Sony's upcoming Marvel film Kraven the Hunter has found a new actor to join its ranks. While the movie already boasts a pretty stacked cast of big names, apparently it still had room for Peter Pan himself. This will be the latest in a string of non-MCU Marvel entries which also includes the Venom duology and Morbius.
Kraven the Hunter, which already features Kick-Ass and Godzilla star Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the title role, has just added Pan star Levi Miller to its impressive cast. While Miller's role is currently unknown, he'll now be part of a star-studded group including Russell Crowe and West Side Story's newly-minted Academy Award-winner Ariana DeBose as voodoo priestess Calypso. Triple Frontier's J.C. Chandor is directing the film.
Miller flew high with his breakout role in Pan, where he starred as Peter Pan alongside Hugh Jackman and Rooney Mara. He also starred as Calvin in 2018's A Wrinkle in Time from director Ava DuVernay. Aside from those two notable projects, the young Australian actor has enjoyed a respectably varied career, from guest spots on shows like Supergirl to a leading role in Arclight's swimming drama Streamline.
Kraven the Hunter is a notable Marvel antihero, who has clashed with numerous heroes and villains throughout his history in the comics. As a big game hunter, his goal is usually to prove himself as the greatest in the world, which usually leads to him clashing with a number of less vain characters. But while he's best known as one of Spider-Man's most notorious baddies, his sense of honor occasionally aligns him with the side of the good guys. This has resulted in him teaming up with heroes like Spider-Man and even Squirrel Girl over the years.
Given Kraven's notably honorable spirit (at least, that's how he sees it), it seems highly likely that the movie will lean into his more heroic side, particularly since it would be very difficult for many viewers to sympathize with someone who hunts animals for sport otherwise. It's difficult to say how successful this approach would be. After all, Morbius' less-than-stellar reception may not bode well in that regard, depending on who's being asked. Maybe it's just a matter of finding a good actor and director combo.
Then again, as divisive as the reviews seem to have been, the Venom films have enjoyed a pretty positive reaction from audiences. It's even more impressive considering how people are supposed to see a body-possessing alien who eats people's heads as a heroic figure. So maybe there's hope after all. Eager fans will find out when Kraven the Hunter releases next year.
Kraven the Hunter will release in theaters on January 13th, 2023.
Source: Deadline