Sergei Kravinoff a.k.a. Kraven the Hunter, is finally poised to make his big screen debut. Sony previously teased plans for the Spider-Man foe, but now the project is reportedly moving forward with The Equalizer 2 screenwriter Richard Wenk currently working on a script. The still untitled movie will presumably take place within Sony's upcoming cinematic universe that'll start this October with Venom.

In Sony's "Venom-Verse," there are seemingly no plans for Spider-Man to make an appearance, with the wall-crawler currently active in Marvel Studios Cinematic Universe. Because of this, fan reaction to a Kraven the Hunter solo movie has been, well, mostly negative, despite the fact that the big-game hunter has major potential.

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While Kraven is a Spider-Man villain, it's important to remember the web-slinger played no role in Sergei Kravinoff becoming Kraven the Hunter. The same can't be said for Eddie Brock becoming Venom, yet Sony is finding ways to work around that spider-shaped obstacle. Spidey not being a part of Eddie Brock's transformation into Venom initially rubbed fans the wrong way, but the studio appears to be winning them over as more and more Venom footage is released, and the truth is, adapting Kraven's story won't be nearly as challenging for the studio.

When Kraven made his first appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man #15, those living in the Marvel Universe already knew who he was. J. Jonah Jameson sang Sergei's praise, calling him a "living legend" and "the greatest hunter of all time!" Kraven was a straight-up celebrity before he ever met Spider-Man, and if you take that to heart, then there's a story to tell that doesn't involve Peter Parker at all, one that finds Sergei become obsessed with someone else that has defeated him.

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Sergei is the son of a Russian aristocrat and his family was forced to flee during a revolution in the early 1900s. His passion for becoming the world's greatest hunter took him to Africa, where he met a voodoo priestess, Calypso, and experimented with herbal potions that boosted his physical abilities and slowed his aging. Because of his family's wealth, he traveled around the globe to hunt new challenges, even battling dinosaurs in the Savage Land.

Where the Venom movie appears to take place mostly in San Francisco, a Kraven origin story could be a globe-trotting, intense, and even trippy adventure that follows Kraven from a young age to a formidable hunter.

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There is plenty of story to explore before Spider-Man entered Sergei's life, especially since Kraven had multiple children who grew up wanting to be just like him. There's the potential for a twisted take on The Incredibles in the future. While that brave and lovable animated team supports each other and works to help others, Kraven and his children are all about the thrill of the hunt, and he will not tolerate anyone bringing shame to the Kravinoff name. In the comics, his daughter, Ana, killed one of his sons to prove she's worthy - needless to say, they're a pretty messed up family and it could show the dangers of valuing status and personal gain over empathy.

Kraven The Hunter

Kraven only became obsessed with Spider-Man because the webhead posed a brand new challenge for the proud hunter - Kraven finally met "prey" he couldn't take down. When the agile and lighthearted hero defeated Kraven, the arrogant man became consumed with the idea of proving that he was superior. Who's to say Tom Hardy's Venom couldn't accomplish the same and become Kraven's new obsession? Yes, their dynamic would be different, but any talented writer could come up with multiple ways for Kraven the Hunter to survive losing against the Lethal Protector. Kraven's story arc can still stay true to the character without Spider-Man.

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Kraven's no stranger to hunting symbiotes, either. Both Sergei and his son Alyosha have taken on Eddie Brock's version of Venom. Sergei once had a brutal encounter with Flash Thompson's Agent Venom, too. Kraven was focused on Spider-Man for quite some time, but the egotistical enemy is always looking for new challenges. He's taken on Black Panther (and so has his son), the Hulk, Old Man Logan, Ka-Zar, Squirrel Girl, Tigra, Daredevil, Black Widow, Scarlet Spider, Vermin, and even the X-Men. Before being overwhelmed with the thought of taking down Hardy's Venom, there is a variety of mercenaries, anti-heroes, and villains that are available for Sony to put in Sergei's sights. After all, it's not like Venom's going with a fan-favorite villain for its first movie, but that's not making fans any less excited.

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A story like "Kraven's Last Hunt" may be too dark for the Marvel Cinematic Universe - it does conclude with Sergei killing himself, after all - but it could eventually be loosely adapted in the Venom-Verse. Kraven's obsession with proving he's superior to Spider-Man forced him to put on the hero's black costume and then defeat a villain that Parker was unable to beat. The same could absolutely occur on the big screen with Kraven's rivalry with Venom having buildup before defeating Hardy's Venom in a sequel. Kraven could briefly bond with the symbiote and then take his own life when he's satisfied knowing he's the "better" Venom. "Kraven's Last Hunt" is a story fans will (probably) never see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but Sony has the chance to properly build up to it and then deliver key moments from the storyline for Kraven.

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Kraven isn't an irredeemable character. He's done some truly terrible things, but at the end of the day, he has his own moral code and he is a man of his word - the current Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comic, of all series, is shining a spotlight on this aspect of his personality. He may not inspire children (the Venom-Verse doesn't seem too concerned about giving audiences "heroes" anyway), but fans can root for him and he is capable of doing the right thing. An emotional connection can undoubtedly be established.

spider-man and kraven the hunter

With Kraven the Hunter, Sony has the chance to deliver a comics-accurate version of the iconic villain and work towards a film that loosely adapts one of the darkest and most memorable storylines that Marvel has ever published. Seeing Spider-Man take on Kraven the Hunter on the big screen would be great, but Spidey is not mandatory for an entertaining Kraven story.

If Sony focuses on embracing the character's history, building a rivalry with Venom, and maybe even incorporating Kraven's family, the studio could have an exciting franchise on its hands that also organically expands the Venom-Verse. The potential is there... now it's just a matter of seeing whether they want to make a legitimately good movie that respects the character, or if they just want to capitalize on the popularity of comic book movies to make a quick buck.

Kraven the Hunter currently does not have a director or release date.