Sony Removes 'El Muerto' Spider-Man Villain Movie From Release Schedule

Bad Bunny, for whom the movie was a vehicle, has taken his cue to exit

After releasing the trailer for the next Spider-Man villain solo movie Kraven the Hunter starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sony has pulled El Muerto, another a few spots down the line, from their release schedule. The film, directed by Jonas Cuarón, was set to be a vehicle for Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny.

When Cuarón was hired in October, the film was in early development, with Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer writing the script. In the Marvel comics, “El Muerto” is considered an anti-hero, an ancestral power held by Juan-Carlos Sánchez, the son of luchador Marcus Estrada de la García, next in line to inherit the ancestral power within the mask. The film’s announcement came with much bewilderment to fans, as the character has only appeared in just two issues of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Details won’t be shared considering much of it would probably be mined for the film, but that’s the level of obscurity the movie’s foundation is built on.

The film is still in development, however, the removal seems to be a result of the Writers Guild of America strike and potential SAG-AFTRA strike that would push filming and production commencing into conflict with Bad Bunny’s tour schedule. There are also his WWE commitments. And it seems the musician, real name Benito Ocasio, has recognized this, as he has now reportedly exited the lead role and it is expected to be recast. The film had been built around him after his performance in Bullet Train impressed Sony executives so much and sought to continue working together. It is unknown if he will remain an executive producer or not.

With El Muerto’s January 12, 2024 release date open, Sony has filled it with the Jeymes Samuel-directed The Book of Clarence, starring LaKeith Stanfield. pushed back from September 22, 2023. That slot will be taken by Dumb Money, about Redditors’ attempts to play with GameStop stock to save it, starring Paul Dano. It just had its first trailer release this week, and moves up four weeks from October 20. The film also stars Pete Davidson, Vincent D’Onofrio, America Ferrera, Nick Offerman, Anthony Ramos, Sebastian Stan, Shailene Woodley, and Seth Rogen. Earlier in the week, Sony reserved November 8, 2024 and June 27, 2025, for Marvel movies, so they may be potential landing spots should El Muerto progress well.

Sources: Deadline, One Take News