Director Ryan Coogler revealed that he originally wanted Kraven the Hunter to appear as a villain in the 2018 blockbuster Black Panther, but Sony refused to allow the character’s use, despite Marvel Studios’ request. This insight into the creative process sheds light on early decisions that shaped one of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most celebrated films, bringing the focus keyword Ryan Coogler Kraven Black Panther clearly into the conversation.
Ryan Coogler’s comments recently surfaced during an interview on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, where he explained that when he joined Black Panther, the movie’s villain lineup was already set. Marvel Studios had chosen Erik Killmonger, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, and Ulysses Klaue, played by Andy Serkis. Coogler mentioned that although these villains were predetermined, there was some hesitation among executives about whether Klaue was the right choice for the film’s narrative arc. This uncertainty led Coogler to suggest Kraven the Hunter as a possible antagonist.
“No. [Michael B. Jordan] was always gonna be Killmonger,”
Coogler explained, addressing the rumor that Michael B. Jordan might have played Kraven instead.
– Ryan Coogler, Director
“When I took that job, Joe Robert Cole, who’s my co-writer on both the Panthers, [he] had been working with Marvel and they had a line, so when I showed up, it was like, ‘Hey, we have our villains. Our villains are Klaue and Eric Killmonger.’ That had been decided upon.”
– Ryan Coogler, Director
Kraven’s Appeal and the Marvel-Sony Divide
Once Coogler was on board, he felt Ulysses Klaue’s role could be adjusted and envisioned Kraven, a classic Spider-Man adversary, stepping into that space. Coogler drew inspiration from Christopher Priest’s run in the Black Panther comics, noting that Priest’s story opens with a memorable confrontation involving Panther, Ross, and Kraven in a kitchen setting.
“The outline of villains was Claw and Kilmonger, but they weren’t sure. They weren’t sure. Klaue felt slightly modular to them, and obviously, it was the great Andy Serkis, so I’m hyped to work with him,”
Coogler noted, expressing enthusiasm about Serkis’s participation, while revealing the character lineup was in flux. – Ryan Coogler, Director
“[I] wanted to base it on the Christopher Priest run of Panther, and his run starts with Panther and Kraven in the kitchen. That’s the first thing. It’s Ross, Panther, and Kraven fighting in the kitchen.”
– Ryan Coogler, Director
Despite Marvel and Sony’s collaboration on Spider-Man characters at the time, crucial properties like Kraven remained closely guarded. After Coogler pushed for Kraven’s inclusion, Marvel sought Sony’s approval to use the villain, but the request was flatly denied. Sony had different long-term plans for Kraven, seeing him as prime material for a standalone film.
“I’m a big Spider-Man fan, especially Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Kraven is in that. He’s also great in the books,”
Coogler shared, highlighting his own admiration for the character from various media. – Ryan Coogler, Director
“I was like, ‘Yo, can I have Kraven in the movie?’ They were like, ‘We don’t think so, but let us check.’ So, they hit Sony, and Sony was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ They came back to me like, ‘Yo, we can’t do it.’ So, I was like, ‘Okay.'”
– Ryan Coogler, Director
The Aftermath: Kraven’s Fate in Film and the MCU
The decision to keep Kraven unavailable was not unusual, given that Sony was interested in exploring his story separately—he was considered for a standalone movie and was not used in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Eventually, Kraven the Hunter made his theatrical debut last year, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson portraying the character in a film that ultimately fell short critically and commercially. Following the film’s poor performance, Sony put further Kraven-centric projects on hold, showing the unpredictable nature of character rights in major franchises.
Had Coogler succeeded, Kraven could have emerged as a formidable adversary for T’Challa in the MCU, potentially becoming a recurring threat or connecting Black Panther’s storyline to future Spider-Man films. Instead, Black Panther’s final cut saw Klaue betrayed and killed by Killmonger, effectively ending Andy Serkis’s involvement with the franchise. Meanwhile, Michael B. Jordan’s acclaimed turn as Killmonger anchored the film’s central conflict, with the ragged negotiations over character rights never crossing onto the screen.
Ryan Coogler’s revelation underscores the complexities of film rights in the superhero genre and how business strategy can redirect creative ambitions, affecting not only storytellers like Coogler but also fans eager to see cross-franchise encounters in the Marvel universe. The fate of characters like Kraven highlights the ongoing challenges between studios such as Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures, shaping what appears—or doesn’t—on the big screen.
