Aaron Taylor-Johnson, MCU's Quicksilver, now Spider-Man nemesis 'Kraven the Hunter'?
One of Spider-Man's oldest and most iconic nemesis Kraven the Hunter is finally getting a solo film. Sony Pictures has roped in British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson to play the titular role in the film which is eyeing an early 2023 release date. Although not featured in a movie before, the wicked character was first introduced in The Amazing Spider-Man #15 comic book in 1964.
Kraven is one of the original Sinister Six members
The comics describe Kraven as a big game hunter, often killing big animals with his bare hands. He has been a part of the Sinister Six. Created by Doctor Octopus, the original team consisted of Kraven, Vulture, Electro, Mysterio, and Sandman. He is most famously known for Kraven's Last Hunt storyline in 1987. In that, he targets Spider-Man and seemingly shoots him dead.
Sony working on many Marvel characters apart from this
Kraven the Hunter is part of the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (SPUMC). The studio is hoping to replicate the success they had with Tom Hardy-starrer Venom in 2018. Another upcoming SPUMC project is Morbius, starring Jared Leto as the Living Vampire. Other characters planned by Sony that are in the development stage include Madame Web, Jackpot, and Silk.
Long time 'Spider-Man' producers also backing his enemy's project
Kraven the Hunter will be produced by Matt Tolmach and Avi Arad, who have also been long-time Spider-Man producers. The writing duo Art Marcum and Matt Holloway from the upcoming film Morbius will be penning the screenplay for this film as well. They will be joined by Richard Wenk, known for The Equalizer. Triple Frontier director JC Chandor will be helming the highly-awaited project.
Taylor-Johnson played twin of Wanda in a 2015 'Avengers' movie
Johnson is not a newbie in the big-budget superhero film genre. He played Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, the twin brother of Scarlet Witch, in the 2015 Marvel film Avengers: Age of Ultron. His other famous superhero portrayal was the title character in the 2010 film Kick-Ass and its 2013 sequel. He also won a Golden Globe Award for Tom Ford's 2016 thriller Nocturnal Animals.