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Notice! This post contains SPOILERS for Kraven the HunterKraven the Hunter features an impressive collection of Easter eggs and Marvel references. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular Sergei Kravinoff, Sony's newest Marvel film is the latest (and likely last) in Sony's line of Spider-Man Universe films that have inexplicably neglected Spider-Man himself. . However, there are still some really cool references to the original comics and classic characters.
As seen at the end of Kraven the HunterSergei Kravinoff isn't the only character to evolve into the villain they're known for on the page. The new Marvel film also features several connections to existing Marvel foes like Chameleon (Fred Hechinger), Rhino (Alessandro Nivola), Calypso (Ariana DeBose), and more. With that in mind, here are 15 of Marvel's biggest Easter eggs and references. Kraven the Hunter.
15
Kraven's prison ID
0864
Kraven the Hunter begins in the present with Sergei hunting down a prominent gang leader who resides inside a Siberian prison. Posing as a prisoner, Sergei's identification number is 0864. August 1964 is the month and year in which Kraven first appeared in Amazing Spider-Man #15. In the edition, Kraven arrives in New York to hunt the Webslinger himself, a new challenge and “worthy prey”.
14
Calypso Potion
Connection to Kraven's comic book origins
Responsible for giving Kraven the potion that saves his life as a boy and gives him powers after being attacked by a lion, Ariana DeBose's Calypso is an infrequent ally and love interest of Kraven in the original comics. Skilled in Haitian voodoo and potions on the page, It appears that Calypso's origins also bear some similarity on screen, as her grandmother confirms that the potion has ties to the Haitian voodoo deity Papa Legba.. In the comics, Calypso is known as “The Soul Hunter,” which the film touches on briefly when talking about the various spirits her family is linked to.
13
Kraven's nickname for his brother is “Dima”
It's also the name of your pet tiger
Sergei calls his half-brother Dimitri by the nickname “Dima” more than once in Kraven the Hunter. At Sony Spider-Man 2 PS5 game, a black-suited Spider-Man infiltrates Kraven's headquarters in New York and has to get past his pet tiger, also named Dima. To this end, it can be inferred that the tiger was probably named after Sergei's half-brother in the game's continuity (which is teased by the third Spider-Man game).
12
Dimitri's impressions of Kraven the Hunter
Teasing your future like a chameleon
In Kraven the Hunter, Dimitri provides several impeccable voice impressions throughout the film, teasing his eventual future as the classic Spider-Man villain and master of disguise known as The Chameleon.. Dimitri not only imitates his and Sergei's father, Nikolai (Russel Crowe), more than once, but also impersonates the voices of Harry Styles, Tony Bennet, and Black Sabbath while performing at his club.
11
Daily Bugle references in Kraven the Hunter
Reporting on Kraven's hunts
When Calypso is researching Kraven and his history, she flips through a Daily Bugle article about Sergei's dark exploits. The Daily Bugle is the classic New York newspaper often run by J. Jonah Jameson, whose mission initially is to make everyone in New York see Spider-Man as a menace and public menace. To this end, the newspaper was seen in several Sony SSU films.
10
The Rhino's Inverted Origins in Kraven the Hunter
Keeping your powers in check
In the comics, Aleksei Sytsevich is a low-level Russian mob enforcer who volunteers to undergo several treatments that give him a nearly indestructible suit modeled after the skin of a rhinoceros, which proves incredibly difficult to remove. In comparison, Kraven the Hunter Rhino volunteered to receive a cure for an existing health problem, undergoing a process that made him stronger with indestructible skin like that of a rhino.. However, remaining in Rhino form is quite painful, resulting in the need for a continuous serum to otherwise keep Rhino form under control, instead of Sytsevich always being trapped like in the comics.
9
Volgograd
Not just Kraven's birthplace
When Rhino receives footage of Kraven's prison hunt, facial recognition identifies him as Nikolai Kravinoff's son. It also confirms that Kraven was born in Volgograd, and the same goes for Kraven from the comics. Likewise, Black Widow was also born in Volgograd, in both the comics and MCU versions of the former Russian assassin-turned-Avenger.
8
Powers of the Outsider in Kraven the Hunter
Intense Hypnotic Trances
Rhino eventually hires the Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) to kill Kraven. An incredibly deadly assassin who “comes out of nowhere,” The Foreigner is also an original Marvel Comics character. In the same way, Foreigner's ability to put his targets into a hypnotic trance to appear much faster was also lifted directly from the comics.
7
Kraven the Hunter elevator scene
Mirroring Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2
After throwing a knife to catch an elevator, Kraven has a humorously awkward conversation with the man standing next to him, confirming that he hunts people and kills them when asked what he does for work. As such, this reminds me of when Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man was struggling with his powers and similarly had to use an elevatorresulting in a brief but awkward conversation about how his suit usually rides up.
6
Doctor Miles Warren
Also known as The Jackal
Rhino reveals to Dimitri that the doctor who made him stronger with his horns and hardened skin lived in New York and was named Miles Warren. In the comics, Miles Warren is a geneticist also known as The Jackal. A classic Spider-Man villain, Warren is best known for instigating the infamous “Clone Saga” storyline and creating several Spider-Man clones, two of which would be named Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker and would later become known like the Scarlet Spiders.
5
Kraven the Hunter vs Hitman
Who was the foreigner's mentor?
A little ahead Kraven the Hunter third act, The Stranger reveals to Rhino why he is so obsessed with killing Kraven, confirming that “The Hunter” killed his mentor. He then provides another Daily Bugle newspaper with the headline “Hunter vs Hitman”. While Foreigner's mentor could have just been a generic, talented assassin, it's worth noting that Marvel Comics has a villain named Hitman, a rival to The Punisher.
4
Kraven's fear of spiders
Teasing a future with Spider-Man?
When The Foreigner and Kraven finally fight, the killer shoots Sergei with poisoned darts that begin to show him his worst fears: spiders. As such, this could be a subtle tease of Kraven's future, where Spider-Man becomes his main adversary in the comics. Likewise, it's also worth noting that Kraven eventually believes himself to be cursed on the page, coming to believe that the only way he can die is if Spider-Man is the one who kills him.
3
Chameleon Powers
Complete with his classic all-white head
At the end of Kraven the HunterA year is set after the murder of The Rhino and his father by Kraven, who set him and Dimitri up by using Sergei to kill his rival (Rhino) and risk Dimitri's life as acceptable collateral damage. Meeting with Dimitri, it is revealed that Sergei's half-brother visited Miles Warren, receiving powers of his own to change his face at will to match impressions of his voice. As such, Dimitri officially becomes the Chameleon at the end of Kraven the Hunter.
Dimitri's evolution is completed with the reveal of his all-white head between face changes, just like the Chameleon's default appearance on the page. Originally, the Chameleon relied on traditional masks and advanced technology to take off his disguises. However, he has since been given inherent powers to change his skin and facial features at will, just like this new live-action Chameleon.
2
Kraven's Lion Head Jacket
Completing Your Comic Book Accurate Look
In the last scene of Kraven the HunterSergei returns to his father's house to find a gift his late father left for him. Opening the box, Kraven discovers that Nikolai has turned the head of the lion that almost killed him into a lion's head vest. As such, this vest is the final piece of Kraven the Hunter's live-action appearance, providing him with a complete comic book-accurate costume at the end of the film.
1
Kraven the Hunter's Final Shot
Recreating Kraven's classic pose from the comics
After putting on the lion head vest, Kraven sits in front of a mirror to see how he looks. While sitting in the chair, Kraven is shown resting his chin on one arm, posing exactly as the character usually does in the comics.. Serving as the last scene of the entire film, this image is incredibly intentional and meaningful, confirming that Sergei Kravinoff has fully evolved into Kraven the Hunter, the classic Spider-Man villain he knows to be on the page. As such, we can only hope that there is a future where Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Kraven actually gets to fight some version of the Webslinger.
Kraven the Hunter is now showing in theaters.