Last year Sony announced that Bad Bunny would be helming a Spider-Man spin-off film based on the villain El Muerto. The musician seemingly confirms that he’s left the project to focus on other endeavors.
The first signs of trouble for the Spider-Man spin-off came at the end of June when the Sony Pictures project lost its release date. Rumors soon began to circulate that Benito Martínez Ocasio, a.k.a. Bad Bunny, had left the leading role of El Muerto. This has now seemingly been confirmed by Ocasio and his publicist Sujeylee Solá, with the two speaking very briefly of the film during a recent interview:
“When I ask him what happened [to El Muerto], [Benito Martínez Ocasio] hesitates,” Vanity Fair writes. “An awkward silence ripples across the table. ‘Next question,’ asserts Solá, who’s seated at an adjacent booth. ‘I don’t know what to say,’ Martínez replies, calling the issue ‘delicate.’ Solá sharpens the point. ‘Obviously, it’s out,’ she says of the film.”
Sujeylee Solá seems to be referring to Benito Martínez Ocasio leaving the role of El Muerto when referring to the news being “out”. It’s unclear if Bad Bunny will be involved in a producer role for the film, though their tone seems to suggest grim news for the Spider-Man spin-off, especially as the musician seemingly wants to focus on other projects:
“As a movie consumer myself, I’m not one to watch a lot of action movies. I’d even say it’s my least favorite genre,” Martínez continued. “I would really like to play other kinds of things, like a little bit more drama, romance too, or comedy…[maybe] a history movie with a little action in it.”
El Muerto isn’t the only Spider-Man spin-off in trouble at Sony Pictures, with Kraven the Hunter being delayed nearly a year by the WGA strikes. It’s unclear if the project will be revived post-strikes without Benito Martínez Ocasio attached. Though given the film started as a passion project for Bad Bunny, it’s not likely.
Who is Kraven the Hunter?
A ruthless big game hunter who seeks the ultimate challenge in hunting Spider-Man, Kraven was first introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #15. In the comics, Kraven is known for his physical strength, expert tracking skilll and his use of a serum that gives him enhanced abilities.
Kraven the Hunter was written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk, with Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach and David Householter on board as producers. Details about the Sony project are currently scarce, but it looks like Kraven is poised to make a big impact on the superhero movie landscape.
Kraven the Hunter is currently scheduled to hit theaters on October 6, 2023. Stay tuned for all the latest news regarding the Aaron Taylor-Johnson movie and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more content!
