Kraven the Hunter: Release date, cast, plot, R-rating, & more

Kraven the Hunter is set to hit screens later this year, so here’s everything we know so far, from its release date to its cast, plot, and R-rating.

Kraven the Hunter, directed by J. C. Chandor, was a surprising choice for a Spider-Verse film, as he is one of the slightly lesser known Spider-Man villains.

However, considering how popular the Venom movies have become – both ironically and unironically – it seems like Sony is hoping for another hit. One that will be very violent, with star Aaron Taylor-Johnson revealing that the movie will be Sony’s first R-rated Marvel movie while introducing footage at Cinema-Con.

The Marvel villain movie has now finished filming – which includes being shot entirely on location – and there’s plenty of news surrounding the upcoming project. So here’s everything we know about the film, from its release date to its cast and plot, and more…

Kraven the Hunter release date: When is it coming out?

Kraven the Hunter is set to be released by Sony and Marvel on October 6, 2023. It will be a theatrical release, but it’s sadly been delayed for a few months.

‘Kraven the Hunter’ starring Aaron Taylor Johnson has been delayed from Jan. 13, 2023 to Oct. 6, 2023. pic.twitter.com/No95oBck8e

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 16, 2022

This is the first solo film to feature Kraven, but the iconic hunter has actually been a plan for Sony for years. Kraven was first set to appear in the fourth Sam Raimi Spider-Man film, and then he was teased in the rebooted Amazing Spider-Man 2. However, once the series got rebooted again, Sony had to go back to the drawing board, and here we are.

Kraven the Hunter cast: Who is starring in the new film?

UPDATE: New footage at Cinema-Con has revealed that Alessandro Nivola is playing Rhino in the movie. His skin even turns rhino-like in the sizzle reel that played at the Sony panel.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson (of Kick-Ass and Bullet Train fame) has been cast in the titular role, AKA Sergei Kravinoff. Furthermore, the actor has signed on to portray Kraven in future films, meaning that sequels are also possible, should this movie do well.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson on the set of “Kraven The Hunter” pic.twitter.com/FId4h3dx6j

— Mcu Content (@mcucomfort) April 22, 2022

Other cast members include Ariana DeBose (Hamilton, West Side Story) who will be playing Calypso, a voodoo priestess and potential love interest for Kraven.

Fred Hechinger (Fear Street, Eight Grade) will be playing another Spider-Man villain, known as Chameleon, who has the ability to change his appearance at will. It’s likely he’ll be a target for Kraven to hunt.

Christopher Abbot (Catch-22, Black Bear) will be playing yet another Spider-Man villain – this film is full of them – called the Foreigner, who has trained himself to be a world-renowned martial artist and assassin. While Levi Miller is appearing in an as-yet-unspecified role.

Thanks to that Cinema-Con footage, we also now know that Russell Crowe is playing Kraven the Hunter’s father.

Finally, it’s not impossible Spider-Men will appear, especially Tom Holland. Since Sony and the MCU collided in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Venom: Let There be Carnage, it seems like anything could happen when it comes to superhero cameos. And according to Screen Rant, Holland isn’t ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man yet, and wants to continue his story in the Sony universe.

Kraven the Hunter plot: What will happen in the film?

So far, the official plot of Kraven the Hunter is unknown.

But the story will naturally follow Kraven, who is a Russian Game Catcher, who wishes to track down Spider-Man in order to truly become the world’s best hunter. In this film, could be possible that he is more of an anti-hero here rather than a villain, similar to how Venom and Morbius were portrayed.

According to the film’s screenwriter Richard Wenk, Sony intends to adapt the comic book series Kraven’s Last Hunt at some point, so that might come into play in this plot.

In Kraven’s Last Hunt, Kraven seemingly kills Spider-Man and takes his identity. And then when Spider-Man returns, Kraven pits Vermin – a rat-like mutant that he’s captured – against the hero. To make things even darker, when Vermin almost kills Spider-Man, Kraven stops the mutant, before retiring from his hunting days, and committing suicide. It’s a gripping story, considered to be one of the best Spider-Man stories out there.

As for the trailer that screened at Cinema-Con, IGN reports “The footage had a ton of gruesome kills in it as Kraven is seen taking out poachers and mercs alike.” While the outlet adds: “There is a very brief shot of Sergei holding up the classic fur costume Kraven wore in the Marvel comics.”

Updated with Cinema-Con info on April 25, 2023.

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