Every superhero franchise needs impactful action scenes, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe knows that well, but the shared universe could do with paying attention to a movie focused on a Marvel character that became a major hit on Netflix. All the MCU’s best movies have thrilling fight sequences in them, spotlighting all the emotion that a superhero movie climax can offer.
Who doesn’t remember the final battle in Avengers: Endgame? All the MCU’s heroes versus Thanos and his army, culminating in the Avengers winning. Marvel’s slate of projects also features many personal one-on-one fights, such as Captain America and Iron Man’s to end Civil War. However, the franchise often stops short of getting brutal with the action, which a Marvel Netflix hit does not.
Kraven The Hunter’s Action Is More Brutal Than Most Of The MCU
Kraven the Hunter was a box office bomb, ending its theatrical run with a shockingly low $61.9 million. That is the worst for a movie in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. However, a new report from Bloomberg has revealed that Kraven the Hunter managed to become a hit on Netflix worldwide despite all odds. Kraven was Sony’s 5th most-watched movie on Netflix in 2024.
Kraven the Hunter‘s success could connect to its exciting action sequences, which I believe the MCU needs more of. Sure, the franchise does have a few brutal entries, such as Deadpool & Wolverine, both Daredevil series, and the animated Marvel Zombies. However, most of the MCU is rated PG-13, with projects stopping themselves before they get too violent with their action.
For instance, Moon Knight is a hero who could have thrived with a TV-MA rating. However, his action sequences at times fell flat, especially with Marvel skipping key beats using his DID as a plot device. Kraven the Hunter‘s action is brutal, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Marvel anti-hero killing several characters, biting off a nose, ripping people in half, and more.
Why The MCU Needs More Brutal Action Scenes Like Kraven The Hunter’s
Kraven the Hunter‘s story might not be anything to remember, but its action scenes are among the best in superhero movies. The MCU needs to acknowledge that a core part of the audience that started watching the franchise with Iron Man back in 2008 has grown with it, and so more mature projects and violent action scenes should become more frequent.
Brutal action scenes like Kraven‘s also help sell the stakes of the MCU’s world-ending scenarios. A story does become more realistic and dangerous when a beloved hero can be ripped apart by a villain, and so on. For instance, Thanos was at one point going to leave the severed head of a different timeline’s Captain America on Steve Rogers’ feet, but that was scrapped.
The moment would have made Avengers: Endgame‘s final battle darker and more nerve-wracking, which is something the MCU needs to start looking at for future projects. Brutal action scenes help make the franchise distinct, given that most of the Marvel Studios universe is PG-13 and thus not as violent as Kraven the Hunter. The MCU‘s action scenes can get even better.
- Release Date
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December 13, 2024
- Runtime
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127 Minutes
- Director
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J.C. Chandor
- Writers
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Art Marcum, Richard Wenk, Matt Holloway
