During the Sony Pictures panel at CinemaCon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson revealed that the upcoming Kraven film will have an R-rating.
Kraven is the next film in Sony's Spider-Man Universe, and will star Taylor-Johnson as the titular Spidey foe.
The movie has been teased already as being set in an "unexpectedly, dark world."Anyone familiar with Kraven in the comics would likely not be surprised by this teased tone, as Kraven's stories have gotten extremely dark at times — one in particular involving Spider-Man being buried alive and Kraven himself committing suicide.
Now, fans excited to see a darker cinematic adaptation of Spider-Man-affiliated characters have even more to anticipate, with new information revealed at CinemaCon 2023.
R-Rated Spider-Man Spin-Off
In a recorded message shown at CinemaCon 2023, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kraven) announced that Sony's Kraven Spider-Man spin-off will be R-rated.
In his video message, the actor said that Kraven will be "a Marvel movie grounded heavily in the real world," adding, "F*ck yes it's rated R!"
This marks the first Spider-Man-related film to receive an R-rating, meaning Kraven has a special place in the Spider-Man cinematic canon.
Descriptions of the trailer shown at CinemaCon say that Kraven is portrayed as brutally animalistic, murdering poachers with weapons and his own body, and cursing as well. With all this being shown merely in the trailer, and the R-rating now confirmed, fans can expect a gory tale from Kraven.
A Dark and Gory Kraven Story From Sony
Given the trailer, the R-rating, and Kraven's history with gore in his comics appearances, Kraven may be a movie more suited to those who can stomach it rather than those fans who gross out easily.
It seems that Kraven's ruthlessness will not only be highlighted but will likely be central to how Taylor-Johnson portrays the character if the trailer descriptions are anything to go by.
Further, it is very likely that the darker side of the hunting and poaching world could be addressed in this R-rated story — even beyond what the trailer has already shown fans.
Ultimately, fans should be ready for a less-than-comfortable, but hopefully entertaining, film from Sony.
Kraven the Hunter hits theaters on October 6.
Gillian Blum has been a writer at The Direct since 2022, reporting primarily from New York City. Though she covers news from across the entertainment industry, Gillian has a particular focus on Marvel and DC, including comics, movies, and television shows. She also commonly reports on Percy Jackson, Invincible, and other similar franchises.
