The long-gestating Kraven the Hunter film is reportedly looking to cast its lead, with the character breakdown pointing to a showdown with Spider-Man.
According to The Illuminerdi, the character breakdown labels Kraven a “maniacal big game hunter” in his late 30s or 40s who believes he must defeat Spider-Man in order to be the greatest hunter in the world. This ties the character directly to the Marvel Cinematic Universe's web-slinger, in a way that Sony's previous Marvel projects -- like Venom -- did not. The breakdown also compares Kraven to Jason Bourne, a fictional CIA assassin.
Debuting in 1964's The Amazing Spider-Man #15 by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Kraven was a Soviet immigrant named Sergei Kravinoff. A big-game hunter, he viewed Spider-Man as "the greatest game." As such, he believed defeating the web-slinger would prove he is truly the greatest hunter in the world. As part of his "code of honor," he prefers killing his prey with his bare hands rather than with guns. However, he has enhanced his own abilities with a mystical elixir that heightens durability, strength and longevity. In the comics, he is also a founding member of the supervillain team the Sinister Six.
As seen above, the breakdown hews close to the comic book version of the character. Seeing as Spider-Man will remain in the MCU for now, it would be tough for the potential Kraven film to tackle Spider-Man without spilling over into the MCU. Considering that Spider-Man was publicly outed in Spider-Man: Far From Home, Kraven could even enter the franchise as one of the many people in pursuit of Peter Parker, who allegedly murdered Quentin Beck. Plus, Sony's other Marvel film Morbius appears to be leaning into MCU canon with the inclusion of Michael Keaton's Vulture, who debuted in Spider-Man: Homecoming. All this points to the possibility of Kraven appearing in the MCU sooner rather than later -- perhaps even as a member of the Sinister Six.
The first MCU Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: Homecoming, released in 2017 and was met with positive reviews from both critics and fans. Jon Watts directed both Homecoming and Far From Home and is set to helm the third film, which is planned for release on July 16, 2021.
Sony's Kraven the Hunter film does not currently have a director or release date.