‘Kraven the Hunter’: Plot, Cast, Release Date & Everything We Know So Far

Sony’s Spider-Man Universe started with the best intentions, it was supposed to gather the most important supporting characters from the Spiderverse, but they forgot one important thing, Spider-Man himself.

Despite, by now, having several installments, the cinematic universe wasn’t all that well-received with the exception of the ‘Venom’ franchise, which is scheduled to get its last installment this October. The latest flop in the SSU was ‘Madame Web,’ and this December we’re bound to get a story centered around one of the most notable Spider-Man villains, Kraven the Hunter, so let’s see what we know about the movie.

‘Kraven the Hunter’ will be a darker story

Not much is known about the overall plot of the movie, except that the villain was supposed to be featured even earlier but the execs avoided him due to having pretty brutal stories aimed at more mature audiences. The upcoming movie will certainly be rated “R,” but we still don’t know which story it will adapt with certainty. In August 2018, Richard Wenk was hired to write a screenplay for a Kraven the Hunter film, following the success of his work on ‘The Equalizer 2.’ The project was part of Sony’s shared universe plans, with Wenk tasked to introduce Kraven to audiences and explore potential targets for him to hunt, as Spider-Man was unlikely to appear due to the MCU deal.

The film’s target audience would be determined based on the response to ‘Venom’s’ darker tone. Wenk aimed to stay true to the character’s comic book origins, including incorporating a showdown between Kraven and Spider-Man. He also mentioned adapting the ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ storyline, either in this film or a later installment, akin to the structure of ‘Kill Bill.’

Most of the roles in the movie are known

The cast for the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film includes:

1. Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Sergei Kravinoff, portraying him as a conservationist and protector of nature.
2. Ariana DeBose plays Calypso, Kraven’s love interest and a voodoo priestess.
3. Fred Hechinger portrays Dmitri Smerdyakov, Kraven’s half-brother and a master of disguise known as Chameleon.
4. Christopher Abbott appears as the Foreigner, a mercenary and assassin.
5. Alessandro Nivola takes on the role of Aleksei Sytsevich, also known as Rhino, a Russian mercenary with the ability to transform into a human-rhino hybrid.
6. Russell Crowe is cast as Nikolai Kravinoff, Kraven’s estranged father.
7. Levi Miller’s role remains undisclosed.

The movie was delayed several times

Kraven the Hunter’s theatrical release in the United States is slated for December 13, 2024, in both IMAX and premium large formats (PLMs). Initially planned for January 13, 2023, then rescheduled for October 6, 2023, and later August 30, 2024.

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