Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Kraven the HunterKraven the Hunter features an impressive collection of Easter eggs and Marvel references. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular Sergei Kravinoff, Sony's newest Marvel movie is the latest (and likely last) in the line of Sony Spider-Man Universe movies that have inexplicably neglected to feature Spider-Man himself. Nevertheless, there are still some pretty cool nods to the original comics and classic characters.
As seen by the end of Kraven the Hunter, Sergei Kravinoff isn't the only character to evolve into the villain they're known as on the page. The new Marvel movie also features several connections to existing Marvel foes, such as Chameleon (Fred Hechinger), Rhino (Alessandro Nivola), Calypso (Ariana DeBose), and more. With that in mind, here are 15 of the biggest Easter eggs and Marvel references in Kraven the Hunter.
15 Kraven's Prison ID
0864
Kraven the Hunter opens in the present with Sergei hunting down a major gang leader who's residing inside a Siberian prison. Posing as an inmate, Sergei's ID number is notably 0864. August 1964 is the month and year in which Kraven first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #15. In the issue, Kraven arrives in New York to hunt down the Webslinger himself, a new challenge and "worthy prey".
14 Calypso’s Potion
Connection To Kraven's Comics Origins
Responsible for giving Kraven the potion that saves his life as a boy and gives him powers after being mauled by a lion, Ariana DeBose's Calypso is an ally and infrequent love interest of Kraven's in the original comics. Skilled in Haitian Voodoo and potions on the page, it seems as though Calypso's origins bear some similarity on-screen as well, seeing as how her grandmother confirms the potion carries ties with the Haitian Voodoo deity Papa Legba. In the comics, Calypso is known as "The Hunter of Souls" which the movie briefly touches on by talking about the various spirits her family is connected to.
13 Kraven's Nickname For His Brother Is "Dima"
It's Also The Name Of His Pet Tiger
Sergei calls his half-brother Dimitri by the nickname "Dima" more than once in Kraven the Hunter. In Sony's Spider-Man 2 game for the PS5, a black-suited Spider-Man infiltrates Kraven's headquarters in New York and has to get past his pet tiger, who is also named Dima. To that end, one can infer that the tiger was likely named after Sergei's half-brother in the game's continuity (who does get teased for the third Spider-Man game).
12 Dimitri’s Impressions In Kraven The Hunter
Teasing His Future As The Chameleon
In Kraven the Hunter, Dimitri provides several impeccable voice impressions throughout the movie, teasing his eventual future as the classic Spider-Man villain and master of disguise known as The Chameleon. Not only does Dimitri imitate his and Sergei's father Nikolai (Russel Crowe) more than once, but he also impersonates the singing voices of Harry Styles, Tony Bennet, and Black Sabbath while performing at his club.
11 Daily Bugle References In Kraven the Hunter
Reporting on Kraven's Hunts
When Calypso is researching Kraven and his history, she scrolls through an article from the Daily Bugle about Sergei's dark exploits. The Daily Bugle is the classic New York newspaper often run by J. Jonah Jameson, who initially makes it his mission to have everyone in New York see Spider-Man as a threat and public menace. To that end, the Daily Bugle has been seen in several of Sony's SSU movies.
10 Rhino’s Inverted Origins in Kraven the Hunter
Keeping His Powers At Bay
In the comics, Aleksei Sytsevich is a low-level Russian mob enforcer who volunteers to undergo various treatments that give him a nearly indestructible suit modeled after the hide of a rhinoceros, one that proves incredibly difficult to remove. In comparison, Kraven the Hunter's Rhino volunteered to receive a cure for an existing health condition, undergoing a process that made him stronger with indestructible rhino-like skin. However, Sytsevich staying in his Rhino form is quite painful, resulting in his need for a continuous serum to conversely keep the Rhino form at bay, rather than Sytsevich always being stuck like in the comics.
9 Volgograd
Not Just Kraven's Birthplace
When Rhino receives the footage of Kraven's prison hunt, facial recognition identifies him as the son of Nikolai Kravinoff. It also confirms that Kraven was born in Volgograd, and the same is true for the Kraven of the comics. Likewise, Black Widow was also born in Volgograd, both the comics and MCU versions of the former Russian assassin turned Avenger.
8 Foreigner’s Powers in Kraven the Hunter
Intense Hypnotic Trances
Rhino eventually hires the Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) to kill Kraven. An incredibly deadly assassin who "comes from nowhere", The Foreigner is also a character from the original Marvel Comics. Likewise, Foreigner's ability to put his targets in a hypnotic trance to make himself appear far faster is ripped straight from the comics as well.
7 Kraven the Hunter's Elevator Scene
Mirroring Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2
After throwing a knife to catch an elevator, Kraven has a humorously awkward conversation with the man standing next to him, confirming that he hunts people down and kills them when asked what he does for work. As such, it does bring to mind when Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man was struggling with his powers and similarly had to use an elevator, resulting in a brief yet awkward exchange about how his suit often rides up.
6 Doctor Miles Warren
Also Known As The Jackal
Rhino reveals to Dimitri that the doctor who made him stronger with his horns and hardened skin lived in New York and was named Miles Warren. In the comics, Miles Warren is a geneticist also known as The Jackal. A classic Spider-Man villain, Warren is best known for instigating the infamous "Clone Saga" storyline and the creation of multiple Spider-Man clones, two of which would be named Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker and who'd come to be known as the Scarlet Spiders.
5 Kraven the Hunter vs Hitman
Who Was Foreigner’s Mentor?
Just ahead of Kraven the Hunter's third act, The Foreigner reveals to Rhino why he's so obsessed with killing Kraven, confirming that "The Hunter" killed his mentor. He then provides another Daily Bugle newspaper with the headline "Hunter vs Hitman". While Foreigner's mentor could have just been a generic and gifted hitman, it's worth noting that Marvel Comics does have a villain named Hitman, a rival of The Punisher's.
4 Kraven’s Fear of Spiders
Teasing A Future With Spider-Man?
When The Foreigner and Kraven finally fight, the assassin shoots Sergei with poison darts that start showing him his worst fears: spiders. As such, this could be a subtle tease of Kraven's future where Spider-Man becomes his primary adversary in the comics. Likewise, it's also worth pointing out that Kraven eventually believes himself to be cursed on the page, coming to believe that the only way he'll ever be able to die is if Spider-Man is the one who kills him.
3 Chameleon’s Powers
Complete With His Classic All-White Head
At the end of Kraven the Hunter, a year passes following Kraven's killing of both The Rhino and his father, who set him and Dimitri up by using Sergei to kill his rival (Rhino) and risk Dimitri's life as acceptable collateral damage. Meeting with Dimitri, it's revealed that Sergei's half-brother visited Miles Warren, receiving powers of his own to change his face at will to match his voice impressions. As such, Dimitri officially becomes the Chameleon by the end of Kraven the Hunter.
Sony's Kraven the Hunter makes a few major changes to its Marvel Comics characters and features several surprising reveals and absences.
Dimitri's evolution is made complete with the reveal of his all-white head in between face changes, just like Chameleon's default appearance on the page. Originally, The Chameleon relied on old-school masks and advanced tech to pull off his disguises. However, he's since received inherent powers to change his skin and facial features at will, just like this new live-action Chameleon.
2 Kraven's Lion Head Jacket
Completing His Comics-Accurate Look
In the very last scene of Kraven the Hunter, Sergei returns to his father's home to find a gift his late father left for him. Opening the box, Kraven discovers that Nikolai had the head of the lion that nearly killed him turned into a lion's head vest. As such, this vest is the final piece of Kraven the Hunter's live-action appearance, providing him with a complete comics-accurate costume by the movie's end.
1 Kraven the Hunter's Final Shot
Recreating Kraven's Classic Pose From The Comics
After putting on the lion's head vest, Kraven sits down in front of a mirror to see how he looks. While sitting in the chair, Kraven is shown resting his chin on one arm, posing exactly as the character often does in the comics. Serving as the very last shot of the entire movie, this image is incredibly intentional and significant, confirming that Sergei Kravinoff has fully evolved into Kraven the Hunter, the classic Spider-Man villain he's known to be on the page. As such, one can only hope there's a future where Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven actually gets to fight some version of Spider-Man down the line.
Kraven the Hunter is now playing in theaters.
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
Main Genre Adventure
CastAaron 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
Character(s) Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven , Nikolai Kravinoff , Dmitri Smerdyakov / Chameleon , Calypso , The Foreigner , Aleksei Sytsevich aka The Rhino , Young Sergei , Big Rhino , Young Dmitri , Passerby , André , Oleksander , Guard , Law Firm Receptionist , Restaurant Diner , Sniper 2 , Russian Captain , Cora's Mum , Prison Officer , Ömer Aksoy , Russian Prisoner
Director J.C. Chandor
Writers Art Marcum , Richard Wenk , Matt Holloway
Budget 130 million
This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.
Custom Image by Kevin Erdmann
English (US) ·