Kraven the Huntermight have been a box office bomb, but the Sony movie based on a famous Spider-Man villain could end up giving theMarvel Cinematic Universean intriguing player for the future ofTom Holland’s Spider-Man movies. I’m a fan of both of Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Marvel roles so far. He was criminally underused in the MCU, with Quicksilver debuting inAvengers: Age of Ultronand dying in the same film.Kraven the Hunterfinally allowed him to shine in a lead role, and while the film had its problems, the actor was not among them.
I thinkKraven the Hunterhas some of the best superhero movie action sceneswe have ever seen, which come from the darker nature of its main character and the film’s R rating. While the film’s story was not all that engrossing, I did want to see more of Taylor-Johnson’s anti-hero when the movie ended. Sadly,Kraven the Hunteronly made $61.9 million worldwide(viaBox Office Mojo). Despite its failure, thefinal SSU moviehas become a hit on Netflix, and I think that could lead to an MCU debut for Taylor-Johnson’s Kraven.
Kraven The Hunter Was Considered For Spider-Man: No Way Home
The MCU Has Already Tried To Use The Villain
Tom Holland’s third Spider-Man movie,No Way Home, is easily the wall-crawler’s most ambitious live-action adventure so far. Getting all the necessary players to make that multiverse story work was hard, and so, at one time, it seemed like Marvel was not going to be able to do it.Before the studio managed to pull off one of the best superhero movie eventswith Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Men returning, other ideas forNo Way Homewere explored. Shockingly,the MCU movie was blocked from using Kraven the Hunter by Sony.
TheMCU: The Reign of Marvel Studiosbook sawSpider-Man: No Way Homewriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers reveal that they were toldKraven “was unavailable until Sony established him in a solo movie.“The project in question was Taylor-Johnson’sKraven the Hunter. Holland also revealed in the past that MCU Spider-Man trilogy director Jon Watts pitched him a movie with Kraven as the villain, though the actor chose not to share details in case it could happen down the line. These reveals prove that Kraven is already on Marvel’s radar.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson Knows Which Story Is Perfect For Kraven’s Return
The MCU’s Spider-Man Could Do With A Street-Level Storyline
With Marvel Studios thinking that Kraven the Hunter could be a good villain for a Spider-Man movie, I would love to see Taylor-Johnson get a chance to return to the role in the MCU. In fact, the actor has already revealed the story he thinks would be perfect to do so, and I have to agree that it would be the best way to bring Kraven into the fold. Talking toEsquire, Taylor-Johnson revealed thathe thinks the iconicKraven’s Last Huntis a brilliant story that he would “love to explore” with the character in live-action.
I believe a version ofKraven’s Last Huntwould be perfect for the MCU and the path Holland’s Spider-Man is on. In the comic book story, Kraven the Hunter has grown disillusioned as he gets older. Taylor-Johnson mentioned in the interview how depression plays a role in the story, which it very much does, asKraven sets his sights on Spider-Man to prove he is better than the hero before he can die feeling accomplished. He does so, beating and “killing” Spider-Man before donning his suit and murdering villains. Kraven then commits suicide and leaves a note explaining his actions.
Why Kraven’s Last Hunt Is Perfect For Tom Holland’s Spider-Man
The MCU Has Revealed The Direction Of Holland’s Potential New Trilogy
At this year’s CinemaCon, Sony revealed thetitle of Tom Holland’s next Spider-Man movie, whichwill be calledSpider-Man: Brand New Day. As the title of the MCU film suggests, the franchise is going through a reset of sorts, taking inspiration from a comic book arc that saw Peter Parker’s world change with the arrival of new villains and supporting characters. Since Kraven the Hunter has not been in the MCU before, he would fit that direction. The villain’s darker tone also makes sense for the franchise afterSpider-Man: No Way Home’s ending.
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Holland’s Peter Parker is alone on a darker path that makes sense for street-level stories. I think that makesKraven’s Last Huntas the potential basis for a new MCU Spider-Man movie. I understand some might question how Taylor-Johnson could play the MCU’s Kraven after having given life to Quicksilver in the franchise. The easy answer to that question is the Multiverse Saga. The actor could play an older take on his Kraven from the SSU, who arrives in the MCU through the multiverse due to the events of the upcoming Avengers movies, continuing his story afterKraven the Hunter.
