Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will feature multiple villains, including Venom and Kraven the Hunter, meaning its story could take inspiration from the Kraven's Last Hunt arc from the comics. After being teased in post-credits scenes of Marvel's Spider-Man, players were ecstatic to see Venom finally free and ready to satisfy his hunger in the trailer for Marvel's Spider-Man 2. However, many were surprised to hear the voice of Kraven the Hunter narrating the trailer and with his presence in the game as well, it could hint at the sequel's story being a take on what many Marvel fans claim is one of the greatest Spider-Man stories ever told.
[Major spoilers ahead for Kraven's Last Hunt.]
While many fans are familiar with the antagonistic symbiote Venom, the same cannot be said about Kraven. He was featured in several Spider-Man games with a playable Peter Parker, including Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and the various movie tie-ins, but he arguably isn't as well known as the likes of Kingpin, Green Goblin, or Doctor Octopus. So, as a quick introduction to the character, Kraven is a Russian big game hunter who, in his obsession to be the world's greatest hunter, seeks out strong adversaries such as Spider-Man and even Black Panther.
Kraven's Last Hunt, which was written and penciled by J. M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck in 1987, has been swimming around in the heads of many Spider-Man fans and writing rooms for a while now. Prior to the MCU's commitment to the multiverse, Kraven was Spider-Man: No Way Home's original villain and the plot could have possibly drawn inspiration from the 1987 story. However, even though the MCU shied away from telling his story, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 may introduce Kraven and his famous last hunt to a brand-new audience.
Kraven In Marvel's Spider-Man 2 May Hunt Peter, Miles & Venom
In Kraven's Last Hunt, Kraven's goal was to kill Spider-Man and take his place in order to prove his dominance by being a better version of the wall-crawler. While wearing the suit (at this point a sewn version of the infamous symbiote costume from Secret Wars) Kraven tracked down a villain named Vermin, who Peter had recently been unable to defeat on his own, and easily bested him. Kraven also buried Peter alive and, after seemingly proving himself to be a superior version of Spider-Man, took his own life. Kraven would eventually return, but not for over a decade, making his death a pivotal moment in Marvel history.
With the presence of Miles and possibly even a playable Venom in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, the story may focus on Kraven pitting everyone against each other in order to see who is worthy of fighting him. On top of his strength and brutality, the hunter is incredibly intelligent, and this could be used in many ways. For example, Kraven figured out Spider-Man's identity through his tracking prowess and the sequel could capitalize on that by making him encounter MJ and/or Miles' mother Rio. By kidnapping, threatening, or something similar, he can easily force the Spider-Men to turn on each other - and Venom would just be a bonus.
Kraven's Last Hunt really showed just how ruthless and cunning the hunter can be when it comes to proving his superiority. Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales shows that Insomniac are willing to tell darker Spider-Man stories and pit friends against one another if they have to. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 could, and should, be darker, and capitalize on these moments in addition to the famous story's themes of mortality and love in order to push Peter and Miles to their absolute limits.