Spider-Man: Far From Home has come and gone, and as Sony continues to prep its next move for the Web-Slinger, it has some interesting options to consider. A movie with Venom is always a possibility, or the studio can tap into any of the other numerous villains of the franchise it have the rights to.
With the way Spider-Man: Far From Home nailed the portrayal of Mysterio, it feels like a good time for the Spider-Man franchise to keep pushing the boundaries with less traditional villains that haven't had a chance to be seen on the silver screen. Someone like Kraven the Hunter would be an excellent choice, and could expand the franchise and help it continue its hot streak of utilizing unique villains.
Below we get into some of those reasons and the the nitty gritty of what makes Kraven the Hunter such a good choice for the next Spider-Man film. Hell, he could make for the best Spider-Man villain we've seen yet!
There's Potential Spider-Man: Far From Home Connections To Him
Remember Dmitri in Spider-Man: Far From Home? Many probably don't, which is fine. All that needs to be known is that he's an associate of Nick Fury in the movie. Oh, and it may help to know director Jon Watts (who is up for Kraven movie) won't confirm or deny he's the villain Dmitri Smerdyakov, a.k.a. master of disguise and Spider-Man villain Chameleon. So, what makes Chameleon so special?
Only the fact that his half-brother is Kraven the Hunter. Whether that Chameleon reference is legit or not, these are the kinds of references and teases folks like to see. It's a great nod to Kraven to throw Chameleon in there as well, and with the way Spider-Man: Far From Home unfolds, it would be great if Chameleon ultimately puts his brother on the trail of Peter in the next movie.
Kraven's A Powerful, But Completely Different Type Of Spider-Man Villain
Kraven the Hunter is a bit of an odd duck. He hunts, but doesn't use guns or arrows. He takes a mystical serum in order to put his power on a level comparable to Spider-Man, which is why he is often in pursuit of him. He also has a bizarre code of honor, which once made him put Spider-Man in a coma just to prove he could be a better Spider-Man.
There's a lot to work with there, and after watching how Sony and the MCU handled Mysterio, it feels like matching up an obsessed Kraven with a frightened, but creeped out Peter Parker would make for a great film. Imagine Tom Holland's Peter being granted some mercy to make things "fair," and how he'd react to that. It'd be awkward, Peter might even try to shake Kraven's hand and get rejected. We need to see an exchange between these two.
Kraven Can Be Very Old
One of the side effects of Kraven's use of his mystical serum is that his aging has slowed. In fact, his aging has slowed to the point that he's typically shown to be a man in his 30s when, in actuality, he's several decades older than that. There's some great potential in having a character like that, especially with the places the MCU can go.
For example, it means that a scene in which Kraven fought T'Chaka back during his prime as Black Panther. It would just be cool to have an "ageless" character around that could deepen existing ties from within the MCU or add some depth. Did someone say this would be the perfect excuse to bring back Chris Evans as Captain America in the past? I mean, let Chris Evans do his thing in other films for a bit, but please bring him back.
It Could Link Spider-Man And Black Panther
There have been whispers that Marvel is considering introducing a version of Kraven the Hunter, with the angle being that he's Wakandan. The advanced technology of the nation would certainly help someone who doesn't use projectile weapons catch someone like Spider-Man easily, and would encourage Peter to reach out to his fellow Avenger Black Panther for help.
Kraven doesn't have to be Wakandan for this connection to happen. However, the villain could have had a run in or two with T'Challa in the past. While a changed origin doesn't necessarily impact his character, he could just as easily have another origin and still get caught up in some hunt that pulls both heroes into the same adventure. After seeing Spidey in London, it would be cool to see him go somewhere other than New York.
Sony Is Already Planning A Kraven Movie
As previously mentioned, Sony has the license to a lot of Spider-Man characters. So far plans have been announced for a Morbius movie, a Venom sequel, and we learned last year a movie centering on our boy Kraven is happening as well. Now, folks can debate on the necessity of a Kraven standalone film all day, but if this is something that's happening, he better appear in a Spider-Man movie.
Screenwriter Richard Wenk teased that there's a chance the Kraven movie he's writing includes Spidey, but of course with Sony involved, there's no guarantee that's going to happen. Venom came and went without an appearance from Tom Holland's Spidey, and Venom is a much bigger name compared to Kraven. I refuse to believe Sony intends on making a Kraven movie if the character isn't planned to meet up with Spidey, so let's hope that's the case.
He Could Usher In The Sinister Six
Spider-Man fans had a chance at seeing The Sinister Six following The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but after dreadful reviews, any plans for that follow up that film were shoved far away in a file cabinet and promptly forgotten. With Tom Holland's Spidey on the up and up, it feels like it's now or never for Sony to pull the trigger on The Sinister Six, and bringing in Kraven would help do that.
Especially if the next Spider-Man movie confirms the fan theory that Quentin Beck did not die in Spider-Man: Far From Home after all. Or, he did die, and activating The Sinister Six is one of his contingency plans to take out Spider-Man and further diminish Tony Stark's legacy and impact on the world. Either way, Sony can rest assured there are still plenty of Marvel fans dying for a Sinister Six film, so let's make that happen.
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