Even before the runaway success of “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” Sony had been deep in the expansion plans of their live-action Spider-verse. “Morbius” is next coming in April, and after that, in early 2023 will be “Kraven The Hunter,” the latest Marvel film being assembled by Sony Pictures. The film already stars British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Tenet,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) as the character, first introduced as a villain in the “Spider-Man” comic books. J.C. Chandor (“Triple Frontier”) is directing the movie, and the film has just added a character with family ties to Kraven.
Deadline reports that “White Lotus” actor Fred Hechinger has joined “Kraven” and is said to be playing a version of The Chameleon, a fellow rogue that is a Russian-born spy that uses technology to change his appearance and even has pretended to be people within the circles of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. Hechinger was also just seen in Hulu’s “Pam & Tommy” and is quickly building out a prominent career. Also known as Dmitri Anatoly Nikolayevich Smerdyakov, the Chameleon character happens to be the half-brother of Kraven.
READ MORE: Tom Holland Says ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Was Nearly A Kraven The Hunter Movie
Kraven is a big-game hunter that eventually sets his sights on Spider-Man and becomes a founding member of The Sinister Six; most of those members appeared in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” There is also an incarnation where he acts as a mentor to Parker. The assumption with this movie is that it’s more of an origin story, the tale of how Kraven broke bad and then presumably will face-off against Spider-Man down the line.
Russell Crowe, who already plays Zeus in “Thor: Love & Thunder,” is also set for a role rumored to be Kraven’s father. Even though Taylor-Johnson already played Quicksilver in the Marvel “Avengers” movies, a crossover with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man isn’t likely off the table as “Spider-Man: No Way Home” nearly featured the Russian baddie. The script was penned by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk (“The Equalizer”).
‘Kraven’ is part of the studio’s overall plan to continue to expand the “Spider-Man” universe with supporting movies like “Venom,” “Morbius,” Olivia Wilde-directed “Spider-Woman” movie, and a “Madame Web” pic led by Dakota Johnson, that all could face off against Peter Parker as friend, foe, or something in between.
READ MORE: Russell Crowe Joins Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s ‘Kraven the Hunter’ Marvel/Sony Film
“Morbius” starring Jared Leto is the next Marvel film coming to theaters from Sony with a release date of April 1, and “Kraven” is due out on January 13, 2023.