The upcomingKraven the Huntermovie has found a new cast member in Fred Hechinger. The rising star is joining theSpider-Manspin-off, potentially as Kraven’s equally villainous brother Chameleon.
Hechinger has recently gained a lot of traction lately, especially as a breakout character in HBO’s black comedyThe White Lotus. Other hit projects of hisinclude Netflix’sFear Streettrilogyand Hulu’s bio-dramaPam & Tommy. And since Chameleon is a master of disguises, able to impersonate anybody, this will prove a meaty role for the young actor, and he should get a wide variety of scenes to prove his talents in theSpider-Manspin-off.
RELATED:Kevin Smith Outraged Over Spider-Man: No Way Home Best Picture Snub
While Deadline sources say Hechinger is playing Chameleon, the outlet notes that this has not been officially confirmed. Aaron Taylor-Johnson was cast as Kraven, making this his third role in a Marvel movie, previously playing Quicksilver inAvengers: Age of Ultronand the lead role inKick-Ass. Kraven is an iconicSpider-Manvillain, often seenas one of the Sinister Six. He is portrayed as the world’s greatest hunter and has devised a potion from jungle herbs, giving him superhuman abilities. Because of this, both he and Chameleon add to the motif of Spider-Man villains being based off animals.
Kraven the Huntermarks the latest entry in Sony’s growing universe ofSpider-Manadjacent properties, following the twoVenomfilms and the upcomingMorbius. All of these films involve villains in the role of antiheroes, offering a very different tone from the MCU. A cynical read of this project is Sony stretching out theSpider-Manrights for all their worth and milking an already overexposed property. And while that’s not wrong, iftheVenomfilms are anything to go by, audiences have so far taken kindly to the franchise.
What has Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (or SSU) gotten right so far? While theVenommovies aren’t necessarily a critical success, they quickly found an audience due to their edgy visuals and campy sense of humor. And the trailers forMorbiushave also received a lot of attention. To give Sony credit, they to be throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. And with the increasingly monolithic nature of superhero movies, any bit of competition is welcome. The more options there are, the better the choices will be for the viewers.
Will the SSU become a proper alternative for superhero fans? Or will this turn out an aborted experiment like theAmazing Spider-Manuniverse? Fans can only tell when more of these films release in the coming year.
Kraven the Hunteris scheduled to be released in theaters on January 13th, 2023.
MORE:One of This Year’s Oscars Snubs Involves A Marvel Movie That Isn’t Spider-Man: No Way Home
