There have been rumblings about big-screen plans for Kraven the Hunter for years now, but a report earlier this week indicated that the villain might finally make his debut in 2021's Spider-Man 3.

Sony Pictures is reportedly looking for a "Joel Kinnaman-type" to play the villain, and with Tom Holland's Peter Parker almost certainly on the run after his secret identity was outed to the world/he was framed for murder, it makes perfect sense for Kraven to come and "hunt" him down.

With that in mind, we're now taking a look at ten things you need to know about Kraven the Hunter before he potentially makes his long-overdue debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Even you hardcore comic book fans may learn something new, so hit the "Next" button for more!
 

10. He Was Once A Member Of "The Avengers"

This was a pretty disappointing retcon, but a few years back, we learned that Nick Fury assembled a team of "Avengers" in 1959 made up of Kraven, Dominic Fortune, Sabretooth, Namora, and a handful of other notable names. They assembled to take down a number of former Nazis, and while Kraven wasn't exactly a hero, he did do some good before meeting Spider-Man. 

The most interesting part of this series was seeing Kraven clash with Sabretooth, though that's not been addressed since (and is unlikely to be after what happened to Victor Creed in House of X).

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it might be possible that we learn Kraven used to serve S.H.I.E.L.D. as we obviously know that he's never worked alongside that world's Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
 

9. Kraven Later Joined Another Team

The difference is that this team wasn't anywhere near as heroic as the one assembled by Fury!

After a series of humiliating losses against Spider-Man, Kraven was approached by Doctor Octopus and given the opportunity to join the Sinister Six. He accepted, and set a series of traps for the web-slinger in Central Park before ultimately being defeated - again - at the hands of his greatest foes. 

He was pretty much done with the Sinister Six after that, and it's fair to say he's not a team player. Still, he holds the distinction of being a founding member of this formidable group. 
 

8. A Very Different Version In The Ultimate Universe

Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley's Ultimate Spider-Man reinvented a lot of classic characters, and Kraven was among them. In this world, he was a reality TV star who had made a name for himself tracking down some of the most dangerous predators on the planet. 

However, with his ratings on the decline, he came to New York City to try and take down Spider-Man.

Despite looking exactly like his 616 counterpart, this Kraven had no superpowers and ended up being taken out with a single punch by the wall-crawler. Later, he was undergo experiments to give him abilities that rivalled Spidey's, and he took on something of an animalistic form.
 

7. Spider-Man Hasn't Been His Only Target

While Kraven the Hunter is definitely a Spider-Man villain, he's also targeted a number of other notable heroes in the Marvel Universe. Among them are Black Panther, Tigra, and Daredevil, though it ultimately all comes back to the web-slinger, though he did once team-up with Mister Sinister to take on the X-Men, proving that he enjoys the hunt no matter who or what the target is.

That included an encounter with The Hulk which saw Kraven distract him with a bazooka to the face before trapping the Jade Giant in some Adamantium netting. 

Black Panther director Ryan Coogler actually wanted Kraven to be a villain in that movie once upon a time, so if the villain is indeed coming to the MCU, then he could target T'Challa too. 
 

6. A Truly Twisted Family 

The Kravinoff family is a large one, with a wife, Sasha, a daughter, Ana, and three sons (all of whom have attempted to follow in their father's footsteps at one point or another). 

His half-brother is actually the Chameleon, the first foe Spider-Man faced in the comic books. They have a love/hate relationship, but are definitely united in their hatred of the web-slinger. While the Grim Hunter, Alyosha, and Nedrocci were all disappointments, Ana - the youngest - has proved herself on a number of occasions now. 

She was instrumental in bringing Kraven back from the dead (we'll get to that) and proved to be every bit the formidable hunter her father was, pushing Spidey to his limit again and again.
 

5. He Took His Own Life...

In the classic "Kraven's Last Hunt" by writer J. M. DeMatteis and artist Mike Zeck, Kraven finally bested Spider-Man and proved himself the better man. After drugging and burying Peter Parker (we were, at that point, led to believe he'd shot and killed the hero), he took over the mantle of Spider-Man in a bid to prove he was the superior hero as well. 

Able to defeat Vermin - a foe the real Spidey could not - Kraven finally felt content. With that, he took the rifle he'd used to defeat the web-slinger and shot himself dead. 

It was a shocking, unbelievable moment which later saw Spider-Man dig himself out of the grave. However, he and Kraven were bonded mystically after this final exchange, and that would come into play many years later in the violent and equally shocking "Grim Hunt" storyline. 
 

4. ...But Was Resurrected And Now Can't Be Killed

Kraven's family were desperate to bring their patriarch back from the dead, and discovered that sacrificing Spider-Man in a twisted ceremony would achieve that mission. 

When Peter Parker's clone, Kaine, took his "brother's" place in that, Kraven was indeed brought back to life, but it was an "unlife" he never wanted. It turns out that he had no desire to return after taking his own life, believing his demise and defeat of Spider-Man was his "masterpiece."

Now, he cannot die unless it's Spider-Man who commits the act, something we know will never happen.
 

3. Sony Has Had Plans For Kraven The Hunter For Years

The Amazing Spider-Man 2's end credits revealed who Sony Pictures planned to put in their version of the Sinister Six, a team that was set to assemble either in The Amazing Spider-Man 3 or Drew Goddard's Sinister Six movie. As you can see above, Kraven was set to be among them. 

That never happened, but the Sony Hack would later reveal that the studio has considered a big screen adaptation of "Kraven's Last Hunt," something that's been reported multiple times since.

However, just like there was a Mysterio movie in the works before the villain showed up in Spider-Man: Far From Home, it's likely Kraven will appear in Spider-Man 3 first. Assuming he doesn't die, the chances are good he could get a solo outing adapting that classic tale outside the MCU.
 

2. Calypso

Sasha Kravinoff is an interesting enough character, but a far more compelling love interest for Kraven over the years has been an enigmatic woman known as Calypso. 

This beautiful warrior uses a combination of voodoo magic and various other mystical abilities to help Kraven in his battles against Spidey, some of which are seriously dark (for example, she specialises in necromancy, an ability to communicate with the dead). 

Her hatred for the web-slinger is extremely powerful, and following her lover's demise, she used her powers to bewitch the Lizard and very nearly managed to kill Spider-Man in the process.
 

1. What Are Kraven's Powers Anyway?

Sergei Nikolaevich Kravinoff was a Russian immigrant brought to the U.S. as a child, and trained since childhood by a man called Gregor, it didn't take long until he became an expert hunter.

Preferring to get hands on with his prey rather than use guns, he targeted Spider-Man after growing bored with his life, and uses a mystical serum to enhance his strength and speed. That also drastically slows his ageing, and gives him instincts which make him more than a match for Spidey.

Even without that, he's formidable thanks to the weapons at his disposal, his fighting abilities, and ties to magic that mean he's more than capable of getting inside the wall-crawler's head.