Kraven the Hunter is a film that has filled audiences with trepidation. The film is a part of Sony’s poorly received Spider-Man Universe. Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage were met with mixed reviews from audiences and critics but were financially successful.
With the success of the Spider-Verse franchise, audiences have no idea how Kraven the Hunter may turn out. The cards are stacked against the film being a success. What viewers do not realize is that Kraven can redeem Sony’s interconnected Spider-Verse. How it can save the universe can be accomplished in two ways.
Thanks to footage released at Cinemacon, Kraven is confirmed to be rated R. For the film to succeed, it simply has to lean into the rating. How it can lean into the rating could create a Sony film unlike any other. There must also be an ample connection to the Spider-Verse, but not as you might expect. Kraven the Hunter has the potential to be something darker than audiences anticipate. The results could create a film that this Spider-Verse needs to survive in the future.
The Film Needs to Lean Into the R-Rating
Kraven is one of the darker characters in Spider-Man comic lore. The film will differ from his comic history, which made him come from Russian descent. His origin in the movie will change from what audiences expect. The trailer appears to show Sergei Kravinoff hunting those who wronged him. His hunt for justice can lead to incredibly violent results for those around him. To become a violent feature, the film needs to become more than a comic book movie. Kraven needs to show a shadier world of villainy.
Russell Crowe has teased the ‘unexpectedly dark world’ of this Spider-Man spinoff. In a world of big-game hunters, the story has to be more than just a “supervillain origin.” The film must show the violence of those Kraven is hunting. That is not to say the movie should be needlessly gory, but it has to display the characters' complexities.
Audiences have to be faced with the question, is Kraven the real villain of the story? Or is it those he is seeking revenge against? Answering those questions could offer a complex take on morality that this Sony Spider-Verse needs.
The shockingly violent trailer does not contain many Spider-Man references. There is a sole shot of Kraven in a jungle, with spiders dropping around him. Fans deserve to be teased with Spider-Man references, but Spider-Man himself should not appear or be referenced in the movie. The film should instead focus on a massive rogues' gallery of villains. Per the trailer's suggestion, it appears that will be the case.
Focus on the Other Villains, Not on Spider-Man
Sony’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage was a box-office success upon release in October 2021. Besides an after-credit sequence, the film contained no references to Spider-Man. Its only connection was a tease to Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Its end-credits easter egg made a false promise that left fans frustrated. Morbius contained other small easter eggs but still left fans disappointed. For Kraven the Hunter to succeed, it has to keep Spider-Man references to a minimum.
Kraven’s hunt has to strictly be on those who have wronged him. From the trailer, it appears that it is those who are in his father’s inner circle. Those in Nikolai Kravinoff’s (Russell Crowe) crew are the Chameleon (Fred Hechinger), Rhino (Alessandro Nivola), The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott), and Calypso (Ariana DeBose).
Each is part of Spider-Man’s more obscure rogues' gallery of villains. Being unknown allows them to make a significant impression on audiences in the film. These mysterious villains can be more than a “one-and-done” appearance.
Introducing these side villains can create a well-drawn Sony Spider-Verse. Instead of focusing on the big villains like Green Goblin or Dr. Octopus, these smaller ones can be menacing. Characters like the Rhino have tried and failed to make an impression in live-action films. Villains like these have never had a chance to be seen in a mainstream Spider-Man Film.
Instead of jumping directly into one of those films, Kraven the Hunter can build up their menace. Establishing them as threats in this film could give them a chance to appear in a future Spider-Man movie. Audiences having seen their danger, along with Kraven’s, could create a tense Spider-Man film unlike any other.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has teased an eventual face-off with Spider-Man. While it is easy to see why he would, one has to question if it could actually happen. Kraven and Spider-Man have the potential to cross paths. For their eventual appearance to happen, Kraven the Hunter has to redeem the Sony Spider-Verse.
Making the villains truly wicked can create a universe that needs Spider-Man. Add in the violent R-rating, and Kraven the Hunter has the potential to redeem the Sony Spider-Verse.