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 premieres exclusively in movie theaters on December 13.
It's been a long time coming, as Kraven has been delayed a few times, but when it finally hits screens it'll be the fourth Marvel character to hit the big screen this year, though like Madame Web and Venom: The Last Dance, it is not directly associated with the MCU.
Kraven the Hunter cast
Aaron Taylor-Johnson isn't the only star set to appear in the new Spider-Man spin-off.
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.
Kraven the Hunter plot
We speculated that Kraven the Hunter would be an origin story like Venom and Morbius, and that's exactly what's we're getting. Here is the official synopsis for the movie:
"Kraven the Hunter is the visceral, action-packed origin story of how and why one of Marvel's most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to not only become the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared."
We do know that it's set in the same universe as that of Venom, Morbius and Madame Web.
Kraven the Hunter trailer
Check out the trailer for Kraven the Hunter right here:
Kraven the Hunter director
J. C. Chandor is at the helm as the director of Kraven the Hunter. The filmmaker is best known for directing Margin Call, All is Lost, A Most Violent Year and Triple Frontier.
