One of the most notable villains for Spider-Man is Kraven the Hunter. Surprisingly, the character has yet to appear in one of the live-action films. That’s probably because Chameleon has yet to make his live-action debut as well. The reason that Kraven the Hunter hates Spider-Man is quite simple: the masked vigilante beats his half-brother early in his career. Since that defeat, Kraven has been obsessed with putting an end to Spider-Man once and for all.
Now, Sony has been doing these Spider-Man spin-offs for the past several years and they haven’t gone too well. Venom is easily the most financially successful of the bunch, but the problem always circles back to films lacking any true purpose without Spider-Man. Given that three different versions of Spider-Man do exist, Tobey McGuire‘s Spider-Man should be in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter solo film.
Kraven The Hunter Does Have The Potential To Be A Strong Solo Film
Kraven the Hunter is a very interesting character. The original backstory of the character is that he was born into a dysfunctional family. Sergei Kravinoff (his real name) had an alcoholic father, who relentlessly beat him. In turn, he took his frustrations and anger out on his half-brother. After the Bolshevik Revolution, the Kravinoffs migrated to the United Kingdom and then the United States. His father dies and his mother eventually commits suicide.
There’s a great story waiting to be told with Kraven the Hunter. Unlike Venom, his character doesn’t have direct ties to the masked vigilante from the beginning. This could be a Joker-like situation. The character itself has a sympathetic backstory that could make for a compelling arc in its own right. However, these films typically tie to the world of Spider-Man, so it’s unlikely that the film would go that deep into Kraven’s origins.
It Would Be Better To Introduce His Character In Tobey McGuire’s Spider-Man Timeline
Since that would be the case, then it would be better if Kraven was tied to the original live-action Peter Parker. Tobey McGuire’s character hasn’t been seen in over ten years before Spider-Man: No Way Home. Kraven the Hunter is a perfect way to incorporate what he’s been up to since Spider-Man 3. The film doesn’t even have to entirely focus on Peter Parker; just his rivalry against Chameleon and Kraven.
It starts with Peter battling the former and getting the best of his character. However, it would be better if the focus wasn’t too long on Chameleon and Peter Parker’s rivalry. The purpose of the story is to highlight Kraven and his obsession with hunting down Spider-Man. Of course, the family dynamic should be an important factor as one of the things that makes the character tick. But settling down and focusing on these core names allows the film to develop each of these comic book characters without it feeling overcrowded or disjointed.
It Could Develop Peter Parker’s Character In A Way That’s Never Been Seen In A Live-Action Spider-Man
The writers can take advantage of the fact that Peter Parker is older. Over ten years of being Spider-Man can surely leave some wear and tear on his body. This could be a compelling arc for Peter Parker being a broken-down man who isn’t the spring chicken that he once was. This doesn’t mean that Kraven has to kill him. If this feud takes place before No Way Home then that wouldn’t make sense.
However, if it took place after the big event then killing off Spider-Man would be a great idea. It can be a smooth and organic way to bring Tom Holland’s version of the character into the mix. This is all due to the multiverse angle. Either way, it would be a fresh approach to showcase a broken-down Spider-Man who has trouble saving the modern-day world. Rarely has a live-action superhero film gone that route. It would add a dimension not only to the character but to heroism itself. And it would be beneficial to Kraven as it’ll help establish him as one of the top villains of the MCU.
