Sony Drops 8-Minute ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Preview: Fans React to Bold Changes
“Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt” is one of the most popular Spider-Man stories of all time, but many fans are worried about the upcoming release of “Kraven the Hunter,” starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and directed by J.C. Chandor.
While Taylor-Johnson and Chandor are undeniably talented, fans fear “Kraven the Hunter” may meet the same fate as “Morbius” and “Madame Web.” Can a film featuring a Spider-Man character succeed without Spider-Man?
Who is Kraven?
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Kraven was born into a Russian noble family, but his family was driven into exile during his youth. Fueled by this disgrace, Kraven traveled across Africa, honing his legendary hunting skills and enhancing his body through magic and medicine.
Eventually, Kraven became powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with Spider-Man. After hunting every animal on Earth, Kraven believed Spider-Man was the last prey that had eluded him, and he set out to defeat his nemesis once and for all in Marvel Comics’ “Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt.”
Today, a trailer featuring the first eight minutes of the film was released, and Taylor-Johnson’s performance stands out in the short clip. Unfortunately, some fans are disappointed by how the opening differs from the comic that inspired it.
In the comics, Kraven’s motivations are complex. In “Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt,” he is driven by his sense of honor and primal instincts. In the eight-minute trailer for “Kraven the Hunter,” however, Kraven is presented as a vigilante who enjoys killing men who do bad things.
It remains to be seen how heavily the film will reference Spider-Man. Some fans are concerned the movie may stray too far from the source material. Without Spider-Man, can the film succeed?
Comic book fans are used to seeing Kraven as a villainous adversary with skills and strength on par with Peter Parker himself; however, the trailers so far portray Kraven as a violent vigilante who exclusively targets criminals. In the trailer, viewers also get a glimpse of Kraven fighting one of Spider-Man’s most iconic villains, Rhino.
Most fans are pleased with Taylor-Johnson’s casting, but comic book readers are concerned this version of Kraven may stray too far from the beloved source material. In the comics, Kraven is an animalistic hunter who will stop at nothing to prove himself as an unbeatable warrior. Fans hope the film will properly establish Kraven as a villain worthy of appearing in future Spider-Man films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
With even the third installment of the popular “Venom” franchise falling short of expectations, can “Kraven the Hunter” succeed where Sony Pictures struggled to find an audience with “Morbius” and “Madame Web”? As Marvel and Sony both continue to release films featuring Spider-Man and his iconic cast of characters, fans worry they may never see classic stories like “Spider-Man: Kraven’s Last Hunt” faithfully adapted for the big screen.
