CASTING KRAVEN
The Hunter Should Take a Shot at Hollywood
By Jerry W. Vandal
Spider-Man is held tightly in the grasp of the Vulture as he flies low through the car packed streets of New York City. A news crew is bobbing and weaving through traffic as it attempts to keep up with the embattled foes. Vulture releases Spider-Man into the trunk of a car causing the arachnid hero to collide into and bounce defenselessly to the ground. The Vulture flies slightly overhead and grins victoriously. And then he looks up to see a silhouetted man barreling towards him. The burly man latches onto Vulture with a bear-hug like hold and drives the winged criminal onto the hood of a taxi (insert an appearance of Stan Lee as he peaks out of the window of his now wrecked cab). Vulture is out for the count.
The news crew jet from their van and get a shot of Spider-Man trying to clear his head and struggle to get to his feet. They then move to the man over Vulture and find it is the big game reality television star from “Kraven’s Prey”. “Kraven, what brings you to New York City,” the news reporter rambles off as she catches her breath and places a mic in front of Russia’s biggest star. “I’m here for one thing. To take the Spider’s head on place it on my mantle.”
It’s unlikely that Kraven is high on Sony’s priority list. Even with their incessant need to cram as many villains possible into the Spider-Man movies—Kraven is a long shot. At best he’s a cult favorite among the numerous antagonists in the web-heads rogue gallery. It’s even more unlikely as it becomes more and more popular to jam as many villains into comic book movies that Kraven would get the solo shot at Spider-Man he deserves (I mean Venom couldn’t even get shot one on one). But if it was to happen the name at the top of my short list would be Jason Momoa. He has the chiseled features and physique that would help create a visual replica of what we’ve seen in the comics. He’s also found his niche taking on roles that call for him to be an intimidating presence. He can work a fight scene and he’s got charisma. Seriously, get this guy a lions mane vest and get him stalking the web-slinger through New York City.
If you’ve watched Game of Thrones (head over to a mirror and apologize to yourself if you haven’t) you’ll remember Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo—lord of the Dothraki, a civilization of barbaric warriors feared for their ferocity in battle. As Khal Drogo, Momoa speaks with a commanding tone and is a physically dominating presence. He looks like a man who bathes in war. He sounds like a man that speaking in thunderous battle hymns.
Momoa also stared as Conan in the latest (and unlikely to get the green light for a sequel) Conan The Barbarian movie. While it did not see success financially, I found it to be very entertaining and in the spirit of the movies staring Arnold Schwarzenegger. While much more light-hearted in his demeanor, Momoa prese that I think would help him onscreen while playing a man whose ego has driven him into living out Richard Connells, “The Most Dangerous Game” .
And then there is Jason’s turn as Keegan in “Bullet to the head,” where he gets to tangle with Sylvester Stallone. The movie itself was nothing more than it was meant to me—a guy flick that’s supposed to make us believe that the 67 year old Stallone is still a bad ass (and hey, he is) but Momoa got a chance to step outside of his else-world barbarian act and play a thinking man who would still slit your throat if you crossed him.
A Kraven movie is unlikely—perhaps a turn up in a Sinister-Six movie. But, none-the-less, Jason Momoa could breath the kind of life into Kraven that helps villains make the truly memorable comic book flicks. With the exception of not being Russian, Momoa has the look and has played similar characters.
And if Kraven ever gets a shot at the silver screen and Jason Momoa gets the role, I just want to throw out there that I’m expecting some type of kick back.
