Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Kraven the Hunter
Kraven the Hunter ends about as well as one would expect considering the rest of Sony"s Spider-Man universe movies. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular Sergei Kravinoff, the movie"s end sees Kraven fully becoming the Spider-Man villain he"s known to be in the comics while also featuring some fun secondary reveals. That said, Kraven"s villainous evolution isn"t nearly as satisfying as many were hoping it would be.
In Kraven the Hunter, Sergei Kravinoff"s new cinematic history and origins with his father Nikolai (Russell Crowe) are explored, as well as his mission in the present day to save his half-brother Dimitri (Fred Hechinger) from The Rhino (Alessandro Nivola). However, the ending does feature some strange character choices based on what was established earlier in the new Marvel film. With that in mind, here"s Kraven the Hunter"s ending explained, as well as what it might mean for the future.
Kraven The Hunter's Final Shot Explained Custom image by Richard Craig A year after Sergei saves his brother and kills both The Rhino and Nikolai, Kraven returns to his father"s house after his brother tells him that their father left him something. Opening a box, Sergei discovers that Nikolai took the head of the lion that nearly killed him as a child and had it made into a vest. As such, Aaron Taylor-Johnson"s Sergei resembles the Kraven of the original Marvel Comics once he puts on the lion"s head vest and sits down, resting his chin on one arm.
As such, Kraven the Hunter ends with Sergei mirroring Kraven"s classic look and pose from the comics. This signifies his full evolution into the Spider-Man villain he"s known to be in the comics, giving him the frequent and nearly requisite comics-accurate costume look in the third act which audiences have come to expect from the superhero movie genre.
What Kraven Putting On The Lion Jacket Means Beyond the comic book significance, Kraven putting on the vest also signifies a darker turn for the character. The accompanying note from Sergei"s late father contained Nikolai"s claims that he and Kraven were the same, legendary hunters to be dreaded. Despite Sergei"s hate for his father, it seems this letter combined with his prior conversation with Dimitri (who voiced similar sentiments) motivated Kraven to embrace the path his father laid out for him, the one of The Hunter. To that end, Sergei finally accepting that he"s not a good man is the only reason that makes sense as to why he"d put on the vest.
How The Ending Sets Up Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven Return Close Now that Sergei has officially become the Kraven seen in the comics, he could theoretically be brought back as a Spider-Man villain at some point. That said, it"s recently been reported that Kraven the Hunter is the last of Sony"s SSU films that doesn"t feature the iconic Webslinger. As such, the likelihood of Taylor-Johnson"s Kraven ever getting to fight Spider-Man feels very slim, unless something multiversal were to happen in the MCU where his paths cross with Tom Holland"s Spider-Man, or something like Sony"s universe ending up combining with the MCU in the aftermath of Secret Wars.
Nikolai Kravinoff's Death Explained: Did Kraven Kill Him? Before putting on the vest and the one-year jump, Kraven is shown meeting with his father in the forest after Rhino is killed and Dimitri saved. Unwilling to become his father"s heir and take over his criminal empire, Sergei secretly removes the bullets from Nikolai"s rifle. Likewise, it"s heavily implied that Sergei influenced the grizzly bear to attack and maul his father, just like he influenced the bison herd to attack the convoy during the fight with Rhino and the wolf during Sergei"s prison breakout in the Kraven the Hunter"s opening scenes.
Why Kraven Finally Went After His Father Having learned from Rhino that Nikolai was the one who set him up and put him in Aleksei Sytsevich"s sights, Sergei finally went after his father after years of keeping his distance. This was because Nikolai knowingly used one son to kill a threat he could not, while also risking the other son as acceptable collateral damage. As such, Kraven could no longer abide by his father"s darkness and the pain he brought into the world, resulting in the bear attack.
How Dmitri Became Chameleon Explained Close Sergei"s meeting with Dimitri in Kraven the Hunter"s finale scenes reveals that Dimitri has taken over both their father"s empire and The Rhino"s assets. Likewise, Dimitri also reveals that he met with the same New York doctor who gave Sytsevich his strength, horns, and hardened skin. Now having the ability to take on the appearance of anyone at will, Dimitri officially becomes the classic Spider-Man villain known as The Chameleon, a master of disguise who once used old-fashioned masks as well as advanced tech before similarly gaining inherent abilities to shapeshift, just like Marvel"s new on-screen Chameleon.
Related 10 Reasons Kraven The Hunter Reviews Are So Negative Reviews for Kraven The Hunter are out, and it seems as though Sony"s final entry in their Spider-Man universe isn"t going to be a critical success.
Posts 2 That said, The Chameleon"s classic all-white head from the comics can be seen between looks as Dimitri changes his face at will. Likewise, the New York doctor in question is none other than geneticist Miles Warren aka The Jackal. Warren is most famous for instigating Spider-Man"s Clone Saga in the comics with the creation of multiple clones, most notably the Scarlet Spiders who"d come to be known as Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker.
Why Chameleon Took Over His Father's Criminal Empire It truly is an odd decision why Dimitri chose to take over his father"s empire at the end of Kraven the Hunter. Despite accusing Sergei of being just like their father whom they both hated, Dimitri still becomes him all the same. This is even more baffling when considering how much he wanted to become someone else earlier in the movie, especially now with his new powers. As such, the only somewhat decent explanation for this choice is due to a still-ongoing cycle of abuse with Dimitri ultimately still wanting to make Nikolai proud, even after his death (and all the pain he"d caused him).
What Happened To Calypso? During the battle with Rhino and his men, Calypso (Ariana DeBose) kills The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) before giving Sergei more of her family"s potion ahead of his fight with Sytsevich. However, Calypso isn"t seen again, making her future uncertain. That said, one could probably safely assume that Calypso went back to work in London, and would likely work with Kraven again to help him track down more targets in the future. It also stands to reason that Sergei might want to learn more about the potion that saved his life twice, especially after the confirmation that Calypso had more of the elixir.
The Real Meaning Of Kraven The Hunter's Ending Explained Darkness Begets Darkness? Ultimately, the real meaning behind Kraven the Hunter"s ending is somewhat hard to fully decipher considering the general half-baked nature of the third act, as well as Sergei and Dimitri"s arguably uncharacteristic decisions in the wake of their father"s death. This is particularly true of Kraven"s decision to not only wear his father"s gift, but also to kill Nikolai in the first place. For example, it might have made more sense for Kraven to break the cycle of darkness and spare his father"s life.
"It certainly does seem as though Kraven the Hunter"s ending suffers from being far too rushed. It simply doesn"t fully pay off the potential that had been set up earlier in the new Marvel movie..."
Additionally, it might have made more sense for Sergei to discard the vest after trying it on, rather than all too quickly choosing to embrace the path his father laid out for him in the last two minutes of Kraven the Hunter. At any rate, it certainly does seem as though Kraven the Hunter"s ending suffers from being far too rushed. It simply doesn"t fully pay off the potential that had been set up earlier in the new Marvel movie.
Kraven the Hunter is now playing in theaters.
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5/10 6/10 Kraven the Hunter R ActionAdventure Sci-Fi Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.
Release Date December 13, 2024 Runtime 127 Minutes Main Genre Adventure Franchise(s) Marvel Comics , Marvel Cinematic Universe Cast Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Russell Crowe , Fred Hechinger , Ariana DeBose , Christopher Abbott , Alessandro Nivola , Levi Miller , Chi Lewis-Parry , Billy Barratt , Jessica Zhou , Michael Shaeffer , Dritan Kastrati , Greg Kolpakchi , Elander Moore , Filiz Fairweather , Duran Fulton Brown , Alex Skarbek , Rachel Handshaw , Preslav Shipkaliev , Murat Seven , Robert Ryan Character(s) Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven , Nikolai Kravinoff , Dmitri Smerdyakov / Chameleon , Calypso , The Foreigner , Aleksei Sytsevich aka The Rhino , Young Sergei , Big Rhino , Young Dmitri , Passerby , André , Oleksander , Guard , Law Firm Receptionist , Restaurant Diner , Sniper 2 , Russian Captain , Cora's Mum , Prison Officer , Ömer Aksoy , Russian Prisoner Director J.C. Chandor Writers Art Marcum , Richard Wenk , Matt Holloway Budget 130 million Studio(s) Sony Distributor(s) Sony Expand

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