Unlike past Sony movies starring Spider-Man villains, a lack of the iconic Webslinger in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter movie could actually be a good thing. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role, Kraven will feature a young Sergei Kravinoff as he trains to become the world's greatest hunter. However, the comics have proven that Spider-Man doesn't need to show up in this new origin movie, and that's probably for the best.
While there's not much that's been revealed about the plot thus far, exclusive footage from Kraven the Hunter was released by Sony at CinemaCon 2023, featuring Karven's brutal skills while also facing off against a new live-action Rhino. It's also been confirmed that Russell Crowe will be playing Kraven's' father, helping to mentor and train his son to become an absolute predator. Although Kraven's ultimate rival Spider-Man is nowhere to be seen, his absence will likely benefit this first movie as evidenced by what's known from the comics.
Kraven The Hunter Has An Entire History Before Spider-Man
Unlike other villains such as Venom whose origins are intrinsically tied to the Webslinger, Kraven didn't meet Spider-Man until much later in life. Born into a dying family of Russian nobles, Sergei Kravinoff focused all his efforts on becoming the world's greatest living hunter, using elixirs to increase his strength, stamina, and senses. Eventually, Kraven became so adept at hunting that he had taken to fighting the biggest and most dangerous game with his bare hands. However, years of being an apex predator eventually made him bored, having lost his passion and the thrill of the hunt.
This is where Spider-Man comes into the picture. Viewing the Webslinger as worthy prey who would offer him a genuine challenge, Spider-Man became an obsession of Kraven's, especially after Spider-Man continued to beat him and evade his grasp time and time again. However, this rivalry was only after Kraven had spent decades training and honing his skills. As such, it stands to reason that Sony's initial Kraven the Hunter movie shouldn't feature the Webslinger, especially if the movie is focused on Sergei's early evolution into Kraven.
Spider-Man Is Kraven’s Final Challenge And Destiny
While Spider-Man shouldn't play any kind of major role in Kraven's on-screen origins, he is integral to the end of Kraven's story in the comics. Seeing his victory over Spider-Man as a symbolic "Last Hunt", Kraven took his own life after he had shot Spider-Man with a tranquilizer gun, buried him alive, and impersonated Spider-Man while the Webslinger was out of commission, proving his superiority over his prey. However, Sergei was later resurrected by his family, an act that cursed Kraven with a dark fate where he was unable to die until Spider-Man had been killed.
Any kind of adaptation resembling this rivalry with Spider-Man would be incredibly exciting to see on-screen...but not in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter movie. Obviously, Taylor-Johnson's Sergei Kravinoff must first become The Hunter before he can lose the thrill of the hunt and start targeting Spider-Man as his last source of worthy prey. Likewise, a good amount of groundwork would need to be laid before a live-action Kraven can have his destiny cursed and darkly intertwined with the Webslinger's, representing one of the most brutal and traumatic rivalries Spider-Man has ever had to endure in the comics.
The First Kraven Movie Will Be Better Without Spider-Man
Considering the Venom movies starring Tom Hardy, Sony chose to circumvent the origins from the comics where the Venom symbiote first came to Earth in Spider-Man's possession, initially serving as Peter Parker's new black suit before Spider-Man abandoned it which led to the symbiote's greater bond with Eddie Brock. However, the latest live-action version of Venom simply saw the Venom symbiote making its way to Eddie directly with no Webslinger involvement. This has been a point of controversy with many arguing that the lack of Spider-Man connection hurt the movies (though the multiverse has since helped create new Spider-Man connections to Venom).
In comparison, Sony's Kraven the Hunter movie with a younger Sergei will help lay the foundations of the character, but it also means Spider-Man isn't needed. Likewise, an appearance from the Webslinger would seem rather odd considering Spider-Man and Kraven's relationship in the comics. Hopefully, Sony is building to some sort of confrontation between Kraven and Spider-Man in the near future to take place after this initial Kraven the Hunter movie releases on October 6th.
