Meet Marvel’s Newest Villain: Christopher Abbott Joins ‘Spider-Man’ Spinoff ‘Kraven the Hunter’
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Kraven the Hunter has cast its villain. While his lookalike Kit Harington joins the MCU via Eternals, Christopher Abbott has been tapped for a key role in Sony’s expanding iterations of the Marvel franchise. Deadline reports that Abbott will star as The Foreigner opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The Hunter (aka Kraven).
Though he’s not facing down against any of the No Way Home heroes, The Foreigner has notably gone head-to-head with Spidey in a few of the comics. This time, though, he’ll show down with another one of Marvel’s iconic antiheroes, Kraven, who has battled Venom, Black Panther, and even Spider-Man. The Foreigner has no superhuman abilities; still, the Black Widow-like assassin is one of the best martial artists in the comics.
Taylor-Johnson and Abbott will star alongside Academy Award-nominee Ariana DeBose, Alessandro Nivola, Fred Hechinger, and Marvel BFF Russell Crowe. Just last week, Nivola was cast as an unknown villain in the flick — Kraven’s got a lot of baddies on his plate. J.C. Chandor will direct a script from Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk.
Abbott is known for less wicked roles, like his unconventional hero in George Clooney’s Catch-22 mini-series, or Marnie’s ditsy on-again, off-again boyfriend in Girls. Recently, though, the star has played roles in more thrilling films like Black Bear, Possessor, and It Follows, perhaps good prep for his nefarious transition.
‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ Is the MCU’s Best Spidey Movie by a Mile
Sony has been ramping up their Marvel content after the cult success of both Venom films (which even earned them a cameo in the MCU with No Way Home). Jared Leto’s delayed Morbius will land in theaters next month, and Venom has a third installation on the way. Other highlights include the Dakota Johnson-led adaptation of Madame Webb and a potential Spider-Woman flick from director Olivia Wilde. If Sony can play their cards right with Kraven the Hunter, they may be well on their way to a more ominous version of the MCU. (But, let’s face it, they’re still a long way from sad emo Batman.)
Kraven the Hunter is slated for a theatrical release on January 13, 2023.
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