and ended with three abhorrent 2024 releases.

In total, there are now six films that comprise the Sony Spiderman villain universe. Notably, none of the films feature a Spiderman. Though some hint at some Spiderwomen and even introduce us to Peter Parker’s parents. The idea of this cinematic universe, one comprised totally of little-known Spiderman villains with no web-slinging in sight, was a poor idea at best. But six years and just as many films later, here we are. It’s time to have a requiem for the Sony Spiderman Villian Universe and rank each film.

Madame Web: The Worst of the Worst

Madame Web is an insanely bad movie even for this franchise. This Dakota Johnson-led project is almost totally devoid of plot, features little to no superpowers, and has some of the worst ADR ever seen in a major motion picture. The film at times plays like a bad SNL sketch but frankly, that’s insulting to the hard-working people over at 30 Rockefeller Center.

The failure of this film rests almost entirely on Sony’s shoulders. It’s evident early on that this movie has been studio noted to death and the actors have little idea what type of movie they are supposed to be in. There is an incredible concept behind this film. Introducing a group of Spiderwomen into this Spiderman-less world is a great idea. The execution was just so poor that it could have single-handedly killed the franchise on its own. Fortunately, the other films on this list do not fare much better.

Kraven The Hunter: The Final Nail

Kraven The Hunter is the newest and most assuredly last film in the Sony Spiderman Villian Universe. The biggest shame is not so much what is done wrong with Kraven, but what could have been. Kraven is a pretty cool character in the Spiderman world and we recently saw an incredible portrayal of him in the Spiderman 2 video game. Unfortunately, this film loses everything that makes him cool and creates a bonkers story with lackluster motivation.

Kraven suffers from many of the same mistakes made by Morbius and Madame Web. The film spends entirely too much time setting up characters for eventual sequels that will clearly never come. Kraven spends a ton of time setting up Chameleon as a villain when the producers must have known a second film would never come to pass. Kraven suffered numerous delays and the final product feels like a mishmash of incomplete plot points. There is a lot of talent here but no one seems to know their motivation or where they’re at in the story. Kraven didn’t kill the Sony Spiderman Villian Universe, but it did deliver the final blow.

Morbius: The Meme Machine

Morbius received a lot of hate and ridicule upon its release and for good reason. The film is a mess and this was the first indication that the Sony Spiderman Villian Universe may be worse than we truly imagined. Jared Leto gives a truly strange performance as the ailing doctor turned vampire and the script is just as incomprehensible.

For all the hate Morbius gets, there is some fun to be had with this movie. Despite his reputation, Leto has some serious acting chops and it’s a bit inspiring to see him give his all within this ludicrous script. Morbius attempts humor, spectacle-filled action sequences, and a dark aesthetic with an anti-hero. It fails on all of these fronts instead providing a film that has you spending more time asking what is going on then enjoying the movie.

Venom Let There Be Carnage: Woody Harrelson Couldn’t Save This Film

Venom Let There Be Carnage is the worst movie in the Venom series, but it is close. While not totally unwatchable, the film does nothing to raise the stakes from the first and fails to properly utilize the newly introduced characters. Carnage and his alter ego Cletus Kassidy, played here by Woody Harrelson, is an iconic Spiderman Villian. Woody does his best with the material but the film tries to play it straight when they should have just leaned into full humor.

Oddly enough, this second Venom film is what collided this series with the MCU. A mid-credits scene promised an overlapping of the two universes but unfortunately that never really materialized. The film isn’t as egregious as Morbius with its world crossing, but it still sets up a payoff that never materializes. An all too familiar road for the Sony Spiderman Villian Universe.

Venom: The Villian Buddy Cop

Sony was wise to choose a character as iconic as Venom to begin their Spiderman Villian Universe. Venom is one of the most recognizable villains in all of comics and certainly has enough clout to carry his own film. It’s unfortunate though that this character is where the series peaked.

Venom is not a terrible movie, but it’s not a good one. Tom Hardy does a good enough job with the Eddie Brock character that he was able to keep the series alive and play the role two more times. If anything Venom gets props for having the most comprehensible script of any movie in the Sony Spiderman Villian Universe.

Venom The Last Dance: The Duo’s Final Ride

Another 2024 release, Venom The Last Dance brings a conclusion to the Venom and Eddy saga. This film is the best in the universe mainly because it leans hard into the camp and silliness of everything we’ve already seen. There are still grandiose unresolved plans for future movies, but The Last Dance spends little time in those waters and instead focuses on what people want to see. Venom dancing to Abba.

Venom The Last Dance is not a good film, but it’s still the best in the universe. The final fight scene is actually compelling, even if it comes very early and makes little sense. There is also an air of silliness to the characters that feels like a breath of fresh air after the previous flops. This universe never should have taken itself too seriously. And thankfully Tom Hardy got the memo and delivered a film that stays in its lane. Sony never delivered its promise of a fully realized villain universe or a huge crossover with the MCU. But at least we got to see a Venom horse. And that’s something.