Director Ryan Coogler, known for his work on Marvel’s Black Panther, initially wanted to feature Kraven the Hunter as one of the film’s villains, revealing a compelling ‘what if’ scenario for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The idea never materialized due to Sony Pictures holding the rights to Spider-Man villains, yet the development sheds light on how Ryan Coogler Black Panther villains could have taken a different direction.
In the original Black Panther movie, Erik Killmonger, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, and Ulysses Klaue, played by Andy Serkis, served as the film’s central antagonists. Coogler explained that at one point, the notorious Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter was seriously considered for a major role. Ultimately, Sony Pictures declined the request to feature Kraven, preferring to keep the character for their own planned projects. This decision meant the evil hunter didn’t join the roster of the MCU’s villains, at least not in Wakanda.
Ryan Coogler shared his original inspiration: the Christopher Priest run of the Black Panther comics, which began with a confrontation in a kitchen among Ross, Black Panther, and Kraven. This vision would have brought a different kind of conflict to the screen but had to be abandoned when permission was denied by Sony.
Inside the Creative Process and Studio Decisions
During an interview with Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused Podcast, Coogler described his efforts to incorporate Kraven and the complexities of coordinating with multiple studios. When asked about the possibility of Michael B. Jordan playing Kraven, Coogler replied,
No. [Michael B. Jordan] was always gonna be Killmonger.
—Ryan Coogler, Director
Coogler further elaborated on the situation, stating,
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
He detailed how the decision came down from Marvel and Sony, explaining,
“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. The outline of villains was Klaw and Kilmonger, but they weren’t sure. They weren’t sure. Klaw felt slightly modular to them, and obviously, it was the great Andy Serkis, so I’m hyped to work with him…I’m a big Spider-Man fan, especially Spider-Man: The Animated Series. Kraven is in that. He’s also great in the books. 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
Kraven the Hunter: A Highly Sought-After Character for the Big Screen
The desire to feature Kraven the Hunter as a major villain has remained strong among many directors over the years. Sam Raimi considered using Kraven for his unmade Spider-Man 4, Drew Goddard intended to feature him in a Sinister Six film, and Marc Webb thought about the character for The Amazing Spider-Man 3. More recently, filmmaker Jon Watts weighed Kraven as a potential antagonist for the third Tom Holland Spider-Man movie before production pivoted to a multiverse storyline for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
This high level of demand for Kraven from talented filmmakers ranging from Sam Raimi to Ryan Coogler underscored Sony Pictures’ eventual decision to forego sharing the character, instead deciding to develop an independent movie around the infamous hunter. This meant the character remained out of reach for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its directors, even as interest peaked.
Kraven’s Solo Film and Its Struggles at the Box Office
After Black Panther’s release, Sony Pictures officially announced a Kraven the Hunter solo film in 2018 as part of their Spider-Man-themed universe—though ironically, these films would not include Spider-Man himself. The project underwent several delays before finally seeing release on December 10, 2024. The movie, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson under the direction of J.C. Chandor, failed to meet expectations, earning a disappointing 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Financially, Kraven the Hunter was a misstep, grossing only $62 million worldwide and reportedly leading to a loss of up to $70 million for Sony Pictures. It became the lowest-performing Spider-Man spin-off, seeing even less success than Madame Web and Morbius, both previous box-office disappointments for the studio. The movie’s reception called into question Sony’s overall approach to building out its roster of Spider-Man-adjacent movies without the web-slinging hero at their core.
The Impact of Creative Choices on Black Panther and the MCU
While Sony Pictures’ refusal to allow Kraven the Hunter’s appearance in Black Panther forced a creative adjustment, this pivot benefited both the movie and its broader cinematic universe. Andy Serkis reprised his role as Ulysses Klaue, connecting Black Panther more closely to past Marvel films like Avengers: Age of Ultron and reinforcing ties across the franchise. This sense of cohesion between stories was a hallmark of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially during the interconnected chapters of the Infinity Saga era.
Ryan Coogler, now tasked with writing and directing Black Panther 3, could find new opportunities should Sony Pictures reconsider their stance, allowing Kraven to finally enter the MCU proper. The villain’s unsuccessful solo film, featuring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, might motivate the studio to seek a fresh portrayal that could redeem the character in the eyes of both audiences and critics. Marvel fans and those invested in the saga of T’Challa, played by Chadwick Boseman, continue to watch studio negotiations and creative developments with anticipation.
Legacy of Black Panther’s Villains and the Future
The selection of antagonists in Black Panther has had a major influence on its story and on the Marvel Cinematic Universe overall, with Erik Killmonger and Ulysses Klaue shaping the movie’s intense and layered dynamic. The casting of Michael B. Jordan and Andy Serkis provided memorable performances, while the storylines involving Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia and Danai Gurira’s Okoye contributed to a rich narrative tapestry. Joe Robert Cole, as Ryan Coogler’s co-writer, played a critical role in adapting Wakanda’s world for the screen, balancing the wishes of the creative team with studio realities.
The ongoing interplay between Marvel’s directors, such as Jon Watts, Drew Goddard, Sam Raimi, and Marc Webb, along with actors including Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Chadwick Boseman, continues to shape the superhero genre. As fans speculate on future stories, the discussion of Ryan Coogler Black Panther villains remains central to understanding how major studio decisions impact not only single films, but the direction of entire franchises. Whether Kraven the Hunter will ever cross paths with Wakanda on screen remains an open question, but the story behind the scenes reveals much about the challenges and ambitions that define the world of superhero filmmaking.
