Kraven The Hunter Trailer: Breakdown, Small Details, And Big Reveals
Bearded, scraggly, and wild, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Sergei Kravinoff is the latest Spider-Man antagonist to make his way into live-action. The first trailer for "Kraven the Hunter" shows that the character is somewhat more grounded than his colleagues in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, being far less CGI-heavy than Tom Hardy's Venom and Jared Leto's Morbius. Don't think for a second that he's any less of a threat, though. As Taylor-Johnson's dedicated performance makes clear, Kraven is an intense, frightening man who can outrun a car and outfight just about anyone ... which is a good thing for him and a bad thing for his opponents, given the multitude of threats and challenges the trailer teases for him.
The trailer doesn't exactly tell you everything you need to know about "Kraven the Hunter," but it does offer an intriguing sample platter of the brutal character's personality and power set, as well as hints at who his allies and enemies will be. Don't expect any Spider-Man here (though you might see a few spiders...) but there's plenty else, so let's unpack the biggest revelations and most interesting details we've learned thus far.
Kraven's powers seem to be comic-accurate
In the comics, Kraven powers up with a special herbal cocktail that boosts his physical attributes far beyond normal. While the upper limits of his strength are by no means at Spider-Man's level, he can definitely hold his own against many other superpowered folks strength-wise, being able to lift around 4,400 pounds and sprint at 60 miles per hour.
Live-action adaptations of comic book characters might not always share the exact power set of their print counterparts, but from the looks of it, Taylor-Johnson's Kraven will be roughly as fast, agile, and powerful as the comics one. In the trailer, we see him chase a car that's attempting to speed away in reverse, then jump on top of it and tear his way in. The superhuman feats on display seem to be roughly in the same ballpark as the character's traditional powers, and since the trailer also makes clear that Kraven has greatly enhanced senses, we just might be looking at a very faithful adaptation ... at least, in this particular respect. As far as his origin, though, that's another story.
Kraven might be powered by lion blood
While the trailer suggests that Kraven's powers are similar to the comic book version, the way he acquires them seems to be pretty far removed from what fans are used to. Instead of the herbal serum that gives him powers in the comics, the implication here is that Kraven gets his power boost from lion blood.
As young Kraven (Levi Miller) hunts a lion with his father (Russell Crowe), he hesitates to fire his weapon, and the animal mauls the boy. As the injured Kraven lies on the ground, a drop of the lion's blood falls in one of his open wounds, jump-starting something that seems to revive him and give him superpowers.
An accidental blood transfusion with a large cat seems like an odd origin story, to say the least. It seems that the trailer is deliberately missing a few steps in the process, possibly to avoid revealing major plot points. Or hey, maybe the lion just happens to be radioactive.
Chameleon makes his debut (kind of)
It's clear from the initial trailer that "Kraven the Hunter" is leaning hard into the family drama element of its titular character's backstory, and it seems his father (Russell Crowe) isn't the only blood relative he'll be at odds with. Indeed, audiences get their first peek at Kraven's half-brother Dmitri Smerdyakov (Fred Hechinger), a character far better known for his alter ego as Spider-Man supervillain The Chameleon. In the trailer, fans learn that the character doesn't approve of his half-brother's brutal quest for justice, indicating that he may have stronger moral fiber than his comic book counterpart.
While the trailer doesn't include a look at the Chameleon's trademark skills as a master of disguise (or does it?), the original reports from Deadline and other outlets surrounding Hechinger's casting indicated that his character delves headfirst into the persona at some point in the movie. Of course, "Kraven the Hunter" is already dealing with a laundry list of antagonists, so it remains to be seen just how extensive of a role the face-changing villain plays in this film. In any case, viewers would do well to second-guess whether certain characters are really themselves on-screen, or if it's Chameleon impersonating them. Yikes, it's "Secret Invasion" and Skrulls in disguise all over again.
This Rhino is a long ways away from Paul Giamatti's version
If there's one Spider-Man villain with an exceptionally spotty track record in cinema, it's the Rhino. This behemoth of a foe has appeared a few times in various movies, with a version portrayed by Paul Giamatti briefly popping up in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and a couple of multiversal variations getting cameos in "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," but audiences haven't really gotten a chance to see the character rise as a legitimate villainous threat. However, the first trailer for "Kraven the Hunter" indicates that the movie may be giving him a bigger spotlight this time around — while changing the Rhino in ways entirely different from the "Amazing Spider-Man 2" version.
The final moments of the trailer introduce audiences to Alessandro Nivola's take on the Rhino. Though viewers don't get to see him go full beast-mode, they do witness him activate his powers by way of a self-applied injection, giving him his signature tough gray armor. Now, the comic book Rhino does have super-strength derived from a chemical treatment, but he's still always — at his core — been a guy in a high-tech suit. This version, it seems, is more akin to the Ultimate version of the Green Goblin.
While the trailer's Rhino tease may have fans champing at the bit for more, it's wise to temper expectations. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nivola said that he only transforms at the very end of the film. Based on his quote, it seems that this scene may actually come from the film's conclusion, thereby setting up a full-fledged Rhino for a "Kraven the Hunter" sequel.
Kraven's going to be a hard R-rated movie
Sony's Marvel movies have generally delved into darker and more graphic subject matter than their Marvel Cinematic Universe equivalents — Tom Hardy's Venom literally eats people, for crying out loud — but the franchise has nonetheless remained firmly rooted in PG-13 territory. That's what made it rather surprising when Kraven actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson revealed at CinemaCon 2023 that "Kraven the Hunter" would land a strong R-rating, joining a small circle of Marvel movies like "Blade," "Logan," and the "Deadpool" films.
Fans may have had their doubts about whether "Kraven the Hunter" would fully commit to this rating, but the trailer definitively (and brutally) puts any skepticism on that front to rest. Throughout the trailer, audiences see Kraven take out a number of hired henchmen in spectacularly gory fashion. Throats are sliced, necks are stabbed, and chests are shot through with crossbows. The lead even bites off part of a guy's face at one point, just to really hammer the point home that, yes, "Kraven the Hunter" isn't pulling any punches with its bloody brand of violence. Oh, and the trailer shows a young Kraven getting mauled by a lion, so toss graphic child peril on the list of "definitely-not-PG-13" stuff in here, too.
Kraven is definitely not supposed to be an antihero, but this movie wants him to be one
Most movies adapted from comic books alter things here and there to adjust the property from the page to the screen. Sometimes, in the interest of telling a good story, writers and filmmakers will alter the origins or setting of a character. In this case, the writers went a bit further, and appear to have fundamentally altered the core motivations of the character.
In the trailer, we see that Kraven is hunting for one reason. "My father puts evil into the world. I take it out." Since this is an origin story, we can assume this mostly occurs before he turns into the brutish hunter hellbent on catching his most pursued prey, Spider-Man. However, in the comics, Kraven is a depraved man beaten in childhood by his alcoholic father and who, in turn, beats his half-brother. He turns to big game hunting and downs every coveted animal on his list before turning his attention to Spider-Man. Since the superhero represents the animal that haunted his dreams since his mother's time in an asylum, it becomes a personal mission.
While there are shreds of that origin represented in the trailer, like his father (Russell Crowe) as a villain, being tormented by spiders, and so on, the film seems to be using an approach that he is an antihero who is, overall, devoted to righting the wrongs of the world (albeit in brutal fashion). Going from a brutish big game hunter who wants nothing more than to kill to a man looking to dispatch the evil created by his parentage is a pretty substantial leap.
Kraven is surrounded by spiders
Is Kraven destined for a showdown with Spider-Man? That remains to be seen, but the trailer for his upcoming solo movie does tease the nose-biting hunter's obsession with the friendly neighborhood superhero. Toward the end of the teaser, Kraven is shown lying on the ground as spiders rush toward him from the trees. The sequence reminds viewers that this is a "Spider-Man" Universe movie, but it might also reveal more about Kraven's psyche.
While the scene could just be an Easter egg that's been included to please fans of the comics, it's clearly done in homage to Marvel's "Kraven's Last Hunt" storyline. This tale chronicles the titular villain's attempts to dispose of Spidey and take his place, and it's widely regarded as one of the best stories in the "Spider-Man" archives. Furthermore, the scene in the trailer is a reference to "Web of Spider-Man #31," which features a panel that depicts Kraven munching on arachnids as they cover his entire body. It symbolizes Kraven's obsession with consuming his superhero nemesis, but in reality, the obsession with Spider-Man really consumes him.
Is the "Kraven the Hunter" trailer trying to tell us that this iteration of the character will also be hell-bent on eating Spider-Man down the line? With a piece of Venom's symbiote now in the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside Peter Parker, anything is possible.
Ariana de Bose makes her debut as Calypso
While it hasn't officially been confirmed yet, everyone knows that Ariana de Bose is set to play Calypso in "Kraven the Hunter." However, if there are still any lingering doubts about which character she'll be portraying in the blockbuster, the teaser should clear them up.
In the comics, Calypso is a voodoo priestess and Kraven's love interest. Granted, she takes great delight in nurturing his psychopathic tendencies and fueling his hatred of Spider-Man to a troubling extent, so their relationship is questionable at best. At the same time, she's still his ally, even if she isn't the romantic type in the conventional sense.
However, if Sony insists on turning Kraven into a sympathetic antihero for his big on-screen outing, it makes sense to give Calypso a more lighthearted makeover as well. The trailer implies that de Bose's character will be on the protagonist's side, which only lends credence to the rumors that she's playing the voodoo priestess. Furthermore, Calypso often sports a gold necklace around her neck — similar to the one de Bose wears in the "Kraven the Hunter" trailer.
Did Spidey fans just get their first look at The Foreigner?
Sony continues to sign up impressive actors for their Spider-Man-adjacent cinematic universe. While it was impressive when the studio booked Aaron Taylor-Johnson for the "Kraven the Hunter" lead, Sony also locked in another compelling name from the indie film realm for potentially major supporting role in Christopher Abbott. Abbott's role has yet to be confirmed, but rumors abound he's playing lesser-known Spidey foe the Foreigner.
Perhaps best known for roles in HBO's "Girls," and the lauded 2019 mini-series "Catch-22," Abbott has also wowed in projects like "It Comes At Night," "First Man," and "Possessor." "Kraven the Hunter" is undoubtedly his biggest film to date, and if Abbott is playing the Foreigner in the blockbuster, fans are in for a treat, as he'll no doubt bring something unique to the mix. He should have lots of material to work from, as well, given the Foreigner's comic book history. The mysterious villain made his debut more than 30 years ago, and he has been an occasional thorn in the side of the webslinger ever since. Surprisingly, he's done so despite not possessing any actual superpowers, instead relying on some serious martial arts skills, and a deviously cunning mind.
It remains to be seen how big a role the Foreigner might play in "Kraven the Hunter."
Kraven's accent is ... not Russian?
The new trailer for "Kraven the Hunter" shows off the villain's transformation into something not quite human and not quite beast, as he's left for dead during one of his father's big game hunts and gains his powers from a drop of lion blood. After that, most of the trailer is dedicated to showing us how many different people the grown-up version of Sergei can kill. But one element of the character sticking out like a sore thumb is Sergei's voice, which appears to have an American accent.
That shouldn't be the case, given that his entire family is Russian, a detail that's been preserved from the comics, as we hear his father speak in a Russian accent multiple times during the first half of the trailer.
The trailer does include shots that appear to imply that Kraven grew up at a boarding school, which could explain the difference between his father's accent and his own. Then there's the possibility that in the movie version, Kraven gets left behind on a hunting trip as a child, further separating him from his father. Whatever the explanation, it's a weird choice to change one of Sergei's most fundamental comic book traits.
Kraven the Hunter might have a sneaky Venom connection
"Kraven the Hunter" is the next chapter of Sony's Spidey-Verse without a Spider-Man so far, so it makes sense for there to be some connections to the "Venom" and "Morbius" movies. And the trailer does seem to connect with one unseen character first mentioned in 2018's "Venom." At the 2:18 mark, a man enters an office to see Mr. Taglin. He thinks this Mr. Taglin is sitting in the chair only to be flabbergasted when Kraven spins around, revealing he's already killed Mr. Taglin before shooting the man with a crossbow arrow.
Considering the unidentified man says "Mr. Taglin" a total of three times, it certainly seems like he's important, and another Taglin was referenced in "Venom." In that movie, Lee Taglin is an employee at Michelinie & McFarlane who works with Anne Weying (Michelle Williams), aka Venom's ex-fiancée. This is the law firm that represents the foundation responsible for capturing the symbiotes that ultimately gave Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) his powers.
It's possible that the Mr. Taglin whom Kraven killed is the same one who worked with Anne. After all, why else focus on the name so much? Or perhaps it's someone who's related to Lee Taglin, or an entirely different person. Either way, a connection certainly seems likely, especially given how often Taglin's name is mentioned in the scene.