Sony has found its greatest hunter.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson will headline “Kraven the Hunter,” further expanding Sony Pictures’ efforts to capitalize on its trove of Marvel comics characters with connections to Spider-Man. J.C. Chandor (“Triple Frontier”) is set to direct, from a script by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk. Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are producing.
Kraven was introduced in 1964 as a Spider-Man villain. Born Sergei Kravinoff, he considers himself to be the world’s greatest hunter, a moniker he earns at first through his prowess at tracking and killing big game, often with his bare hands. But eventually, his drive to maintain his grip on his title leads him to ingest a serum that gives him super-strength and stamina, and slows down is aging considerably. He’s known for wearing a jacket seemingly made from a lion’s head and mane, and nothing much underneath.
This is the third comic-book adaptation for Taylor-Johnson, after headlining 2010’s “Kick-Ass” for Lionsgate and co-starring as Quicksilver in 2015’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” for Marvel Studios. He most recently appeared in a supporting role in Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet”; his performance in the recently wrapped production of David Leitch’s “Bullet Train” opposite Brad Pitt so impressed Sony execs that they signed the actor for multiple films as Kraven.
Much like the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony is currently building out its own conclave of Spidey-related Marvel features, and Taylor-Johnson’s deal suggests he could wind up in other films outside the “Kraven” franchise. Along with Spider-Man, the character has also tussled with Venom, and he’s a founding member of the supervillain group the Sinister Six — a property Sony tried to get into theaters once before on the heels of 2014’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”
“Kraven the Hunter” is set for release on Jan. 13, 2023.
Taylor-Johnson is repped by WME, Brillstein Entertainment Partners and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern.