Kraven the Hunter: The new release date, the cast, and everything you need to know about the movie

Fans excited to see Aaron Taylor-Johnson in full flight as Marvel’s Kraven the Hunter in the upcoming Sony movie of the same name will have to learn the value of patience, with the studio postponing the feature for almost a full year in light of the SAG-AFTRA strike. Don’t worry; we still have the trailer and a first poster to look at while we wait.

Coming out as part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe (itself a part of the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse thanks to Spider-Man: No Way Home), 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 2024, 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. Fans would have to wait almost two months to see it for themselves, with the trailer eventually released for the public June 19. Watch the trailer below or read our thoughts about it.

What is the Kraven the Hunter release date?

Columbia Pictures' Kraven the Hunter movie was scheduled to be released on October 6, 2023 for those in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Turkey among others. That changed in late July when Sony announced that it was postponing the movie's release until August 30, 2024. The reasoning given was that Sony wanted the entire cast to be available to promote the movie.

Whenever it happens, 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.

According to the first trailer for the movie, he appears to have the ability to communicate with animals in some way, after he got infected by lion blood while unconscious...? Movies are odd.

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

Is there a Kraven the Hunter poster?

Why, yes. Here it is.

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.