While the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues its extended run for Walt Disney Studios, Sony Pictures is still hard at work building its own comic book movie universe with the characters it owns in from the Spider-Man lore. It's still unclear if this will include Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man adventures, although there are exciting stories in development nonetheless.
2018's billion-dollar hit Venom will see a sequel in Venom: Let There Be Carnage, bringing Tom Hardy and Woody Harrelson together again for a symbiote-filled romp arriving in September. Jared Leto is also set to take on the lead role in next year's Morbius, which will deliver one of Marvel's creepiest villains in a plot that remains mostly under wraps.
Recent news brings an announcement for another villain-centric movie from Sony, as well as the actor who will lead the way for the new story.
FROM QUICKSILVER TO KRAVEN
The Wrap revealed that Sony Pictures has tapped Aaron Taylor-Johnson to play Kraven the Hunter in the studio's upcoming solo film focused on the Spider-Man villain. Taylor-Johnson is locked in to play the character for multiple upcoming films with Sony.
J.C. Chandor is serving as the movie's director with Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach as producers. Art Marcum, Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk wrote the film's screenplay, and the movie is said to be the next chapter of Sony's Universe of Marvel Characters (SUMC).
Kraven The Hunter is set to arrive in theaters on January 13, 2023
MORE MARVEL ACTION FOR ATJ
This is quite the exciting casting announcement for Sony Pictures, especially after rumors that the role was offered to The Matrix star Keanu Reeves before he turned it down.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to comic book movie roles, famously playing the MCU's Quicksilver in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron before being killed off in the same movie. There is only a minimal chance that he would return to this role in the future, especially after the Evan Peters/WandaVision situation, but he should be very prepared for this new venture with Sony.
Kraven is one of Spider-Man's most intimidating villains, classically shown as a man looking for the most challenging hunt he can find. As was the case with previous Sony movies, it be interesting to see how Kraven operates with likely no web-slinger in sight, but Taylor-Johnson's portrayal in and of itself should bring enough excitement for the SUMC's next blockbuster.
Kraven The Hunter is set to debut in theaters on January 13, 2023.
