Sony’s Kraven the Hunter appeared to be moving fairly slowly through development until very recently, with a lot of fans wondering when some major announcements would arrive, given that the studio’s latest Spider-Man spinoff had been awarded a January 2023 release date when Aaron Taylor-Johnson was announced for the title role back in May of last year.
However, it would be an understatement to say that the project has roared into life over the last month, with the entire principal cast now locked in. Russell Crowe was the first new addition made, and the Academy Award winner remains one of the only key members of the ensemble who hasn’t had their role publicly disclosed.
Alessandro Nivola will play an unnamed antagonist, with Christopher Abbott set as the Foreigner, The White Lotus breakout Fred Hechinger will be disappearing into the background as Chameleon, and fast-rising star Ariana DeBose was confirmed as Calypso.
The actress is on a hell of a hot streak, having landed an Academy Award nomination for Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story, while she’s also got Matthew Vaughn’s spy caper Argylle on the way. In an interview with The Playlist, DeBose opened up on her Kraven casting for the first time.
“Well, to be frank with you, I can’t say much about it. But I am really excited to be joining the Sony/Marvel family. When J.C. Chandor came to me and pitched this idea for the film. And he just, he’s a filmmaker who has wanted to be a director for his whole life. And quite frankly, he’s a damn good one. And I think he’ll bring something really creative and new and fresh and also really gritty to this film and to Kraven the Hunter’s story. And I’m really excited to dig in.”
As always, the veil of secrecy must be maintained at all times, but if Kraven the Hunter‘s live-action version of Calypso takes her cue from the comic books, then the iconic big game hunter is going to have his hands very full.