As someone who has been following Spider-Man’s adventures since the days of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, it is with a heavy heart that I must express my disappointment over the cinematic misadventures of Kraven The Hunter. Sony had an opportunity to create a truly iconic big-screen battle between Spidey and one of his most formidable foes, but alas, they missed their mark.
In a different phrasing, “Kraven The Hunter” has struggled in its box office debut, yet “Spider-Man: Far From Home” could have been an ideal launchpad for Spidey’s adversary. “Kraven the Hunter” made its cinema debut as the final installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Villain Series. Similar to the rest of that franchise, Spider-Man was not featured in any of his own villain’s standalone films.
As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel a sense of regret over the tragic end met by Kraven the Hunter, one of Spider-Man’s longest-standing and most formidable adversaries. It’s particularly disheartening because it seems that his demise could have been prevented all along. The 2019 film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, had set up an ideal platform for Kraven to square off against Spidey in a much more thrilling cinematic debut than the character’s initial appearance in Kraven The Hunter.
Mysterio Framed Spidey For His Murder In Far From Home (But Could Have Gone Further)
Although his character was killed off in “Spider-Man: Far From Home”, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio managed to exact revenge on Peter Parker after death. He did this by sending a video to J. Jonah Jameson (played by J.K. Simmons) that exposed Spidey’s true identity, damaging his reputation. The video was cleverly edited to make it appear as if Spider-Man had committed a cold-blooded murder, turning the public against him. Sony Pictures had the chance to escalate Mysterio’s defamation campaign by associating Spider-Man with organized crime, but it remains to be seen if they will pursue this opportunity further.
As a movie reviewer, I’d rephrase that sentence like this: “Instead of Mysterio tricking Spider-Man, we could have seen him fabricating evidence to make it seem like Spidey is a criminal mastermind. This false narrative could have painted Spider-Man as the villain in the public eye, making him a prime target for those seeking revenge against Mysterio. In this scenario, Sony might have introduced Kraven as one of many assassins gunning for Spider-Man following Mysterio’s smear campaign against Peter Parker.
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Kraven Could’ve Started Hunting Spider-Man After Mysterio Set Him Up
Due to the public defamation of Spider-Man as a suspected murderer by Mysterio, Kraven would find reason to pursue the Web-Slinger, particularly since Kraven the Hunter was depicted as a manhunter in the films. Maintaining a similar portrayal of Kraven from his solo movie throughout the transition between Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home could have made Kraven an integral part of the Spider-Man series, sharing similar characteristics and motivations as he did in his own movie.
Indeed, Kraven’s potential inclusion in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” could have reshaped Sony’s entire Spider-Man universe from the get-go. Introducing Kraven might have triggered the emergence of the Sinister Six in “No Way Home”, if Kraven’s role was substantial. Alternatively, Kraven could have been saved for a later film, “Spider-Man 4”, where he would pursue Spider-Man (not just Peter Parker) as Mysterio’s killer, after Doctor Strange’s memory spell. However, the way things turned out underscores the main flaw in Sony’s lineup of Spider-Man villains.
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Kraven Is One Of Sony’s Biggest Missed Opportunities With Spider-Man Villains
It’s accurate to say that Sony’s Spider-Man Villains Universe lacked clear direction, with only the Venom trilogy standing out as an exception. Interestingly, it was within Sony’s power to include Spider-Man in their franchise according to their contract with Marvel Studios, but they chose not to. A significant oversight on Sony’s part is that neither Madame Web nor any of their Spider-Man villains ever crossed paths with Spider-Man himself, except for a brief appearance of Venom in the MCU who caught a glimpse of Tom Holland’s Spidey on TV. Failing to portray Kraven as the ultimate hunter pursuing Spidey is one of Sony’s most regrettable missteps.
In the bustling cityscape of New York City, Kraven’s pursuit of Spider-Man could have given Kraven’s character as a Spidey adversary a “Predator 2” vibe. The thrilling chases and combat sequences from “Kraven the Hunter” might have also been utilized effectively in a genuine Spider-Man film, significantly elevating his on-screen status compared to the swift box office failure and poor critical reception that “Kraven the Hunter” ultimately experienced. Regrettably, Kraven’s ability to challenge Spider-Man is one of the most glaring examples of untapped potential among Sony’s Spider-Man villains, particularly with the ending of “Spider-Man: Far From Home” suggesting a path for this to happen. Fingers crossed that Tom Hardy’s aspirations for Venom to face off against Spider-Man become reality, thus preventing Sony’s Spider-Man Villain Universe from being entirely wasted.
Kraven The Hunter is now playing in theaters.
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2024-12-23 20:39