MOVIE PREVIEW – Kraven, the Hunter from the Spider-Man comics, is getting his own movie in Sony’s Spider-Man universe. Here’s everything we know.

Spider-Man’s iconic villain Kraven is about to hit the big screen. Sony and Marvel will together release Kraven the Hunter in cinemas in early 2023. The movie will be the fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man universe, following Venom’s sequel to Venom: Let There Be Bloodshed and Morbius.

It’s the first solo film to feature Kraven, but Marvel and other production companies have tried integrating the character into a movie for years. Before the franchise rebooted, Kraven would first star in Sam Raimi’s fourth Spider-Man movie. Later, a shared universe featuring Kraven was offered in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 before Spider-Man was instead brought to the MCU in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. Around this time, Sony began developing its standalone Spider-Man universe, which would finally feature the iconic fighter.

Now that we’re nearing the release date let’s look at what we know about Kraven the Hunter. What will the plot include? Who has been confirmed as the main character? And what else do we know about Kraven the Hunter? When and where will audiences be able to see the film when it is released?

Kraven the Hunter – the plot

While there are no confirmed plot details at the moment, there are speculations about what we might see. Although Spider-Man was Kraven’s most common foe in the comics, he’s unlikely to appear due to the deal with the MCU. Screenwriter Richard Wenk was tasked with finding another character for Kraven to hunt down to make up for Spider-Man’s absence. According to Wenk, Sony is looking to adapt the plot of the comic book series Kraven’s Last Hunt, although it is unknown whether this adaptation will be in this film or later.

(SPOILER ALERT!)

In the Kraven’s Last Hunt comic book series, Kraven apparently kills Spider-Man and assumes his identity. Kraven then captures Vermin in time for Spider-Man to be revived and return to the fight. Instead of fighting Spider-Man himself, then Kraven pits Vermin against him. Kraven suceed to stop Vermin before he can kill Spider-Man, then retreats from the hunt and commits suicide.

(SPOILER OVER!)

The comic book, considered one of the greatest Spider-Man stories, could probably be a massive hit as a movie adaptation if Sony were to acquire the rights to Spider-Man for this film or possibly present another “alternate universe” version of the character.

Remember that this is all speculation, and the comic book series adaptation is not confirmed. For now, all viewers can do is wait until more information comes to light to find out where Sony is taking Kraven the Hunter.

Kraven the Hunter – the cast

Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson will take on the part of the iconic hunter. Before Johnson, Sony had previously sought out big names such as Brad Pitt, Adam Driver, John David Washington and Keanu Reeves for the title role. Currently, the only actor whose role has been confirmed is Kraven himself.

While the other cast members were announced without confirmed roles, most of them are the subject of rumours and speculation as to who they could potentially play. In addition to Taylor-Johnson, Sony has also cast Christopher Abbott as the main villain. According to sources, Abbott’s villain is the Stranger, but nothing is confirmed. Alessandro Nivola will play another unknown villain alongside Abbott. The Gladiator actor, Russell Crowe has also joined the cast in an undisclosed role. Rumours are that most of the primary cast will play members of Kraven’s family, with Crowe’s character presumably Kraven’s father.

Actress Ariana DeBose is rumoured to play the role of Calypso, a villain and Kraven’s love interest. Fred Hechinger is also rumored to be in line for another villain role, with unconfirmed rumors suggesting that this villain may be Kraven’s half-brother, the Chameleon. Finally, actor Levi Miller has joined the cast in April 2022 in another unknown role.

Further casting news is likely to come in the months before release. In addition, audiences should expect some confirmation on several rumoured roles for existing cast members.

Release date of the movie

Kraven the Hunter is scheduled to hit the United States theatres on January 13, 2023, under the Sony Pictures banner. Notably, Taylor-Johnson has signed on to play Kraven in several films, leaving open the possibility of a sequel if this movie does well with audiences.

Other interesting tidbits

Even though the film exists independently of the MCU, viewers shouldn’t completely rule out the possibility of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.

According to ScreenRant, Holland wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man and wanted to continue his story in Sony’s world. The MCU soon changed their minds and brought Spider-Man back, and the merging of the two universes was confirmed in the final trailer for Venom 2. Now that Sony has linked up with the MCU, it’s still possible that we could see Holland appear as Peter Parker in some form, though audiences can only wait and speculate.

-theGeek-