Sony showcased new looks at three of its upcoming titles—Venom: The Last Dance, Karate Kid: Legends, and Kraven the Hunter—during a one-hour presentation at this year’s New York Comic Con.
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| Aaron Taylor-Johnson in 'Kraven the Hunter.' Sony Pictures |
The Friday night panel featured appearances by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, director J.C. Chandor, Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and director Kelly Marcel. The event included footage of the opening scene from Kraven, a trailer for Karate Kid: Legends, and a clip discussing what occurs when Venom takes over a horse in The Last Dance.
Chandor kicked off the presentation by teasing that the film is "like an old gangster movie, basically a classic kind of journey, but with a bit of a Marvel twist. This isn’t a friendly take on Kraven. It’s got to be brutal.” He added that the film, set for release on December 13, dives deeply into the Marvel characters.
We wanted the essence of those characters to reflect what fans desire while presenting it in a fresh way. We’ve achieved a tonal balance where, as a storyteller and director, I’m aware of every performance, and we’re not breaking the fourth wall. We believe in this story as if it’s truly happening.
Discussing the film’s R-rating, Chandor expressed his excitement about creating a more mature version based on the comics. "When you delve into those books, they can be quite intense. When the studio offered us the chance to make this an R-rated film, we were thrilled. It provided an incredible opportunity for some really intense Grindhouse elements on one hand and some deep character explorations on the other."
On casting Taylor-Johnson, the director noted the challenges involved: "We needed to find an actor capable of standing toe-to-toe with many of the other talented actors in the film while also physically embodying this kind of animalistic movement. He was born to play Kraven."
Johnson, who received a warm welcome from the audience, discussed Kraven’s "iconic image," particularly his physicality. "Playing a villain is intriguing because it often brings more depth and complexity. He’s a real person. He isn’t an alien or a visual effects monster. He’s a man who has chosen to be a hunter and a killer, which adds layers to his character. Kraven is a hunter, not a poacher, and as every great hunter knows, sometimes you have to cull the herd to maintain order. When you apply that to humans, it transforms into a very dark narrative."
The footage included the film’s opening, which shows Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven being sent to a prison colony. Upon arrival, he receives a loud welcome as fellow inmates bang on their cages. He soon meets his cellmate, who mentions that the last occupant was there for just a month, to which Kraven responds that he’ll only be there for a few days. He quickly faces several new adversaries before having a confrontation with a leader of one of the prison gangs.
Following a verbal exchange, Kraven is trapped inside, leading to an intense fight scene where he brutally takes out the entire room before escaping into the hallways, climbing the prison walls and fleeing into the snowy tundra.
Another clip depicted Kraven arming himself in a house deep in the forest, gearing up to hunt down armed men who are shooting wildlife. This sequence showcases him using a bear trap on one of his enemies and deploying a swinging log studded with spikes, all while a helicopter pursues him from above.
Next up was Karate Kid, starting with a trailer introduced by Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. Star Ben Wang highlighted the film’s focus on family, fighting, and stunt work. “In life, you only have one question: Is it worth fighting for or not?” Chan’s voice rings out in the trailer. The film is set to release on May 28, 2025, and features Chan, the star of the 2010 Karate Kid movie, alongside Macchio, who led the original films and the Netflix hit Cobra Kai.
Fans of Venom were treated to new footage from the third installment of the Tom Hardy-led franchise, which has already released a trailer hinting at the conclusion of the symbiotic relationship. During the panel, Hardy reflected on his experience playing the character for over five years. “I’ve absolutely loved playing Eddie,” he shared with the crowd. “It’s been one of the best experiences of my life, so it’ll be bittersweet to see him go.”
Hardy also discussed his collaborative efforts with director Marcel, emphasizing how they often build on ideas together. Marcel teased what the film has in store for fans, stating, “We find him where we left off at the end of Venom 2. Now they’re fugitives on the run. The Last Dance is essentially a road trip movie where they are pursued by characters from both our world and others. As they remain together, they realize that their partnership puts the world in jeopardy.”
Ejiofor and Temple provided insights into their characters, with Ejiofor describing his role as a military man who is strict and forthright in dealing with these creatures while attempting to maintain order within the facility. Temple’s character, who shares the facility with him, focuses on the scientific side, but the two do not always agree.
During the panel, Hardy explained the process of filming his scenes with Venom in his head. He noted it involved using multiple earpieces that played back his Venom voice and Marcel’s direction. The duo collaborates closely both on and off-screen, including in the writing process, as Hardy elaborated during the 20-minute presentation.
“I come up with these fantastic ideas,” he explained. “Then I share them with Kelly and keep going until she tells me, ‘that’s enough.’ At that point, I know she’s got it. Then Kelly returns with ideas I never thought of, formatted perfectly, and I can’t help but pat myself on the back… With Kelly, my ideas evolve into something completely different.”
“That’s pretty much how it goes. There are some drawings involved as well,” Marcel added.
Hardy expressed gratitude for their partnership and praised Marcel’s growth from co-writer to director. “I’ve been working with Kelly for around 20 years. We began our journey trying to land our first jobs together. I just want to highlight how incredibly talented she is. I support her completely.”
Marcel remarked, “I’ve been on this journey with Tom for seven years, so these films hold immense significance for us. I’m incredibly grateful to Sony for allowing me to see this project through from inception to completion, especially since this is the last in the trilogy. It was a beautiful experience, and I hope it paves the way for more female directors to helm male-led action films.”
As the panel drew to a close, the cast and creative team were asked about the possibility of a Spider-Man crossover. Marcel responded, “I would love to see Venom interact with Spider-Man, but who knows what the future holds?”
Regarding whether this marks the end of the Venom storyline, Marcel and Hardy confirmed that it does. “We always envisioned this as a trilogy, aiming to tell Eddie and Venom’s story over three films. This arc for Venom and Eddie concludes here. However, there are numerous symbiote tales within the canon, providing plenty of avenues to explore, and perhaps a few Easter eggs in this film could kickstart that journey,” Marcel hinted.
