Kraven the Hunter Star Teases Differences From Past Marvel Movies

Ariana DeBose, who was recently cast as Calypso Ezili in Sony’s Spider-Man spin-off movie Kraven the Hunter, has hinted at how the upcoming film will differ from previous Marvel titles. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the title character, Kraven the Hunter will take place in the same universe as 2018’s Venom, its 2021 sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage, and 2022’s Morbius. As of now, DeBose’s role is shrouded in mystery, with some saying she is the antagonist of the movie, while others claim she is the love interest. The movie is currently shooting in London.

Not much is known about the details of Kraven the Hunter‘s plot, but the title character has been a fan-favorite villain of Spider-Man in Marvel lore since 1964. Renowned as a fierce big-game hunter, he often makes it his mission to defeat the web-slinger, believing it will solidify his status as the best in the world. As for Calypso, she first appeared in Marvel Comics in 1980. She’s a voodoo priestess who also often finds herself at odds with Spider-Man.

In an interview with Deadline, DeBose spoke about how the film’s production is going. She then said she feels a sense of pride about the franchise, stating that the movie seems to be going in an unexpected direction. Read her full quote below:

DEADLINE: How is the Kraven the Hunter shoot going?

DEBOSE: It’s cool. It’s going well. I mean, for as much as I believe I’m allowed to say about it, I think it’s going swimmingly.

DEADLINE: It’s exciting that Marvel seems to be really pushing for change.

DEBOSE: Yeah. I’m proud of them. I think all of these franchise pieces, it’s all about your growth. And it’s exciting to be a part of something that feels like it’s taking a step in a different direction. I feel like they’re just allowing this to live in whatever world it needs to live in, which is kind of cool. I don’t like work experiences, period, where I feel like I’m asked to fit a box, because my job is to discover the box and to define the box. That’s my job, in my opinion. I mean, it is 2022.

Also joining the cast of Kraven the Hunter are Christopher Abbott, Alessandro Nivola, Russell Crowe, Fred Hechinger, and Levi Miller, although their roles have not yet been revealed. The movie will be directed by J. C. Chandor, who helmed such acclaimed projects as Margin Call (2011) and Triple Frontier (2019). Recently, some photos from the set of Sony’s upcoming film seemed to show Taylor-Johnson filming a big action scene, so it looks like the movie will not be short on excitement.

As far as Sony’s Spider-Man film franchise is concerned, things honestly aren’t looking too great. Venom, Venom 2, and Morbius all received less than favorable reviews upon release, with the most recent one, Morbius, killing a lot of fans’ hope for the franchise’s future. However, given the director’s track record and DeBose’s words, it seems like there may be hope yet for Kraven the Hunter. This movie might just be the one to set the franchise back on track. It’s well-known that Sony Pictures has been trying to build up to a cinematic Sinister Six for years, and if Kraven is successful, it will be one step closer.