Kraven the Hunter: Release date, cast, trailer and news
The iconic villain is finally getting his own movie.
There's a new Marvel/Sony character on his way and yes, he does have a connection to Spider-Man.
Kraven the Hunter is one of the web slinger's best-known comic foes. The Russian predator, born Sergei Kravinoff, will be played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. That's right – the MCU's very own Quicksilver.
The cast will also include the likes of West Side Story's Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe and Christopher Abbott.
So, just when can we expect this epic new Marvel outing from Sony Pictures Entertainment? Well, RadioTimes.com has all the information you need.
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Other famous faces confirmed are Alessandro Nivola and Christopher Abbott (A Most Violent Year, First Man), who will play Spider-Man's assassin foe The Foreigner.
Intrigued? So are we. Read on for everything you need to know about Kraven the Hunter.
Kraven the Hunter movie release date
Kraven the Hunter will premiere in cinemas on 6th October 2023.
The movie was first given the go-ahead back in 2018.
Filming began in March 2022 and continued until late last year.
Kraven the Hunter movie cast and characters
The cast of Kraven the Hunter is as follows.
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven the Hunter/Sergei Kravinoff
- Ariana Debose as Calypso
- Fred Hechinger as Chameleon/Dmitri Smerdyakov
- Alessandro Nivola as Rhino
- Christopher Abbott as The Foreigner
- and Russell Crowe as Kraven and Dmitri's father
Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tenet) has been been cast in the titular role.
Talking to Andrew Garfield via Hero Magazine, Taylor-Johnson recently revealed that he's "got a bunch of stunt training to do for this movie."
"I’m good! I’m in England, I’m not in London but just outside, close to the production office [for Kraven the Hunter]. I’m staying here because I’ve got a bunch of stunt training to do for this movie, so the director and I are bunking up for the next couple of weeks," he said.
When Garfield asked how he feels stepping into a character so many fans will have opinions about, he added: "It comes with its challenges. As you know!"
It certainly does. Kraven the Hunter is one of Spider-Man’s deadliest enemies – and the perfect choice for a live-action face-off with Spider-Man.
As for which Spider-Man will be a part of the movie, there has been no indication that Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and/or Tobey Maguire will be playing a part in it, so fans will have to wait for more information about this.
On the bright side, the movie's cast is starting to come together, with Deadline reporting that West Side Story star Ariana DeBose will be joining the cast as Calypso Ezili, who is a long-time lover and partner to the titular villain.
Christopher Abbott (A Most Violent Year, First Man) has also come on board as The Foreigner, an enemy of Spider-Man first seen in the Marvel comic in the 1980s.
Meanwhile, Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus, Pam & Tommy) has joined the cast as the title character’s half-brother Dmitri Nikolaievich Smerdyakov, aka the Chameleon, a master of disguise.
Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind) and Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience, American Hustle) have also joined the cast, with Crowe playing Kraven and Dmitri's father, and Nivola playing the classic Spider-Man villain Rhino, who was previously portrayed by Paul Giamatti in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
The latest cast member to be announced is Pan star Levi Miller (Deadline), though who he'll be playing is yet to be confirmed too.
Kraven the Hunter trailer
A trailer was finally released for Kraven the Hunter on Monday 19th June 2023.
The clip shows Kraven in action in the wild and against armed assailants, whilst also teasing the conflict in his family with his father and brother.
Meanwhile, we also get to see Kraven interact with love interest Calypso, played by Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose.
What will happen in Kraven the Hunter?
The trailer for the film has given us our best idea of the plot yet but aside from that, details are scarce.
Kraven the Hunter was eveloped in complete secrecy and details about the plot are few and far in between.
However, Sony is expected to give the villain the same treatment as Venom and the upcoming Morbius movie, meaning Kraven the Hunter will be an origin story that will portray the famous Marvel character as a kind of anti-hero, with the possibility of cross-overs with Sony’s other Marvel properties.
What’s more, given the casting details, we can guess the origin story will focus on the villain’s family and explore his human side.
Speaking about his plans for the script back in 2018, Wenk suggested the film would draw its inspiration from the famous comic book storyline by writer J.M DeMatteis, titled Kraven’s Last Hunt, in which the villain dons Spidey’s outfit in an attempt to prove he’s a better hero.
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"You have to look at everything just to soak it in," Wenk told Discussing Film (via Comicbook). "I think that what we're all circling is Kraven's Last Hunt and whether this is the precursor to that movie or will include it. We're talking about those things. And even the idea that maybe Kraven could be like Kill Bill where we're basically writing two movies."
Wenk went on to confirm that the spin-off would include a direct encounter with Spider-Man.
"I'm just beginning it, beginning the process, and because it's a big IP, Marvel world, there's lots of hurdles to overcome before you can start writing, to crack the right story and to get the right tone. It's a new world for me," he added.
Kraven the Hunter currently has a release date of 13th January 2023. If you’re looking for more to watch check out our TV Guide or visit our dedicated Sci-Fi hub.
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