As a seasoned movie buff who has witnessed the evolution of superhero films since the dawn of time (or at least since the 80s), I can’t help but feel a pang of disappointment, tinged with a hint of intrigue, when it comes to Kraven the Hunter. This cunning foe, with his unparalleled hunting skills and mutagenic enhancements, would have been an exhilarating addition to the Black Panther franchise.
In his search for the antagonist for the 2018 Marvel Cinematic Universe film “Black Panther”, director Ryan Coogler had a specific character in mind: Kraven the Hunter. This villain, who first appeared in the 1964 issue of “Amazing Spider-Man”, is primarily known for his battles against Spider-Man. However, he has also hunted other Spider-Man adversaries like Vulture, Lizard, Man-Wolf, as well as Tigra and Black Panther, who have found themselves in Kraven’s line of sight multiple times.
Sergei Kravinoff, a seasoned hunter with years of experience tracking game across the African jungles, possesses a predatory instinct reminiscent of the Black Panther, T’Challa. While T’Challa was bestowed with heightened senses and abilities from Wakanda’s sacred herb, Kraven boosted his physical prowess by consuming potent chemicals within herbal concoctions, granting him increased strength, speed, and agility.
In the third volume of Black Panther comics, specifically issues #6-7 from 1999, Black Panther and Kraven had a significant encounter. This particular story arc is notable as it was penned by Christopher Priest and introduced characters such as Zuri, Nakia, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje, several of whom later appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 2018 Black Panther film.
Black Panther: Hunted by Kraven
In a two-part narrative called “Hunted” and “Caged,” the story places King T’Challa up against Alyosha Kravinoff, who took on the role of Kraven the Hunter following his father Sergei’s demise in “Kraven’s Last Stand.
At a White House-organized dinner event in New York City honoring the Wakandan monarch, T’Challa was attacked by Kraven, who announced that he had been hired by Hunter the White-Wolf to capture his sibling, whom T’Challa had adopted. However, their fight moved out onto the streets of Tribeca before it was halted by the Avengers.
Kraven the Hunter in Black Panther
I was eager to see Coogler incorporate Kraven into the storyline, but soon discovered that Marvel Studios didn’t own the rights to this character. Interestingly, it turned out that Sony Pictures had acquired the rights to Kraven the Hunter, along with over 900 other Marvel characters, about two decades back.
Speaking with Yahoo UK in 2018, Ryan Coogler expressed that, as a Marvel enthusiast, you’d love to acquire all characters. However, he acknowledged contractual limitations and stated, “You don’t have that character.” Referring to a specific comic book run by Christopher Priest, Coogler pointed out an intense scene where Black Panther confronts Kraven the Hunter in combat (as depicted in the images above).
Coogler expressed his affinity for Kraven the Hunter in various adaptations, but there was a point where he suggested bringing him into the story, only to be told that the character wasn’t available. Coogler felt disappointed, as he questioned whether Kraven would have fit well in the movie they eventually created. However, it seems that due to early planning stages, Kraven may not have been suitable for the film they ultimately produced. Although Sony allowed characters like Vulture and Mysterio to appear in the MCU through their deal with Marvel Studios in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, respectively, Sony kept the option of developing its own separate cinematic universe apart from the MCU.
2018 marked the beginning of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe with the release of Venom. This was followed by Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021, Morbius in 2022, and this year we have Madame Web and Venom: The Last Dance as part of the ongoing series.
The movie titled “Kraven the Hunter,” featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson portraying the Spider-Man adversary alongside Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Russell Crowe, and Alessandro Nivola as the Rhino, is currently playing in theaters. It’s the last film of the Sony-produced spinoff universe. On the other hand, there have been hints about Denzel Washington’s role in Ryan Coogler’s upcoming “Black Panther 3” for Marvel Studios.
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2024-12-13 05:10