During an action-packed presentation at this year’s New York Comic Con (NYCC), Sony gave fans a sneak peek at three of its most anticipated upcoming titles: Venom: The Last Dance, Karate Kid: Legends, and Kraven the Hunter. The event on Friday night featured star-studded appearances including Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and directors J.C. Chandor and Kelly Marcel, thrilling attendees with exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes insights, as reported by THR.
Director Chandor kicked off the session by introducing Kraven the Hunter, describing it as an “old gangster film, basically this classic kind of journey, but obviously with a little bit of a Marvel spin”, and emphasising the film’s brutal tone, which warranted an R rating. The opening scenes shown featured Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven in a high-stakes prison break, showcasing the film’s intense action sequences. “He was born to play Kraven,” Chandor said, praising Taylor-Johnson’s ability to stand toe-to-toe with other actors, hold up the chops from a performance standpoint, and move in a way akin to an animalistic dance.
Next up, the panel unveiled a new trailer for Karate Kid: Legends, opening with Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio. The film, set to release on 28 May 2025, promises a rich blend of family dynamics, martial arts, and stunning stunt work. “In life, you only have one question: Is it worth fighting for it? Or not?” Chan asks, his voiceover posing a poignant question about the worth of fighting for one’s beliefs, setting the tone for the film’s deep narrative.
The highlight for many was the discussion around Venom: The Last Dance, the final instalment in the Hardy-led trilogy. Hardy shared his emotional connection to the character Eddie, expressing sadness over concluding the series. Director Marcel teased the upcoming road trip theme of the movie, which sees Eddie and Venom as fugitives, intensifying their dilemmas as they evade capture from multiple forces.
Ejiofor and Temple gave insights into their characters, with Ejiofor portraying a strict military figure and Temple a scientist, highlighting their conflicting approaches to handling the symbiote threat.
Hardy and Marcel discussed their collaborative process in bringing Venom to life, emphasising the improvisational and dynamic nature of their partnership. Hardy joked about his creative process with Marcel, who skilfully transforms his ideas into polished cinematic moments. “I come up with these fantastic ideas, Then what I’ll do is talk at Kelly and I’ll keep talking until Kelly say, ‘that’s enough.’ Then I’m like, ‘Yeah she’s got it.’ Then Kelly goes away and comes back with things I’d never thought to say, but it’s all formatted perfectly, and I pat myself on the back,” Hardy said.
Marcel, celebrating her directorial debut, expressed gratitude towards Sony for the opportunity to direct the trilogy’s finale, “It was a beautiful experience, and I really hope it opens doors for more female directors directing male-led action movies.”
As the panel wrapped up, the possibility of a Spider-Man crossover was hinted at but remains uncertain. “I would love to see Venom in Spider-Man but who knows,” said Marcel. Both she and Hardy confirmed that Venom: The Last Dance marks the end of this particular arc, but suggested that the Venom universe has more stories to tell, possibly hinting at future symbiote tales with Easter eggs in the current film.
Venom: The Last Dance will open in cinemas on 24 October. Kraven the Hunter will follow suit on 12 December, and Karate Kid: Legends will debut on 28 May 2025.
Natalie is a big fan of anything related to movies, TV shows, games, and comics — you name it. When she’s not reading or geeking out about the latest shows on Netflix, she’s probably playing gacha and tabletop games, or daydreaming of Sylus from Love and Deepspace.
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