Spider-Man fans will be waiting a little longer to see Kraven the Hunter. Following on from the animated delights of Across the Spider-Verse, this new live-action movie will tell the story of how one of the web-slinger's most fearsome opponents came to be.
As the title suggests, the latest Spidey spin-off follows Sergei Kravinoff — better known as the titular villain, Kraven the Hunter — a big-game hunter who is best known for wanting to bring down the wallcrawling superhero in order to prove himself as the most capable hunter on the planet.
Action star Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass, Bullet Train) is in the driving seat in the title role. At CineEurope, he lauded praise on the character, calling him "one of Marvel's most iconic, notorious anti-heroes" and "Spider-Man's number one rival". However, we should expect a slightly different take on the character, as Taylor-Johnson described his version of Kraven as an "animal lover" and as a "protector of the natural world" (reported by Collider).
Sony released the movie's official red band trailer for what will be the fourth movie in their Spider-Man spin-off universe after Morbius and the two Venom movies earlier this year. Unfortunately, they've recently pushed the movie's release back by nearly a year.
Here's everything we know about Kraven the Hunter right now...
Kraven the Hunter release date
Kraven the Hunter has been delayed again. The movie will now premiere on August 30, 2024, 10 months on from its previously scheduled release date of October 6, 2023.
Kraven the Hunter cast
Aaron Taylor-Johnson isn't the only star set to appear in the new Spider-Man spin-off. Excitingly, Variety has reported that he's not just on board for this solo outing, but he's been signed for multiple films in the same role.
Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe (Gladiator, Les Miserables) is on board as Kraven's father, and West Side Story star Ariana DeBose is on hand as Calypso, a voodoo priestess and Kraven's love interest in the film. Christopher Abbott has also been cast as The Foreigner, the film's primary villain.
Finally, Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark, American Hustle) is on board as The Rhino, whilst Fred Hechinger (The Fear Street trilogy, The White Lotus) is playing Kraven's half-brother, The Chameleon, and Levi Miller (A Wrinkle in Time, Pan) plays the younger version of Taylor-Johnson's character.
What's the Kraven the Hunter plot?
We speculated that Kraven the Hunter would be an origin story like Venom and Morbius, and the new trailer shows that's exactly what's going on.
The movie's tagline is "Villains aren't born. They're made", and the synopsis reads: "Kraven the Hunter is the visceral story about how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Set before his notorious vendetta with Spider-Man, Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as the titular character in the R-rated film."
Whilst that doesn't give too much specific info about the plot away, the trailer shows how Kraven was left for dead by his father for being 'weak' during a hunting trip that saw him attacked by a lion.
We do know that it's set in the same universe as that of Venom, Morbius, and other upcoming Sony Spider-Man projects like Madame Web (starring Dakota Johnson and Euphoria's Sydney Sweeney), Hypno-Hustler (starring Donald Glover) and El Muerto (which will star Bullet Train's Bad Bunny in the title role).
Who's directing Kraven the Hunter?
J. C. Chandor (Triple Frontier, A Most Violent Year) is at the helm this time around. He was first rumored to be attached to the project back in 2020 (via Deadline).
Is there a Kraven the Hunter trailer?
The Kraven The Hunter trailer arrived on June 19, and it's packed full of action from the off as the trailer is fully committed to showcasing Kraven's skills as a hunter. In between his many brutal kills, you'll learn about his connection to the natural world, meet his family and witness his physical capabilities. And at the end, the film teases another of Spider-Man's famous foes when a man asks "Don't you want to know why they call me The Rhino?" Check it out here:
