Spider-Man’s iconic villain Kraven will soon be heading to the big screen. Sony and Marvel will release Kraven the Hunter to theaters in early 2023. Set to be the fourth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, it follows Venom, its sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and Morbius.

This is the first solo film set to feature Kraven, but Marvel and other production companies have attempted to integrate the character into film for years. Kraven was first set to be featured in the fourth Sam Raimi Spider-Man film before that franchise was rebooted. A shared universe featuring Kraven was later teased in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 before Spider-Man was instead brought into the MCU in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming. Sony began to develop their own Spider-Man standalone universe at this time, with plans to finally feature the iconic hunter.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

Now, as we approach the release date, let’s look at everything we know about Kraven the Hunter. What will the plot entail? Who has been confirmed to star? When and where can audiences see the film once it is released? And what else would we know about Kraven the Hunter?

Kraven the Hunter: The Plot

     Sony Pictures

While we do not yet have any confirmed plot details, there is speculation about what we might see. Though Spider-Man was Kraven’s most common enemy in the comic books, he likely will not appear due to the deal with the MCU. Screenwriter Richard Wenk was tasked with finding a different character for Kraven to hunt to compensate for the lack of Spider-Man. According to Wenk, Sony intends to adapt the comic book series Kraven’s Last Hunt plot, though it was unknown if that adaptation would come in this film or a future one.

RELATED: Sony’s Kraven the Hunter Movie Starts Filming, First Set Footage Revealed

In the comic book series Kraven’s Last Hunt (spoiler alert), Kraven seemingly kills Spider-Man and takes his identity. Kraven captures Vermin in time for Spider-Man to revive and return to fight. Instead of fighting Spider-Man himself, Kraven pits Vermin against him. Kraven stops Vermin before he kills Spider-Man before retiring from his days as a hunter and committing suicide. Regarded as one of the greatest Spider-Man stories, the comic could likely be hugely successful as a film adaptation if Sony could secure the rights to Spider-Man for this film or perhaps feature another “alternate universe” version of the character.

We should remember that this is all speculation, and an adaptation of the comic series has not been confirmed. All that audiences can do at this point is wait until more information is released to see where Sony is taking Kraven the Hunter.

Kraven the Hunter: The Cast

     Sony Pictures Releasing

At this point, the only cast member with a confirmed role is Kraven himself. Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson is set to take on the role of the iconic hunter. Before Johnson, Sony previously approached such big names as Brad Pitt, Adam Driver, John David Washington, and Keanu Reeves for the titular role.

While other cast members have been announced without confirmed roles, most of them have rumors and speculations surrounding who they may potentially play. In addition to Taylor-Johnson, Sony cast Christopher Abbott as the main villain. Sources have said that Abbott’s villain is The Foreigner, but nothing is confirmed. Alessandro Nivola will be portraying an additional, unknown villain alongside Abbott. Russell Crowe has also joined the cast in an undisclosed role. With rumors that most of the primary cast will star as members of Kraven’s family, Crowe’s character is believed to be Kraven’s father.

RELATED: Kraven Set Photos Reveal Best Look Yet at Aaron Taylor-Johnson in Spider-Man Spinoff

Fred Hechinger is reportedly lined up as another villain, with unconfirmed rumors saying that villain could be Kraven’s half-brother, The Chameleon. Actor Ariana DeBose is rumored to star as Calypso, a villain and love interest of Kraven. Finally, actor Levi Miller rounded out the cast in April 2022 as another unknown role.

Additional casting news will likely follow in the months ahead of the release. Also, audiences should expect some confirmation as to the many rumored roles of the existing cast members.

Release Date

Kraven the Hunter is expected to be theatrically released by Sony Pictures in the United States on January 13, 2023. Notably, Taylor-Johnson signed on to portray Kraven in multiple films, leaving the doors open for a sequel if this film does well with audiences.

Everything Else We Know

     Marvel Comics

Despite the film existing separately from the MCU, audiences should not completely rule out an appearance by Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. During the brief period in 2019 when Spider-Man and the MCU split, Holland discussed the possibility of Spider-Man joining the Sony Spider-Man Universe with Spider-Man: Homecoming producer Amy Pascal.

According to ScreenRant, Holland was not yet ready to say goodbye to Spider-Man and wanted to continue his story in the Sony world. The MCU soon reversed course and brought Spider-Man back into the fold, though the merging of the two universes was confirmed in the end credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage. With Sony now linked to the MCU, it is still possible that we could see Holland pop up as Peter Parker in some form, though all that audiences can do now is wait and speculate.