Kraven the Hunter: The release date, cast, and more about the Sony/MCU movie

As the first trailer for a new Marvel film was shown in a closed-door meeting earlier this week, there's blood in the water for all things Kraven the Hunter.

Coming out as part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe (itself a part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe), the Kraven the Hunter movie features one of Spider-Man's classic villains stepping out into his own movie - and making his live-action debut in the process. In the film, multi-time superhero Aaron Taylor-Johnson becomes a bad guy (and a seemingly buff one at that) as Sony looks to expand its corner of the MCU.

With Kraven the Hunter coming to theaters in October 2023, there's a lot of questions to be answered about what to expect. Here's everything we know about the project, as well as a couple theories.

Where is that Kraven the Hunter trailer?

The first official footage from the Kraven the Hunter film was shown to theater-owners on Monday April 24, 2023 as part of the closed-door event Cinemacon. Neither Sony, Columbia, or Marvel have released that footage to the public yet - but stay tuned, as we expect it to be coming imminently.

What is the Kraven the Hunter release date?

Columbia Pictures' Kraven the Hunter movie is scheduled to be released on October 6, 2023 for those in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Turkey among others. That being said though, some theaters take part in Thursday previews, so you could see it as soon as Thursday, October 5.

But for some other territories, you can see it even earlier.

You can watch Kraven the Hunter as soon as October 4 if you happen to be in Belgium or France.

And if you're in Australia, Brazil, Germany, the Netherlands, or Slovakia, you can see Kraven the Hunter on October 5.

Wherever you are, you'll be able to buy tickets for Kraven the Hunter on Fandango or Atom Tickets.

What are Kraven the Hunter's powers?

While some might think Kraven has no powers outside of his immense skill and natural abilities to hunt, in the comic books, he does have special superhuman abilities - thanks to a serum concocted out of various herbs. For more on Kraven's powers, as well as his origin, read our Kraven the Hunter guide.

Who is in the Kraven the Hunter cast?

As previously mentioned, Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays the titular character Kraven - AKA Sergei Kravinoff. He'll be joined by a interesting cast which includes:

• Christopher Abbot as an as-yet-confirmed villain
• Alessando Nivola as Rhino, a quintessential Spider-Man villain
• Russell Crowe as Kraven's father. This role hasn't been named for the movie, but in comics it's Nikolai Kravinoff - a member of the fallen Russian ruler Tsar Nicholas II's court.
• Ariana DeBose as Calypso, who in the comics is a voodoo priest
• Fred Hechinger as the Chameleon (AKA Dmitri Smerdyakov), another classic Marvel villain but also Kraven's in-comics half-brother
• Levi Miller in an undisclosed role

Wait.. is Kraven the Hunter rated-R?

Yes. Kraven the Hunter joins a growing line of R-rated Marvel movies that includes Logan, Deadpool, and Deadpool 2. While shocking to some, given the nature of the Kraven character in comics and the fact that Sony/Columbia doesn't own ancillary rights (such as toys) for Kraven, it's easy to see how the studios see Kraven working best for them financially by embracing the more mature elements of the source material.

Is this movie based on Kraven's Last Hunt?

While Kraven's Last Hunt is by far the best Kraven story in comics (don't @ me), it appears the Kraven the Hunter movie isn't pulling from that storyline, given the cast (and the lack of a Spider-Man). That being said, we'd love to be proven wrong.

How does Kraven fit into the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

The Kraven the Hunter movie is firmly set in Sony's Spider-Man Universe - a continuity fitting the Venom movies, the Morbius movies, and other upcoming projects. But it is a Marvel property, and given elements of Spider-Man: No Way Home we can confirm that Kraven the Hunter is a part of the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe (or Marvel Cinematic Multiverse, as we should call it).

Keep track of everything coming to theaters with our upcoming superhero movies guide.