When it was reported last year that Triple Frontier director J.C. Chandor was being eyed for Sony's Spider-Man spin-off Kraven the Hunter, fans were wary. After all, Venom, at least, eventually became an anti-hero in the comics, unlike Kraven. The expert hunter was regularly seen as one of the web-slinger's biggest villains through most of his comic runs.
However, despite this, the spin-off has been pushing forward steadily, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson being cast as Kraven the Hunter and filming expected to begin soon. So, with the start of shooting on the horizon, production is well into casting roles, including Ariana DeBose playing Calypso Ezili and Russell Crowe as possibly Kraven's father.
So, it should be unsurprising to hear more casting for this spin-off, especially when it's for the main villain.
Kraven Will Hunt Down Spider-Man Villain
Deadline reported that Catch-22 star Christopher Abbott will be playing the main villain, The Foreigner, in Sony's Kraven the Hunter film. The outlet stipulated, however, that the casting isn't official yet.
Who is The Foreigner?
The Foreigner is an assassin for hire who was formerly married to the international mercenary Silver Sable in the comics. The two of them attempted to kill each other over the years, fighting their battles like a game, until they eventually reconciled when Sable nearly died from terminal injuries.
In addition to being adept at multiple martial arts, Foreigner also has the ability to put people in a 10-second trance if he makes direct eye contact with them. This makes his opponents believe he can move at super-human speeds or make a clean escape, leading people under his influence to believe he has vanished.
Foreigner is typically depicted as a Spider-Man villain, with the Web-Slinger making it a habit to always get in his way. Still, another person that tends to butt heads with Foreigner is a tech-savvy villain called Chance. The two often make bets when it involves Spider-Man, but with Chance sometimes reneging on their bet.
But, in the comics, The Foreigner was never specifically an enemy of Kraven the Hunter. In fact, it doesn't appear that either of them has even spoken to one another on the page. However, Foreigner did make a deal with Kraven's half-brother, The Chameleon, when attempting to save Silver Sable's life, but that's as close as it gets.
So, it's anyone's guess how Foreigner will be involved in this spin-off as the main villain, but since this is an adaptation, Sony can change the character to suit whatever story they wish to tell. But whether that story makes sense or satisfies fans is another question entirely.
Fans will find out for themselves how Foreigner will exactly fit into Kraven the Hunter when it is released in theaters on January 13, 2023.
