Kraven the Hunter is a “tragedy film” – at least according to director J.C. Chandor. In a new profile about Kraven star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the subject of the actor leading his own Marvel movie got brought up. Kraven is a somewhat second (if not third) teir villain in the Spider-Man Universe, so it’s understandable that some fans are now wondering why Taylor-Johnson took on the role. According to both the actor and director, it was the level of drama and ultimate Shakespearean tragedy involved with the character and his origin.
Videos by ComicBook.com
“Sony probably doesn’t want me to lead with this,” Chandor told Esquire, “but the story is a tragedy. When the final credits roll on this film, if you’ve been paying attention, you won’t have the feeling that this is all going to end great.”
Kraven The Hunter’s Origin Explained
In Marvel Comics lore Karven the Hunter is the son of a Russian aristocrat who fled to America during the fall of the Russian Empire. Kraven trained to be the best hunter in the world, and used a mystical serum to give himself the edge to accomplish that goal, increasing his strength, reflexes, and senses, and slowing his aging process.
While Kraven’s father doesn’t factor into the comics heavily, his family are major supporting characters. Kraven’s half-brother Dmitri becomes the villainous master of disguise known as The Chameleon, a longtime foe of Spider-Man. Kraven’s wife, sons, and daughter all become various kinds of hunters, while clones of Kraven have been made by the likes of Mister Sinister and The High Evolutionary.
Obviously, the Kraven the Hunter movie is taking a different path, but one that could ultimately lead to the same destination: the splintering of the Kravinoff family, and the beginning of a dark legacy of villainy. Russell Crowe’s Nikolai Kravinoff is poised to be an antagonist figure that likely dies in the film, while actor Fred Hechinger (White Lotus) is already set to take Dmitri into his villain guise as Chameleon. Hopefully, the depth of Kraven’s story will make the villain/anti-hero a much more compelling figure than his comic book counterpart – one worthy of following into a larger story arc within Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.
In addition to Aaron Tayor-Johnson, Kraven the Hunter stars Oscar-winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) as Kraven’s longtime love interest, voodoo priestess Calypso; Fred Hechinger; Christopher Abbott (A Most Violent Year) as the assassin known as The Foreigner, and Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark) as The Rhino and Russell Crowe (Gladiator) as Nikolai Kravinoff.
Kraven the Hunter is set for release on August 30, 2024.
