Kraven the Hunterhas finally been released in theaters after several delays, and responses to theMarvel Universefilm have many wishing that an earlier plan for the character alongside Black Panther had been used instead. While there are certainly things to enjoy in the film,Kravenhas received negative reviews, withmany saying the quality is no better thanMadame WeborMorbius. While the film is certainly flawed, it is the potential of the character and his comic book roots that make this so disappointing.
While the film may not be what many hoped, there are still manyMarvel Easter Eggs inKraven, hinting at all kinds of fun connections to the source material.Kraven is perhaps the most beloved Spider-Man foe that has not yet faced off against Peter Parker in the films.However, the character also has a rich and dynamic history, and has been seen in a number of different comics through the years, used quite effectively. With this in mind, an abandoned plan for his use in a Ryan Coogler film is especially disappointing.
Ryan Coogler Was Not Able To Secure The Character Rights
Speaking toYahoo! Moviesin 2018,Black Pantherdirector Ryan Coogler revealed that he had considered using Kraven as a villain in the film.“I’ve always loved Kraven the Hunter in almost every iteration. So there was a moment – ‘Can I grab Kraven?’ – and they were ‘Nah, you don’t have Kraven,’” he said, explaining the early stages of production. Coogler expressed the desire to use any and all of the pieces from the comics when building his world, and how this could have contributed to that.
Still, this was early in the film’s production, and even Coogler wasn’t sure that he would have wound up using Kraven in the final film.Coogler went on to create one of the most highly acclaimed and commercially successful comic book films ever, using the villain Killmonger instead.This was satisfying in the end, but one can’t hope but wonder how it would be to see Kraven in apotentialBlack Panther 3. This, however, is also unlikely to happen, due to the rights for the character.
Why Marvel Couldn’t Use Kraven The Hunter In Black Panther
Sony Owns The Film Rights To Most Spider-Man Characters
Movie andTV rights for Spider-Man are complex, but put simply,Marvel does not currently have the film rights to Kraven and is not able to use the character in the MCU.They lost them in the 1990s, when Marvel was in a poor financial place, and they sold off individual rights to many characters to studios like Sony and Fox. Sony scooped up the rights to Spider-Man and all of his supporting characters, including Kraven. While the MCU has since negotiated a deal to include Spider-Man in their franchise, this deal does not cover his full cast.
No satisfying Spider-Man vs. Kraven story has yet been told on the big screen.
As a result, Kraven was not accessible for Marvel to use during the production ofBlackPanther.Even in Spider-Man films, using Kraven had not been an option in recent years, as Sony has been planning to make a solo film for the villain for some time.As a result, no satisfying Spider-Man vs. Kraven story has yet been told on the big screen. Seeing Black Panther fight against the villain in Wakanda would have also been an incredible way to see Kraven used, and it is disappointing that the new solo film is what audiences have received instead.
Kraven The Hunter Being A Black Panther Villain Would’ve Been Better Than His Solo Movie
Ryan Coogler is an accomplished filmmaker, and it seems that he can do little wrong.Black Pantherwas going to be a good movie, whether it used Kraven, Killmonger, or another villain entirely.Meanwhile, Kraven has followed in the path of his franchise, with many audiences disappointed in the result. It seems, based on the reception to the new film, that Kraven simply does not have an interesting enough story without the larger Spider-Man universe, including the hero himself, being included.
Substituting for Black Panther would have resulted in a better film thanKraven the Hunter. Although, while Kraven being inBlack Pantherwould have been better than a Kraven solo film,it is hard to imagineBlack Pantherbeing as good without Killmonger.Killmonger was one of theMCU’s best villains ever, and it is unlikely that a Kraven story would have been as compelling as the film that was made. Despite this, it is certainly an interesting curiosity to consider, and could have been fun to see Black Panther face Kraven.
Kraven The Hunter Soundtrack: Every Song In The Marvel Movie
Fred Hechinger’s Dmitri Smerdyakov, AKA the Chameleon, sings a number of popular songs from various decades over the course of Kraven the Hunter.
Asequel toKraven the Hunteris unlikely to happen anytime soon, but more must be done with the character.Whether in aBlack Panther 3orSpider-Man 4,whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson or another actor entirely, using Kraven as a villain in a superhero film is too exciting a prospect to miss.Wherever each of these universes goes in the future, it is absolutely essential thatKraven the Hunterbe given the adaptation that he deserves, including a conflict with iconic heroes, rather than villains, of the Marvel Universe.
Kraven the Hunter
Cast
Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
Black Panther
Black Panther follows King T’Challa as he returns to Wakanda to assume the throne of the technologically advanced African nation. Faced with internal and external challenges, T’Challa dons the Black Panther mantle, uniting with allies to protect Wakanda from potential global conflict.
