It looks like Sony will continue to hunt for a star for their long-in-development solo film based around the Spider-Man villain Kraven The Hunter.
A report dropped last week saying that Sony had put an official offer out to Matrix and John Wick star Keanu Reeves to take on the role of Sergei Kravinoff, better known as long-time Spider-Man foe Kraven The Hunter. Now, this week we have received confirmation that Reeves has indeed passed on the role; “months ago” according to known scooper for DisInsider Skyler Shuler.
This news leaves two major doors wide open for speculation. First, it means that Reeves is still open and available for other potential comic-book roles, which is always good news for a major star. With Keanu Reeves passing on joining the Sony Universe Of Marvel Characters (SUMC) in Kraven, could he be holding out for something bigger with Sony or perhaps even the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe proper? Reeves has long been a fan favorite for a number of big roles like The Silver Surfer, Adam Warlock, or Moon Knight (a role that was just cast with Oscar Isaac).
While he is not directly involved with Kraven for Sony, Marvel Studios president and current Spider-Man franchise producer Kevin Feige had previously said in an interview with ComicBook that Marvel Studios approaches Keanu Reeves “for almost every film we make“, meaning it is likely only a matter of time before we see the actor make his debut in the MCU.
The other big question to think about is, “who is going to play Kraven The Hunter?”. The Kraven solo film that Sony has been developing is absolutely still happening, but with their offer to Reeves officially off the table, it’s up in the air as to who will actually end up in the film’s titular role. The film is being produced by Avi Arad (Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance) and Matt Tolmach (Venom: Let There Be Carnage), with J.C. Chandor (Triple Frontier) set to direct the film based on a script by Richard Wenk (The Equalizer), Art Marcum (Transformers: The Last Knight), and Matt Holloway (The Punisher: Warzone).
Currently, there are no other potential names rumored to be attached to the role of Kraven The Hunter. The film has no set release date currently in place, so only time will tell how the film materializes. It is one of several Marvel-based films Sony has in development alongside Dusk and the mysterious Marvel project that Olivia Wilde is working on (which is rumored to be Spider-Woman).
In the meantime, fans who want more of Sony’s Spider-Man-less films based on Spider-Man comic characters, Sony has their Venom (2018) sequel, Venom: Let There Be Carnage,’ set to release in theaters June 25, 2021 (although it remains to be seen if they will stick with this date in the wake of the still ongoing global pandemic) and Morbius scheduled to release on January 21, 2022. There will also be the third Spider-Man film in Sony’s collaboration with Marvel Studios, which has yet to receive an official title, releasing on December 17, 2021.
Are you sad to hear Keanu won’t be Kraven? Who do you think Sony should seek for the role next? What Marvel role would you like to see Keanu take up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and be sure to stick around Geek Anything for more Spider-Man updates!
