Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man Universe is ever-expanding. With two Venom movies making a giant splash and a Jared Leto-led Morbius fast approaching, next up is Kraven the Hunter. Sony’s Kraven the Hunter film has been in the works for some time now, but now it is very much on the way. With Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven, suiting up for his third different superhero project, we know we’re in for quite a treat. And the film arrives in just under a year.
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
Sony hasn’t released too much about its upcoming Kraven movie. However, 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.
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. One angle they could go with is Kraven coming to the big city, looking to hunt down Spidey as the ultimate prize. But seeing as this is all Kraven’s point of view, we’d never see Spider-Man without his mask on. This means anyone could play him.
Behind the Scenes
A Most Violent Year’s J.C. Chandor is directing a script from Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, with Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach 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. While Nivola and Crowe’s characters remain under wraps, DeBose will reportedly play Calypso. Meanwhile, according to reports, Hechinger, who recently made waves in The White Lotus, is playing Kraven’s brother, Chameleon.
Additionally, Deadline reports that Christopher Abbott is set to join Kraven the Hunter. Although unconfirmed, the publication shares that Abbot would 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 gets adapted onto the screen.
Kraven the Hunter’s Release Date
Kraven the Hunter is scheduled for a January 13, 2023 release.
Originally published May 26, 2021.
