Marvel’s Changes To Kraven The Hunter’s Comics Origin & Character Explained

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Kraven the Hunter.

Kraven the Hunter marks the next Spider-Man villain to be introduced in live-action, though with some notable differences from his comic book counterpart. By the time of Kraven the Hunter‘s ending, the character is solidified as a version of the one from Marvel Comics. As is the case with the rest of the Sony Spider-Man Universe movies and their main characters, however, there are several differences from the source material, none more prevalent than Kraven’s antihero nature.

The film tells the story of Sergei Kravinoff, played by Aaron Taylor Johnson in Kraven the Hunter‘s cast, who transitions into the world’s most feared hunter due to a complex relationship with his father. One of the primary differences with Sony’s version of Kraven in the Sony Spider-Man Universe is, ironically, the absence of Spider-Man. Kraven is usually used as a villain of Peter Parker and could be depicted as such in upcoming Spider-Man movies, yet Sony’s universe lacks the presence of the Web-Slinger. Beyond this, Sony makes several other changes to the titular character in Kraven the Hunter.

Kraven Has A Good Relationship With His Half-Brother Dmitri

Rather Than Abusing Him As He Does In Marvel Comics

The most immediately obvious change to Kraven’s origin story in Kraven the Hunter is that he and his half-brother, Dmitri, have a good relationship. The two are shown as good friends, with Dmitri relying on Sergei so much that the latter leaving him behind is a traumatic event in the former’s life. In the comics, however, Sergei is shown to abuse Dmitri regularly, both due to the latter being born illegitimately and as a means of venting the anger that stems from his father’s of him.

Kraven Does Not Become An Orphan As A Child

Nikolai Kravinoff Survives Longer Than He Does In The Comics

In Marvel Comics, Nikolai Kravinoff dies when Sergei and Dmitri are fairly young. This drives their mother to madness, resulting in her dying by suicide in a psychiatric hospital as hinted at in the movie by several Easter eggs. It is only after both of Sergei’s parents die that he moves to Africa and becomes the iconic hunter.

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In Kraven the Hunter, however, Nikolai Kravinoff survives. Sergei’s mother dies in the same vein as she does in the comics, but Nikolai continues to attempt to mold his sons into hardened, cold-blooded hunters. In a major Kraven the Hunter spoiler reveal, Nikolai ultimately dies after being mauled by a bear that is likely under the influence of Kraven himself.

Kraven Is Not Born In The Early 1900s

The Movie Has A Modern Setting

Another difference between Kraven the Hunter and the titular character’s Marvel Comics origin story is that the former is set in the modern day. In Marvel Comics, Kraven is born in the early 1900s and only survives long enough to fight Spider-Man later in life due to the decelerated aging his powers grant him. The movie makes no mention of Sergei being born 100 years ago, instead placing the origin of the hunter in the 21st century.

Kraven Did Not Have A Son With A Wakandan

The Sony Spider-Man Universe’s Limitations Make This Impossible

A big factor in Kraven the Hunter‘s negative reviews is its commitment to setting up more stories in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, despite this universe having little to no wider lore based on stories from Marvel Comics. Instead, this lore is explored in the MCU, which includes the fictional African country of Wakanda. In Marvel Comics, Kraven journeys to Africa after the deaths of his parents, meeting a Wakandan exile named Aja Orisha. The two fall in love and have a child named Takhar, eventually renamed Gregor Kravinoff.

This all comes before Sergei’s true ascension into the renowned big-game hunter known as Kraven, yet Kraven the Hunter does not include anything like this. As alluded to, Wakanda does not exist in the Sony Spider-Man Universe, meaning Aja Orisha does not either. As such, Gregor Kravinoff is not part of Kraven the Hunter‘s origin story for the titular character, nor is he even hinted at for the future.

Kraven’s Serum Comes From Calypso’s Grandmother, Not Calypso Herself

Calypso’s Character Is Underdeveloped

A supporting character in Kraven the Hunter is Calypso, someone who is intrinsically tied to Kraven’s origins in Marvel Comics. The comics depict Calypso as a Haitian voodoo priestess who possesses a knowledge of potions and serums. It is one of these potions that imbues Sergei with the powers he needs to become Kraven the Hunter, such as superhuman strength, speed, and agility.

Conversely, Kraven the Hunter leaves this element of Calypso’s backstory out. Instead, the mystical powers that were used to create the serum that birthed Kraven were attributed to Calypso’s grandmother. Although a deeper exploration of Calypso’s family was promised for Kraven the Hunter 2‘s story and could have revealed her own voodoo powers, the death of the Sony Spider-Man Universe means this will not be explored, leaving the onus of creating Kraven with her grandmother.

Kraven’s Origin Story Is Tied To Zar The Lion

Their Blood Was Intertwined

While the aforementioned serum was responsible for giving Kraven his powers in Kraven the Hunter, it also was mixed with the blood of a legendary lion named Zar. Zar has a much bigger story in Marvel Comics, though not one that is tied to Kraven in any capacity. Therefore, the plot point of Zar’s blood mixing with Calypso’s serum to give Kraven his supreme hunter abilities is completely fabricated for the Sony Spider-Man Universe

Kraven Does Not Hunt Animals

The Wrongdoers Of The World Are The Hunted

In a movie titled Kraven the Hunter, it may come as a shock to learn that Kraven does not hunt. Or at least, he does not hunt animals. The comics show Kraven as someone who has a natural aptitude for hunting, eventually becoming a world-renowned big-game hunter before setting his sights on more difficult prizes like Spider-Man. In Kraven the Hunter, though, Sergei disapproves of his father’s penchant for hunting. With the Sony Spider-Man Universe making Kraven the Hunter an anti-hero, the second part of his name comes from his skill of hunting criminals.

Kraven Did Not Join The 1950s Avengers

An Early Heroic Turn For Kraven Is Not Part Of The Sony Spider-Man Universe

Although Kraven is one of the best Spider-Man villains, he had a surprising heroic turn as part of his origin story in Marvel Comics. In the 1950s, Kraven and his girlfriend at the time, Namora of Atlantis, were recruited by Nick Fury as part of the 1950s Avengers. Their mission was simple: kill Nazis. Eventually, the team succeeded in defeating several Nazi sympathizers who were trying to build a new Reich, such as a Red Skull imposter. After this, Kraven’s past crimes were expunged by Nick Fury.

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So, Is Spider-Man Actually In Kraven The Hunter?

The latest installment in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe stars one of Spider-Man’s most iconic rivals: Kraven the Hunter – but does Spider-Man appear?

Obviously, this was not part of Kraven the Hunter‘s origin story. As alluded to before, elements from the MCU like Nick Fury, the Red Skull, and Atlantis do not exist in the Sony Spider-Man Universe. This, along with the fact that this story would simply be too big to be included within the film’s 127-minute runtime, means that the character’s brief stint as an Avenger was not translated.

Kraven Can Essentially Control Animals

He Cannot Simply Tame Them, But Controls Their Minds

The final major change made to the titular character in Kraven the Hunter is his ability to control animals. Marvel Comics made it so that Kraven could tame animals and have them follow his orders, yet Kraven the Hunter hints he can control their minds. This is shown with a wolf near the beginning of the movie, as well as his manipulation of a herd of buffalo to defeat the Rhino and a bear to kill his father in the film’s third act. This likely comes from the addition of Zar to his origin story in Kraven the Hunter, marking two of the many differences from the source material.

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Kraven the Hunter

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.

Release Date

December 13, 2024

Runtime

127 Minutes

Cast

Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Russell Crowe , Fred Hechinger , Ariana DeBose , Christopher Abbott , Alessandro Nivola , Levi Miller , Chi Lewis-Parry , Billy Barratt , Jessica Zhou , Michael Shaeffer , Dritan Kastrati , Greg Kolpakchi , Elander Moore , Filiz Fairweather , Duran Fulton Brown , Alex Skarbek , Rachel Handshaw , Preslav Shipkaliev , Murat Seven , Robert Ryan

Director

J.C. Chandor

Writers

Art Marcum , Richard Wenk , Matt Holloway

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