Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man Universe is ever-expanding. Coming up very soon is Kraven the Hunter. Sony’s Kraven the Hunter film has been in the works for some time now, but it has finally turned a corner. With Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven, suiting up for his third different superhero project, we know we’re in for… something.
Alas, we’ll have to wait a while longer to know exactly what though. Kraven the Hunter has been delayed for a third time. The movie was originally meant to be released in January 2023 and was then moved to October 2023. After that Kraven shifted its release date to August 2024. Now Kraven the Hunter is slated to release on December 13, 2024. Hopefully this release date takes.
It certainly seems so considering this recent social media post that gives us a mini Kraven the Hunter clip.
According to producer Matt Tolmach, the reason for the move was actually a positive one. Tolmach noted, “Kraven moved to Christmas because we’re excited about it, and Christmas is the best release period there is when you get people with time to go back to the movies over and over again. That was a real reflection of how the studio felt about the movie. We’re really excited. But that’s a great move that reflects just the feeling about the movie.” If that’s true, it’s good news. But we’ll have to wait (hopefully just until December) and see to know for sure.
If you are thinking about taking the kids to see this film, think again. As Comicbook.com reports, Kraven the Hunter is rated R by the American Motion Picture Association. And, according to standards by the British Board of Film Classification, Kraven the Hunter has bloodier and gorier kills than Deadpool & Wolverine along with “portrayals of sadistic violence.” There is some dark material, including “rape or other non-consensual sexually violent behavior… drug misuse or suicide/self-harm where the portrayal is sufficiently detailed, glamorized, or promotional as to represent a non-trivial harm risk,” all of which suggests this is an 18+ affair.
Here’s everything we know about Sony’s Kraven the Hunter movie.
Title
The film is named Kraven the Hunter, after its central character.
Kraven the Hunter’s Plot
In the original Marvel Comics, Sergei Kravinoff is born into an aristocratic Russian family. He becomes a world-famous international big-game hunter, who tries to catch the ultimate and elusive prize: Spider-Man. The villain first shows up in The Amazing Spider-Man #15 (1964). The Stan Lee/Steve Ditko creation is a founding member of the Sinister Six. Later stories show witch doctor Calypso giving Kravinoff an herbal potion, granting him enhanced speed and senses that match those of a wild jungle cat.
In Kraven the Hunter, it seems like we’ll get an origin story for the Spider-Man villain. Take a look at the movie’s official trailer below.
Unlike Venom, the character of Kraven has never had a shelf life outside of being a Spider-Man villain. So it’s hard to see how they are going to create a narrative around the character that doesn’t involve the wall-crawler in some form. There is no news of Tom Holland appearing in the movie so far.
Kraven the Hunter will unsurprisingly be Sony’s first R-rated Marvel movie. As Aaron Taylor-Johnson eloquently noted at Sony’s panel at CinemaCon 2023, “Will it be rated-R? F**k yes, it will be rated R.”
Behind the Scenes
A Most Violent Year’s J.C. Chandor is directing a script from Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk, with Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, and David Householter producing.
Kraven the Hunter’s Cast
The upcoming film is anchored by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who is playing Kraven the Hunter. Joining him are Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, and Alessandro Nivola. Crowe will play Kraven’s father. Meanwhile, Nivola will play classic Spider-Man villain Rhino, and Hechinger will act as Kraven’s brother, Chameleon. DeBose will play Calypso.
Additionally, Deadline reports that Christopher Abbott will join Kraven the Hunter. Although unconfirmed, the publication shares that Abbot will play the film’s main villain, the Foreigner. In the comics, Foreigner is a Spider-Man villain with the ability to induce hypnotic trances. Otherwise, it is his skills in martial arts and mastery of weaponry that makes him a threat. As we learn more about Kraven the Hunter‘s plot, we will see how this character comes to exist on the screen.
Kraven the Hunter’s Release Date
Kraven the Hunter will now arrive in theaters on December 13, 2024.
Originally published on May 26, 2021.
