‘Kraven the Hunter’ is Out for Blood in First Red Band Trailer
Sony loves them some Spidey villains – Kraven the Hunter is the next to hit the big screen. And it’s gonna be rated-R gory.
Kraven the Hunter, aka Sergei Kravinoff, isn’t a super well-known character outside of comic book readers (like Morbius before him). He’s a creation of Steve Ditko and Stan Lee and has been one of Spider-Man’s regular villains since the mid-1960s. He’s a founding member of the original Sinister Six.
In the comics, Kraven is a Russian aristocrat that was forced to immigrate to America in 1917 after the February Revolution. He became an explorer and big game hunter. When the usual fair became too easy, he moved on to hunting the most dangerous game–Peter Parker and Marvel’s heroes. He uses a potion called Calypso Serum to enhance his abilities and extend his life.
He also really enjoys wearing garish clothing made out of his kills.
Kraven Meets the Big Screen
Sony has confirmed that the movie is R-rated, which is a major departure for the studio that produced two PG-13 Venom movies. The commentary out of Cinemacon, where this trailer was first shown, made the movie out to be a brutal action-adventure movie mixed with a boilerplate comic book origin story. That is what it looks like.
The promised extra gory action is all over the first red band trailer, along with a new origin story…
The first look is… not great if you’ve been following the comics at all. Ever. This is a Sony live-action Spider-Man bad guy solo movie. This is exactly what we’ve been given several times before, complete with the big hype train that tends to implode. Not sure why anyone would think Kraven the Hunter would be any different.
At the same time, it does look like it might hold up as a fun, bonkers action movie for those who haven’t read the comics. It may be a good time for folks that enjoy totally ripped, shirtless Aaron Taylor Johnson. Personally, I’m hoping that it will make a great MST3K-style watch when it hits streaming.
Also: what’s up with that accent?
Kraven the Hunter Cast & Details
J.C. Chandor is directing; he’s known more for his political dramas than action movies. The script is by Marvel and Sony regular Matt Holloway (Iron Man on the good side, Uncharted on the bad).
The cast is led by Aaron Taylor Johnson as Kraven, Russell Crowe is his playing his father, and Ariana DeBose is Calypso (of the famed potion that doesn’t seem to come into play here), and Christopher Abbott as the Foreigner. Alessandro Nivola is bringing Rhino back to the screen, a more biological version than the last time by the looks of it.
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.
Kraven the Hunter hits theaters this October.
