During the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas on Monday night, attendees were given a first look at Aaron Taylor-Johnson in character as Kraven the Hunter, Sony’s latest supervillain. The actor appeared in a pre-recorded video to introduce the first footage of the R-rated film, describing it as a Marvel movie firmly grounded in reality.
Sony has been tight-lipped about the film’s details until now, stating only that the movie will chronicle the journey of Sergei Kravinoff as he becomes one of Marvel’s most iconic villains. The film features an impressive cast including Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe, Fred Hechinger, Christopher Abbott and Alessandro Nivola.
The footage opens in a rural countryside, where a group of mercenaries is viciously attacked and killed by Kraven. Russell Crowe’s character provides narration, referring to Kraven and his son as predators. The next scene takes place in a snowy setting, followed by a cityscape where Kraven is told that he’s merely chasing a trophy. In the final beat, Kraven sits in an office chair and impales a baddie who enters the room. The action-packed trailer ends with a cryptic reveal of The Rhino, leaving audiences on the edge of their seats with the tagline, “Nothing survives the hunt.”
Directed by J.C. Chandor, known for his work on “A Most Violent Year,” the film is the next installment in Sony’s Marvel-licensed universe. This follows the success of the “Venom” franchise and the less-than-stellar reception of “Morbius.” Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are producing the film, with a screenplay by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk.