Actor Alessandro Nivola has been cast as a villain in the upcoming Marvel film Kraven the Hunter. Nivola joins a previously announced slate of actors including, Aaron Taylor-Johnson (who will play the titular character), Fred Hechinger (Chameleon), Ariana DeBose (Calypso), and Russell Crowe. Details about Nivola’s role is currently kept under wraps.
Written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk, the film is set to be directed by JC Chandor. Kraven is best known as one of Spider-Man’s most popular nemeses. Created by Spider-Man co-creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, the character made his comic debut in 1964’s The Amazing Spider-Man No. 15. Over his long tenure in the comics, Kraven is best known for the classic 1980s storyline Kraven’s Last Hunt, in which the villain succeeds in defeating Spider-Man, burying him alive, and assuming his identity.
Kraven the Hunter is set for a release on January 13, 2023. The film is produced by Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach. Kraven the Hunter is one of the many projects in development at Sony for its Sony Universe of Marvel Characters. The studio has released Venom (2018) and Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), and has the Jared Leto-starrer Morbius set to release in April. The studio is also developing a Madame Web movie with Dakota Johnson attached to star.
Meanwhile, Nivola is best known for starring in titles such as Face/Off, Jurassic Park III, and Selma. He recently played Dickie Moltisanti in The Sopranos prequel movie, The Many Saints of Newark.