Spider-Man is one of the most popular Marvel heroes of all time, so his adoption into the MCU has been one of the most exciting aspects of Phase Three. Tom Holland's characterization of Peter Parker is perhaps the most accurate to its comic book roots, with the young actor already playing the role in a whopping five movies. Spider-Man: Far From Home closed out Phase Three, and brought the iconic villain Mysterio to life thanks to Jake Gyllenhaal.
Spider-Man is clearly going to be a major presence in Phase Four, especially given the events of Far From Home's mid-credits scene. As such, fans already wondering which of Peter Parker's rogues might make their way to the big screen next. Director Jon Watts helmed both Spider-Man movies in the MCU so far, and recently offered the villain he'd most like to see in the next blockbuster:
Oh, I would love Kraven. It’s just the trick of how do you do Kraven in a movie?
Do you hear that sound? It's Spider-Man fans everywhere jumping with joy. Kraven is one of the most iconic of Spidey's foes on the page, so it's particularly exciting that Jon Watts is interested in adapting him for the big screen. Although he admits it might be a challenge.
For those unfamiliar, Kraven is a skilled tactician and hunter who has a particular grudge against the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. First appearing in 1964, Kraven is a big game hunter who believes Spider-Man is the ultimate prey. His skill and weaponry has proved a consistent challenge for the wall crawler-- especially when he's teamed up with the rest to the Sinister Six.
Kraven the Hunter has already been adapted in mixed media a few times, just never in a big blockbuster event. He was a recurring character in the Spider-Man animated series, and has been made into various other small screen and video game projects. But he's been seen in live-action, despite multiple filmmakers attempting to do so.
Related: How Spider-Man: Far From Home Perfectly Sets Up A Third Chapter
The first of these instances came with The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Rhino's appearance in the sequel's final moments was meant to usher in the Sinister Six, including Kraven The Hunter. Unfortunately, the franchise ended before a threequel could be produced, further delaying the villain's big screen debut. What's more, Black Panther director Ryan Coogler originally wanted Kraven as the villain for his Marvel debut.
In his same conversation with Uproxx, Jon Watts went on to explain how he approaches villains in the Spider-Man franchise, saying:
I mean, yeah, I always just try to start with what haven’t we seen before? And there’s so many Spider-Man villains. I mean, the fact that I got to, in a way, bring Hydro-Man and Molten Man to a movie, really, I get a kick out of that, even if they are fake. But, no, I don’t know who’s next. I always like to think about it in terms of what’s going to be the most difficult thing for Peter. So that’s going to be the next trick.
While Jon Watts would love to bring Kraven into the fold for Spider-Man's third MCU solo flick, it seems the director is going to make sure the right villain is brought into the story, to properly move Peter Parker's ongoing narrative forward. Kraven's possible inclusion presents its own set of challenges for Watts as a filmmaker, although he might be a great choice given the surprise ending (and cameo) of Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
