Director Ryan Coogler recently disclosed that his plans to introduce Kraven the Hunter into the original Black Panther film were effectively shut down by Sony Pictures, despite support from Marvel Studios. This revelation adds new context to the behind-the-scenes hurdles of film development, highlighting the challenges of cross-studio collaborations in the superhero movie landscape and spotlighting the Ryan Coogler Black Panther Kraven connection that never materialized.
The Unseen Black Panther Villain: Coogler’s Original Vision
For years, Ryan Coogler, well known for his work on Sinners, has talked about his creative hopes for Black Panther. Early in the production stages, Coogler aimed to enrich the film by including Kraven the Hunter—a major Spider-Man villain sourced from comic storylines—in addition to Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, and Klaue, portrayed by Andy Serkis. The director expressed particular inspiration from a specific Christopher Priest comic book run, which opens with T’Challa, Ross, and Kraven in a kitchen fight sequence. This unique crossover moment, however, did not come to pass.
As Coogler recounted to Josh Horowitz during an appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the proposed combination of villains was not a settled matter during the film’s development. He explained that while Klaue and Killmonger were penciled in as antagonists, the creative team was open to broadening the gallery of adversaries to further challenge T’Challa, the Black Panther.
“The outline of villains was Klaue and Killmonger, but they weren’t sure. They weren’t sure. Klaue felt slightly modular to them, and obviously, it was the great Andy Serkis, so I’m hyped to work with him,”
said Ryan Coogler, Director.
“[I] 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,”
said Ryan Coogler, Director.
Sony Pictures Denies the Request for Kraven
Coogler’s desire to bring Kraven to the screen was fueled by his own passion for Spider-Man media, including both the comics and the animated series, where Kraven plays a significant role. This excitement led him to formally request the character for Black Panther. However, the rights to Kraven rest with Sony Pictures, not Marvel Studios, complicating any cross-franchise cameos.
Marvel, acting on Coogler’s behalf, approached Sony to secure permission for Kraven’s inclusion. The response, as described by Coogler, was swift and definitive: Sony Pictures refused to lend the character out for Black Panther at that time.
“I’m a big Spider-Man fan, especially ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series.’ Kraven is in that. He’s also great in the books,”
said Ryan Coogler, Director.
“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.’”
, said Ryan Coogler, Director.
What Became of Kraven the Hunter and the Sonyverse
In the years following Coogler’s attempt, Sony chose to further develop its own universe of Spider-Man-related characters, dubbed the Sonyverse. Kraven the Hunter was later cast for a standalone film, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson starring under the direction of J.C. Chandor, known for Triple Frontier. This move cemented Sony’s commitment to building a roster of movies around legacy characters like Venom, Morbius, and Madame Web, focusing on villains and allies from the Spider-Man world. Despite this expansion, many fans remain disappointed that none of these characters, including Kraven, have crossed over with Tom Holland’s portrayal of Spider-Man in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, even as Kraven holds status as a classic antagonist for the web-slinger.
The fate of the Sonyverse is now uncertain, with questions remaining about the future involvement of these Spider-Man villains in shared universe films, especially as Marvel looks ahead to new projects like Spider-Man: Brand New Day, directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and expected to bring Tom Holland back to the forefront as Peter Parker. This uncertainty keeps fans speculating over whether Marvel Studios might eventually gain access to Kraven or other Sony-controlled characters for future MCU storylines.
Looking Ahead: Coogler’s Ongoing Ambitions
As Ryan Coogler moves forward in his career, anticipation continues to build around his future projects. He has expressed enthusiasm for potentially working with major talents like Denzel Washington, with rumors linking this collaboration to the upcoming Gladiator sequel. Furthermore, discussions are underway regarding Black Panther 3, expected to be Coogler’s next feature film after his current involvement with an X-Files revival series.
This episode in creative negotiations highlights the persistent rigidness in studio boundaries, as evidenced by Sony Pictures’ refusal, and the difficulties filmmakers face in crafting interconnected cinematic experiences. The Ryan Coogler Black Panther Kraven story stands as a passionate example of what might have been, illustrating both the creative ambitions and the commercial realities that define superhero movies today.
