Few comic book characters die and remain dead. This is fine and realistic, depending on how paramount these characters are and how long readers have been left to marinate with these characters’ deaths, and yet it can oftentimes be grating to see classic storylines or character deaths be regurgitated for the sake of how iconic they are. This is true of both DC and Marvel, but Spider-Man media has certainly seen its fair share of character revivals.
For instance, while DC has alarmingly stuck with its decision to keep Alfred Pennyworth dead for nearly seven years now, Marvel continues to fumble Kraven the Hunter, one of Spider-Man’s most popular rogues’ gallery villains, and parrot his most interesting storyline to date. This is as true of Sony’s Kraven the Hunter movie as it is of the character’s iteration in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and Marvel’s new slate of What If? spin-offs is once again retconning “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” However, there is reason to believe that this retcon could be the biggest boon for Kraven in a while, though the bar is not high.
Kraven Has Had Raw Deal Lately
Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Kraven the Hunter in the movie poster
Sony’s Spider-Man universe has been something of an amusing and bewildering train wreck, and when it rains, it pours. By the time that Kraven the Hunter was released a couple of years ago, Sony had already obliterated what little faith anyone could’ve had in it due to Morbius, Madame Web, and the Venom trilogy, the latter of which arguably being the least lamentable of the bunch.
Sergei Kravinoff’s solo spin-off movie was another predictable disappointment, despite taking some bold swings, such as Kraven the Hunter’s Rhino being legitimately visually impressive.
It didn’t help that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’s Kraven was a letdown, either. Indeed, like how Marvel’s Spider-Man failed to juggle Martin Li’s Mr. Negative and Dr. Otto Octavius’ Doctor Octopus, with Mr. Negative benched as soon as Doctor Octopus arrived to supplant him as the game’s lead villain, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 benched Kraven (permanently, with his head eaten) as soon as Venom arrived.
Now, with Kraven’s history in Spider-Man lore revisited, it’ll be neat to see what more can be said or plucked out of “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” wherein Kraven tranquilizes Peter Parker, buries him alive in his black Spider-Man costume, and wears an identical suit out to replace the wall-crawler. It’s quite haunting and delves into Kraven’s psyche, but its iconic ending will apparently be undone in an upcoming What If? issue, for better or worse.
Kraven’s Last Hunt is Getting a ‘What If?’
Symbiote Spider-Man comes out of his grave in Kraven’s Last Hunt
Marvel’s What If? comic book series has a storied legacy of almost 50 years, and there will be a handful of new issues retconning or reimagining the events of popular stories in the comics. As such, What If…? Spider-Man’s “What If Kraven Survived His Last Hunt?” will presumably prevent Kraven from committing suicide during the “Kraven’s Last Hunt” arc.
“Kraven’s Last Hunt” is a dead horse that has been repeatedly beaten, and, ironically, this What If? beat may not make all that much of a difference, as Kraven has since been revived, killed, revived, and so forth. It could be fascinating to see what persuades Kraven not to kill himself during the specific events of “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” but the storytelling potential for Kraven in that era does not seem overwhelmingly bright, even if it is a non-canon tale.
That said, if anyone’s alternate-reality take on the ending of “Kraven’s Last Hunt” could be terrific and profound, it’d be writer J.M. DeMatteis, who wrote “Kraven’s Last Hunt” and will be writing “What If Kraven Survived His Last Hunt?” (with art by Yildray Cinar). Plus, if this What If? issue turns out to be an alternate ending to the event that was originally planned and shelved for the one that would make it to publication, this could be a great insight into how the story might’ve ended otherwise.
Marvel Can’t Get Enough of Spider-Man’s Past
Spider-Man Brand New Day #1 cover, Spidey webslinging with foes in the background
The present state of Spider-Man comic books is rather dire, but there at least appears to be a throughline that is being followed as The Amazing Spider-Man’s legacy numbering gradually climbs to #1000. Meanwhile, multiple stories are spinning out of this ongoing Earth-616 run, such as The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn, which concluded recently, The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity, which launches in April, and The Spectacular Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which launches in May.
The Amazing Spider-Man: Spider-Versity is a modern aside featuring Norman Osborn as something of a leader or educator to the elaborate Spider-family; The Amazing Spider-Man: Torn leaps backward to Peter’s college era; and, surprisingly, The Spectacular Spider-Man: Brand New Day leaps backward to the titular “Brand New Day” era, is canon, and will be conveniently released two months before the MCU’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Marvel’s latest batch of What If? comics reimagining “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” then, is another bit of nostalgia being entertained. This time, it will be interesting to see if anything unique or seminal can come from Kraven, who has more or less been absent from modern Spider-Man comic book stories and disgraced in movies and games.
Release Date
December 13, 2024
Runtime
127 Minutes
Director
J.C. Chandor