Keanu Reeves Has Made A Decision On Playing Kraven The Hunter
Rumors were flying about Keanu Reeves playing Kraven the Hunter. But apparently, the actor turned down the role months ago when offered.
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Keanu Reeves has been in and out of rumors over the last couple of days around a super-villain entering the Marvel Universe. It appeared, at least for a short time, that he was going to play Kraven the Hunter opposite Spider-Man in an upcoming movie. But it looks like those rumors have been put fully to bed and, in fact, the decision was made months ago. Keanu Reeves won’t be taking the role of Kraven the Hunter and that has some fans pleased.
Skyler Shuler, the Editor-in-Chief for TheDisInsider had this to say by way of confirmation about the initial rumor and the timing in general.
The rumor about Keanu Reeves playing Kraven the Hunter surfaced early this week with a couple of different *sources* throwing out the rumor that the actor had been offered and was considering the role. The first part of that appears true. The studio apparently did approach Reeves about playing the part. But around the same time the actor promptly turned it down.
So the rumors around Keanu Reeves taking the role of Kraven were at least partly true. The studio eyeing him for the role was accurate. But the actor had no interest. It’s probably for the best. Some fans didn’t think the fit was all that great of a fit and there really isn’t all that much overlap between the actor and the general feel of the character.
Kraven is a maniac Soviet big-game hunter who targets Spider-Man as part of his mission to take down “the big one”. It’s hard to see Keanu Reeves leaning into the energy of that role considering his core skill in flicks has been the quiet and confident demeanor while he destroys his opponents. Kraven did feel like a bit of a stretch.
Even though Keanu Reeves isn’t taking the role, it’s clear director Jon Watts wants Kraven in the next movie. He’s on the record with that idea and there appears more than enough to go on that Kraven has a part in whatever Spider-Man 3 ends up being. But who takes that role is now in question. Some fans and maybe even the studio were clamoring for Karl Urban, but that’s just the internet mob talking for now. Who takes the role will likely need to have some kind of crazed energy and more of a cold-weather vibe than Reeves.
As for Keanu Reeves, there’s plenty on this guy’s plate already. First off, there are rumors he could take on the role of Ghost Rider in the Marvel Universe. This already feels like a better match for the actor even if Johnny Blaze is a bit more amped up than roles Reeves has played in the past. Plus, he’s set to release the much-anticipated Matrix 4 later this year. And after that, it’s back-to-back John Wick movies. He’s as busy as they come. Maybe he doesn’t need to take another role as a villain. Or maybe that’s why it was easy to turn down.
