Could The New Sony/Marvel Movie be Kraven The Hunter?

Earlier today, Sony revealed that 2021 would be an even bigger year for Marvel Comics movies than previously assumed, when they announced an as-yet-untitled Marvel/Sony co-production would be released in theaters on October 8, 2021. Sony's library of Marvel characters is limited to those who are owned under the Spider-Man umbrella, and in the last decade, there have been numerous planned films that never got off the ground. Still, with Venom making so much money it earned a sequel and Morbius ready to be released on an at least cautiously enthusiastic public, fans are thinking that the most likely candidate for this October 2021 date is probably Kraven, the Hunter.

Kraven the Hunter (Sergei Kravinoff) was created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, and first appeared in 1964's The Amazing Spider-Man #15, although his most famous story -- "Kraven's Last Hunt" -- happened in the '80s and hailed from the creative team of J. M. DeMatteis, Mike Zeck, and Bob McLeod. Kraven is a big-game hunter, and targets Spider-Man as the world's most dangerous game.

Kraven is also half-brother to the Spider-Man villain The Chameleon, which could provide an interesting secondary antagonist for the film.

Why Kraven, though? Well, after years of rumors that Kraven would be the villain in whatever the next Spider-Man movie would end up being, it now appears that the character has a movie of his own that is not only in development, but has been fast-tracked, with actors already being considered for the major roles.

In addition to Spider-Man: Homecoming filmmaker Jon Watts saying that he had plans for Kraven in the main franchise, Morbius's set seemingly had a Kraven Easter egg as well, suggesting that this is a character everyone is feeling pretty bullish about. And while there has been some speculation that Morbius may (for whatever reason) be taking place in the universe first eastablished by Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, Kraven will apparently be set squarely in the MCU, with the hunter going after Tom Holland's Spider-Man. The casting grid for the film details the lead character's mission as hunting Spider-Man, which would seemingly put the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spider-Man: Far From Home left Peter Parker exposed as a super hero with a massive target on his back.

Given Sony's hopes -- which almost came to fruition before The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a failure -- to make a Sinister Six movie, it is possible that characters like The Vulture, Morbius, and Kraven could be used to come together in some kind of spinoff once they are established in other movies. Michael Keaton's Vulture appears to be showing up in Morbius, for instance, and the Venom franchise may not want to make its lead hero into a Spidey villain, but there are plenty of other symbiotes to choose from over there.

Kraven the Hunter does not yet have an official release date. Marvel's Spider-Man 3 is set to release on July 16, 2021.