Following reports thatJohn Wickstar and Hollywood good guy Keanu Reeves has been approached to lead Sony’s upcomingKraven the Huntermovie, fans have taken to the internet to declare who they’d really like to see in the role: Karl Urban. Thanks to roles in the likes of Amazon’sThe BoysandDredd, Urban has proven time and again that he can do the whole ‘gruff anti-hero’ schtick in his sleep, making him the perfect choice forKravenin the eyes of many.
Of course, this is in no way a slight onKeanu Reeves, something which manyKraven the Hunterfans have been quick to point out, but honestly aren’t there lots of other Marvel roles that Reeves would be better suited for?
“Isn’t Keanu too nice to be Kraven?” wondered one fan, with another stating “Love Keanu butKarl Urbanwould be spot on as Kraven.” another argues that Reeves is not hammy enough to really do the supervillain justice saying, “As much as I love Keanu Reeves, I’d rather someone more over the top to be Kraven the Hunter like Karl Urban or even Pedro Pascal.”
Urban is no stranger to the comic book movie genre and has already appeared in the MCU as Skurge in 2017’sThor: Ragnarok, something which some fans believe could be a problem should the Sony universe ever be folded into the Marvel one.
Really this wouldn’t be too much of a problem, with several actors having appeared as different characters throughout the MCU. Judging by the reaction online,Kravenfans could not care less about Urban showing up as another Marvel character.
Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko,Kraven the Hunterfirst appeared inThe Amazing Spider-Man#15 back in 1964. Born Sergei Kravinoff, Kraven was raised in Russia during the time of the Russian Revolution. After finding employment in Kenya, Africa, Kraven began his career using the typical tools of the hunter, but over time developed a preference to take down large animals with his bare hands. After meeting a Voodoo witch doctor named Calypso, Kravinoff is given a herbal potion which enhances his strength, speed and senses, as well as extending his life. Eventually, Kraven tires of big game hunting and is drawn toSpider-Man, slowly becoming obsessed with being the man to catch the friendly neighbourhood wallcrawler.
It’s hard to argue that the role sounds tailormade for Urban, but should theKeanu Reeves Kraven rumorsfall through, one user has a few ideas as to who would be best suited to fill the master hunter’s boots.
Sony has tappedTriple Frontierdirector J C Chandor to helm a standaloneKraven the Hunterproject, withThe Equalizerwriter Richard Wenk having signed on to pen the script. Wenk has assured fans that the movie will “adhere very closely to the lore” of the Sinister Six villain, describing him as a “very grounded character” who would eventually “come face to face with Spider-Man.“Kraven the Hunteris set to join the likes ofVenomandMorbiusin the Sony Marvel universe. Of course, with the MCU opening the doors to the multiverse, who knows what might lie ahead…
