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Just when you think you’ve sorted out who’s fighting whom, the plot has already high-jumped into a whole new dimension. And speaking of high jumps, let’s discuss Kraven the Hunter—a character whose incoming spotlight just might shift the sands in the superhero universe.
The buzz around the upcomingKraven the Hunterfilm, directed by J. C. Chandor, has fans feeling like kids in a candy store. Finally, Kraven is set to claw his way into the limelight! Although he’s no stranger to the stage (think cartoons and video games), it’s hard not to reminisce about how this wild ride could have started with a different ticket—straight out ofBlack Panther.
Yes, at one time, Kraven was poised to be the big bad in the 2018 cultural sensation,Black Panther.His potential inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) was once considered in an unexpected context.
Ryan Coogler’s Ambitious Plans for Kraven inBlack Panther
Black Pantherbecame a cultural phenomenon, largely due to its compelling characters and intricate storytelling. Initially, directorRyan Cooglerenvisioned Kraven as a formidable antagonist for Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa. While this idea may seem unconventional given Kraven’s limited ties to Wakanda’s lore, it was rooted in Coogler’s admiration for the character. The director toldYahoo:
Being a Marvel fan, you want to grab all the characters. You realise there’s contractual things. You don’t have that character. There was a Christopher Priest run that was pretty heavy, there’s a big scene where Panther’s fighting Kraven, Kraven the Hunter.
However, this ambitious plan to exclude Kraven fromBlack Pantherultimately stemmed from the complex web of rights held by Sony. With Spider-Man and his associated characters under their control, any attempt to integrate Kraven into the MCU would require cooperation that was not feasible at the time.
As the owner ofSpider-Man’s cinematic rights, Sony also controls a multitude of characters associated with the web-slinger, including Kraven. This ownership has led to a complex partnership between Sony and Marvel Studios, allowing Spider-Man to appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) through a collaborative agreement established in 2015. This arrangement has proven beneficial for both studios, resulting in blockbuster successes likeSpider-Man: No Way Home.
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However, the partnership has its limitations. While Marvel Studios can utilize Spider-Man in its films, introducing characters like Kraven into narratives that do not directly involve Spider-Man is a challenge.
The decision to keep Kraven out ofBlack Pantherwas prudent; it allowed T’Challa’s story to remain focused and independent without diluting the impact of either character. Integrating Kraven could have created confusion about character ownership and narrative coherence, particularly since Kraven is primarily recognized as a Spider-Man villain.
The multiverse concept opens up exciting avenues for potential interactions between Kraven and Spider-Man down the line. With Tom Holland’s Spider-Man facing new challenges after his identity is revealed inSpider-Man: Far From Home, there is fertile ground for a confrontation with Kraven.
Marvel Studios: so let’s introduce Kraven in Black Panther and have him face off against T’challa, then after the events of FFH, Kraven will hunt Spider-Man after his identity was exposed to the world!Sony: Umm, instead of that let’s make him a good guy with mystic lion blood
Had Marvel Studios introduced Kraven the Hunter inBlack Panther,the narrative could have taken a thrilling turn, potentially setting the stage for an epic confrontation between Kraven and T’Challa. The idea was that he would first battle Black Panther before later turning his sights on Spider-Man following the events ofSpider-Man: Far From Home.
Kraven the Hunter: A Villain’s Solo Act Without Spider-Man in Sight?
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who dons the mantle of Kraven inKraven the Hunter, is all in for future showdowns with Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, or Tom Holland). He has his sights set on a potential clash, saying (viaDexerto):
I feel like that’s something that we really want to leave to the audience to kind of feel, right?
Director J.C. Chandor has created a narrative that stands tall on its own two feet while still winking at the larger Marvel universe. He puts it perfectly:
I wanted the film to be our film… you may come into this knowing nothing about any of it, and the film should work absolutely on its own.
This is music to our ears! Taylor-Johnson adds some spice by highlighting Kraven’s complexity:
He comes with some demons, but we’ve also shown that there’s a sort of physicality in the way that he fights… [and that] would be so interesting to go toe to toe with some other superheroes.
WhileKraven the Huntermight not have any post-credits shenanigans (sorry folks!), there’s still plenty of room for speculation about what could come next. Chandor has hinted at exciting possibilities for Kraven’s future:
When our film ends, we certainly would love there to be the opportunity to take this story forward.
So what does that mean for our favorite hunter? Could we see him squaring off against Spider-Man in an epic showdown?
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Well, as it stands,Kraven the Hunteris set to be released as a standalone film on August 23, 2025, continuing Sony’s trend of focusing on Spider-Man villains without featuring Spider-Man himself.
Despite this separation, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has hinted that future interactions between Kraven and Spider-Man are still possible, suggesting that while their paths may not cross in this film, they are destined to meet in some capacity.
Black Pantheris streaming on Disney+.
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
