Sony's Kraven The Hunter Just Added A Massive Star From The DCEU

"Kraven the Hunter," an upcoming solo film inspired by a fan-favorite Spider-Man villain — in the vein of projects like "Venom" and "Morbius" – is shaping up to be a pretty interesting movie. We already know it will star Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titula Russian big game hunter, and that it will likely draw at least some inspiration from what most Spider-Man fans believe to be the quintessential Kraven storyline by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck, "Kraven's Last Hunt," which puts a tragic twist on the character, and established him as one of the most dangerous threats ever faced by the superhero.

Now, another big name has been added to the cast, and not only is he an A-list movie star in his own right — and basically a household name — he's also a familiar face to superhero movie fans, who will be making the leap from the DC Extended Universe to the ... SPUMC? Sony's Spider-Man Universe? Whatever it is that
we're calling the Sony Spidey spin-offs, now, this actor will be there.

The intel comes from a new Hollywood Reporter story, revealing that Russell Crowe has signed onto "Kraven the Hunter" in an undisclosed role. And of course, followers of the superhero cinema canon already know that whatever character Crowe will end up playing in the film, it won't be his first foray into the world of comic book movies, having already portrayed Kryptonian scientist and patriarch Jor-El in Zack Snyder's "Man of Steel" in 2013. This won't be Crowe's first Marvel role, either, as he is set to join the regular Marvel Cinematic Universe as Zeus in "Thor: Love and Thunder."

"Kraven the Hunter" is scheduled to hit theaters in January of next year, and details about the film's plot and characters are being, as THR fittingly puts it, "kept in a cage." But we do know the film will be directed by J.C. Chandor, who himself is a surprising choice for a comic book film, having made such high-toned dramas as "Margin Call," "All Is Lost," and "A Most Violent Year" in the past.

And we can certainly expect more details to come to light as we get closer to the film's January, 2023 release.