I've said it before and I'll say it again: Sony is very much having its cake and eating it too when it comes to the Spider-Man property. In one corner, the studio has been collaborating with Marvel Studios on Tom Holland's version of Spider-Man, and in the other corner, Sony is developing standalone movies starring villains and supporting characters from the Web-Slinger's cast. Last year, it was reported that movies centered on Mysterio and Kraven the Hunter were in development for that Spiderverse slate. Since then, Mysterio has been made Spider-Man: Far From Home's main antagonist, but word's come in that the Kraven the Hunter project is still in the works, and The Equalizer 2 writer Richard Wenk has been hired to pen the script.
Since there was no news about a Kraven the Hunter movie for more than a year, it seemed as though that particular project might have been set aside. However, Collider's report that Sony has brought Richard Wenk on to work on Kraven the Hunter suggests that the studio is more serious about making this movie a reality. That still doesn't necessarily mean that it will get the green light for production later down the line, but just like what's been done with Venom, it's on Wenk to craft a story centered around Kraven, real name Sergei Kravinoff, without Spider-Man playing a role in the narrative. Along with The Equalizer 2, Wenk's resume includes writing the The Expendables 2, The Magnificent Seven and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back.
Introduced in 1964's The Amazing Spider-Man #15, Kraven the Hunter was a skilled big game hunter, but when his half-brother Dmitri Smerdyakov, a.k.a. The Chameleon, recruited him to help take down Spider-Man, the web-spinning hero became Kraven's new obsession, as he believed that eliminating the superhero would make him the best hunter in the world. Along with his own natural combat skills and athleticism, Kraven ingests a special potion that boosts his strength, speed and endurance, as well as slows down his aging. Outside of the comics, Kraven the Hunter has appeared in numerous Spider-Man animated shows and video games, and back when the Amazing Spider-Man film series was still running, there were plans for the villain to be a member of the Sinister Six. Black Panther director Ryan Coogler also expressed interest in using Kraven for T'Challa's solo adventure.
Along with Kraven the Hunter, other Spider-Man-related spinoffs in the works include Silver and Black, Morbius, Nightwatch and Silk. Of course, how Venom performs critically and commercially will be a big indicator as to whether or not these other movies move forward. If Venom is successful, then along with likely getting a sequel, then Sony will release other spinoffs, thus boding well for Kraven the Hunter. If Venom does less than satisfactory, that might not necessarily kill any chances for another symbiote-filled movie, but one would imagine that the studio would slow down on these other projects, Kraven the Hunter included.
Keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more updates on the Kraven the Hunter movie and the rest of Sony's Spiderverse slate. In the meantime, look through our 2018 release schedule to learn what movies hit theaters later this year.
