The PlayStation Showcase treated fans to a lot of announcements. Among the big reveals was the confirmation that a sequel to the 2018 Marvel’s Spider-Man is in development. The reveal trailer that was showed off seemed to paint a pretty clear picture, with Venom and Kraven the Hunter set to make major appearances in the new game. While there have been quite a few Spider-Man games with Venom, not as many have involved Kraven the Hunter.
This gives the follow-up to Marvel’s Spider-Man a lot of room to set the bar for what Kraven will be like for fans. While he has a sordid history with Spider-Man, Kraven is also a villain from Peter’s gallery of rogues that many fans remember fondly. With this in mind, plus a movie in the works, now is a great time to bring the character into the spotlight. Kraven is a way to highlight Spider-Man’s struggles against villains that aren’t really Avengers-level threats, and the fact that he has not appeared in many other games could make his next appearance more exciting.
Video Games With Kraven the Hunter
In the past, Kraven the Hunter has only had a hand full of appearances. While he has been a key part of some of Spider-Man’s most memorable storylines, his solo appearances haven’t always generated as much hype as his time on teams like the Sinister Six. Even though the following games have used the character, Kraven still has incredible potential in future video games because of his limited catalog.
- Spider-Man 2: The Sinister Six – 2001
- Spider-Man – 2002 – Tie-in game for first Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man movie
- Spider-Man 3 – 2007 – Tie-in game for second Sam Raimi directed Spider-Man movie
- Spider-Man: Web of Shadows – 2008
- Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions – 2010
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – 2014 – Tie-in game for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 movie starring Andrew Garfield.
While this library could use a lot of love, it will hopefully get it over the next decade. One of Kraven’s best features is his ability to be a thorn in Spider-Man’s side. His determined and headstrong nature as well as shifting moral compass are what have sculpted Kraven into a complex villain. Like many of the foes Spider-Man comes up against, he might not be completely evil, but his flaws make him a notable enemy and worthy adversary for Spider-Man.
Kraven's Future in Games
While Kraven the Hunter’s catalog isn’t anything quite as large as the list of video games with Black Cat, it offers him something that not all the character’s that Spider-Man is associated with get: room for originality. The expectations on how he was executed in past games are unlikely to race through the minds of fans when the game releases in 2023. This is an aspect of the character that benefits players and developers alike.
Moving forward, it means that the narrative adapted for Kraven can pull from lesser-known arcs to monumental storylines like Kraven’s Last Hunt. This kind of space to breathe can be incredibly difficult to come by for long-established characters. While the stories for Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales were great, they had to face off against the general knowledge and expectations that fans had.
With the introduction of both Kraven the Hunter and Venom in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, likely with unique stories for both, the possibilities available are endless. In Spider-Man 2 Venom doesn’t need to be a villain, with the character filling an anti-hero or ally role instead. On the flip side, Kraven’s expertise at tracking down and eliminating his prey could make him a useful addition to Spider-Man’s ecosystem when trying to stop the Klyntar symbiote.
Alternatively, Kraven could work similarly as an evolution of Taskmaster, providing challenges and side-missions that compliment the game’s central storyline. Still, whatever the approach may be for Kraven the Hunter, giving him a more prominent role in future Spider-Man games will likely be very beneficial.