Kraven the Hunter has been Spider-Man’s villain ever since he was written into Marvel Comics. His one obsession has been to quite literally hunt down the web-slinger and, as an ’80s comic book storyline revealed, to become him. This unhealthy obsession has propelled the villain to consistently chase down your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man until he finally got his own movie. Kraven the Hunter is one of the newer projects announced by the MCU this year. Like Morbius, it will be a movie entirely devoted to a character that is best known for being a Spider-Man villain. And hopefully, that will be the only way it will be like Morbius.
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Kraven the Hunter has been a long-standing villain in the comic and, for most of his life, has only been obsessed with hunting Spider-Man. But, every once in a while, authors have seen fit to provide the ultimate hunter with some character development. Aside from his psychotic victory in the 1980s, Kraven the Hunter has changed his tune in big ways, and in 2018 he redeemed himself with the help of the most powerful hero in the Marvel universe: Squirrel Girl.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl turned Kraven the Hunter from a villain into a hero, and one wonders if Marvel will show a similar character arc in Kraven’s upcoming movie.
Sorry, Spider-Man, This Should Be a Kraven-Focused Film
Marvel Comics
Given that this is Kraven’s first appearance in the MCU, Marvel has the job of introducing the character to all those out there who haven’t read the comics. And it’s entirely possible that all we will get is a simple origin story: Kraven grows up, hunts animals, and is bested by Spider-Man. But that sounds more like a Spider-Man movie than it does a Kraven the Hunter movie. Morbius eventually made himself a hero by the end of his film. Or, at the very least, he gave the audience a reason to be sympathetic to him.
In a movie entitled Kraven the Hunter, one might think that Kraven would be the hero of the film. And like Morbius, Spider-Man might just be used as a simple marketing ploy, and, likely, he won’t even appear in the film.
In telling the origin story of this particular villain, it wouldn’t be a stretch that Marvel may simply re-craft him as more of an anti-hero; structure the movie along the lines of Richard Connell’s The Most Dangerous Game. It would be a strange thing to have the movie end in his defeat by Spider-Man, and the final shot, a picture of his steadily growing resentment towards the hero. Disney doesn’t often end its movies on that sort of note. Infinity War may have been the first time we saw our protagonists lose a battle.
A Perfect Time for a Squirrel Girl Cameo
The thing that finally got Kraven out of the loop of being a simple, Spidey-obsessed villain was Squirrel Girl. Yes, the themes of what it means to hunt can be very interesting, but after a while, Kraven might lose so many times to such a big hero in the Marvel universe that his reasons for pursuing him become pointless. Kraven may have very well turned into one of those characters who hate a hero, just because, had it not been for Squirrel Girl.
Now, Squirrel Girl is one of those heroes that Marvel might not introduce at all. Like Howard the Duck, they are often a tertiary character in the comic book universe, followed by a cult following but rarely invited into big spotlights wherein the Avengers and the X-Men live. Of course, there was one crucial moment in which Squirrel Girl was the most important character in Marvel, but for the moment, we see Disney focusing on other things.
Howard the Duck has had his share of cameos and comedic jabs. He even has a growing fan base calling for Marvel to give him his own movie. But for now, he remains on the sidelines. Kraven the Hunter has the opportunity to introduce Squirrel Girl, even if it’s just in a post-credits scene or a small cameo.
In the Squirrel Girl storyline, she convinces Kraven to let go of his obsession with Spider-Man, even if he still has an obsession with hunting. In Kraven’s movie, it will obviously tell a story of a great hunter and his search for the ultimate prey. But as he works from lions and jaguars, he may leave the realm of big animals and enter the enhanced world of Marvel superheroes. In that world, what will Kraven encounter? Will he be enticed by all the animal-themed superheroes? All of these things will determine his role in the MCU. And if his character arc will be one where his evil nature will be redeemed, then who else to do it but Squirrel Girl?
Though the film will certainly be entirely about Kraven, this would be the perfect place, even for a cameo, if only to credit her with her huge role in Kraven’s arc in the comics.
