Sony Pictures could soon be welcoming Keanu Reeves into its ever-growing Spider-Man universe. According to Illuminerdi, The studio has reportedly approached The Matrix star and formally offered him the role of Kraven the Hunter in his very own solo film; however, it remains unclear if Reeves will accept.
Former reports indicate that director J.C. Chandor, who has helmed films such as Triple Frontier and A Most Violent Year, was in talks with Reeves on the project, simply named Kraven. If Reeves accepts the role, it will be his first superhero movie role since portraying John Constantine in the 2005 DC film.
Sony Pictures has been riding on the momentum of its recent Spider-Man successes, and rightfully so. Homecoming, Far From Home, and Venom ended up being three of the studio's highest-grossing films in its history, so it only made sense for the studio to continue expanding the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters (SPUMC). According to Illuminerdi, the project could very well be a "mashup" of R-rated titles Logan and Man on Fire. Richard Wenk, who previously wrote The Equalizer films for Sony, has reportedly written the initial script for Kraven, pulling from the comic book storyline Kraven's Last Hunt. Matt Tolmach and Avi Arad are also set to produce.
Despite delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Sony Pictures continues to move forward with plans for other SPUMC projects such as Morbius and Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which both have expected release dates in 2021 and 2022 respectively. There is also a Dusk film on the way, as well as an unconfirmed, secret Marvel film spearheaded by Olivia Wilde, which many believe is a Spider-Woman solo film.
Currently, an untitled Spider-Man 3 is in production, and there are rumors that Kraven the Hunter could make an appearance in the film, even if just to introduce his character. In the casting description, a character is described as a man of Russian origin with "superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, and reflexes." He is a "maniacal big-game hunter" specifically hunting for Spider-Man. If John Wick taught us anything, it's that Keanu Reeves plays one hell of a good hunter.
Sony's next release, Venom: Let There Be Carnage, is set to open in theatres on June 25 this year, followed by the Marvel-co-produced Spider-Man 3 on December 17 and Morbius on January 21, 2022.
Source: The Illuminerdi