Kraven The Hunter Ending Explained

Kraven the Hunter ends about as well as one would expect, considering the rest of Sony's Spider-Man Universe movies. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the titular Sergei Kravinoff, the movie's ending sees Kraven fully becoming the Spider-Man villain he's known to be in the comics, while also featuring some fun secondary reveals. That said, Kraven's villainous evolution isn't nearly as satisfying as many were hoping it would be. In Kraven the Hunter, Sergei Kravinoff's history and origins with his father Nikolai (Russell Crowe) are explored, as well as his mission in the present day to save his half-brother Dimitri (Fred Hechinger) from The Rhino (Alessandro Nivola). However, the ending does feature some strange character choices based on what was established earlier in the new Marvel film. With that in mind, here's Kraven the Hunter's ending explained, as well as what it might mean for the future. Kraven The Hunter's Final Shot Explained Custom image by Richard Craig A year after Sergei saves his brother and kills both The Rhino and Nikolai, Kraven returns to his father's house after his brother tells him that their father left him something. Opening a box, Sergei discovers that Nikolai took the head of the lion that nearly killed him as a child and had it made into a vest. Now, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Sergei better resembles Marvel Comics' Kraven once he puts on the lion's head vest and sits down, resting his chin on one arm. The result is Kraven the Hunter ending with a shot of Sergei mirroring Kraven's classic look in one of his most recognizable poses on the page. This signifies his full evolution into the Spider-Man villain he's known to be in the comics, giving him the nearly requisite comics-accurate costume look in the third act that audiences have certainly come to expect from the superhero movie genre at this point. What Kraven Putting On The Lion Jacket Means Beyond the comic book significance, Kraven putting on the vest also signifies a darker turn for the character. The accompanying note from Sergei's late father contained Nikolai's claims that he and Kraven were the same, legendary hunters to be dreaded. Despite Sergei's hate for his father, it seems this letter, combined with his prior conversation with Dimitri (who voiced similar sentiments), has motivated Kraven to embrace the path his father always wanted for him: The Hunter. To that end, Sergei's apparent acceptance that he's not a good man is the only reason that makes sense as to why he'd put the vest on to begin with. Nikolai Kravinoff's Death Explained Song Pictures Releasing Before putting on the vest and the one-year jump, Kraven is shown meeting with his father in the forest after Rhino is killed and Dimitri is saved. Unwilling to become his father's heir and take over his criminal empire, Sergei secretly removes the bullets from Nikolai's rifle. It's also heavily implied that Sergei influenced the grizzly bear to attack and maul his father, just like he influenced the bison herd to attack the convoy during the Rhino fight and the wolf during Sergei's prison breakout in Kraven the Hunter's opening scenes. Why Kraven Finally Went After His Father Having learned from Rhino that Nikolai was the one who set him up and put him in Aleksei Sytsevich's sights, Sergei finally went after his father after years of keeping his distance. This was because Nikolai knowingly used one son to kill a threat he could not, while also risking his other son as acceptable collateral damage. As such, Kraven could no longer abide by his father's darkness and the pain he brought into the world, hence the bear attack. How Dmitri Became Chameleon Explained Sergei's meeting with Dimitri in Kraven the Hunter's final scenes reveals that Dimitri has taken over both their father's empire and The Rhino's assets. Likewise, Dimitri also reveals that he met with the same New York doctor who gave Sytsevich his strength, horns, and hardened skin. Now having the ability to take on the appearance of anyone at will, Dimitri has officially become the classic Spider-Man villain known as The Chameleon, a master of disguise who once used old-fashioned masks and advanced tech before similarly gaining inherent abilities to shapeshift, just like Marvel's new live-action Chameleon. Sure enough, The Chameleon's classic all-white head from the comics is shown with Dimitri changing his face at will. Likewise, the New York doctor in question is none other than geneticist Miles Warren, aka The Jackal. Warren is most famous for instigating Spider-Man's infamous Clone Saga in the comics, creating multiple clones, with the most notable being the Scarlet Spiders, Ben Reilly and Kaine Parker. Why Chameleon Took Over His Father's Criminal Empire It truly is an odd decision why Dimitri chose to take over his father's empire at the end of Kraven the Hunter. Despite accusing Sergei of being just like their father, whom they both hated, Dimitri still chooses to become him all the same. This is even more baffling when considering how much he wanted to become someone else, and especially now considering his new powers. The only somewhat decent explanation for this choice is likely a residual ongoing cycle of abuse where Dimitri ultimately still wants to make Nikolai proud, even after his death (and despite all the pain and torment he'd caused him). What Happened To Calypso? During the battle with Rhino and his men, Calypso (Ariana DeBose) kills The Foreigner (Christopher Abbott) before giving Sergei more of her family's potion ahead of his fight with Sytsevich. However, Calypso isn't seen again, making her future uncertain. That said, it's probably safe to assume that Calypso went back to work in London and would likely work with Kraven again to help him track down more targets in the future. It also stands to reason that Sergei might want to learn more about the potion that saved his life twice, especially after the confirmation that Calypso had more of the elixir. The Real Meaning Of Kraven The Hunter's Ending Explained Ultimately, the real meaning behind Kraven the Hunter's ending is somewhat hard to fully decipher considering the general half-baked nature of the third act, as well as Sergei and Dimitri's arguably uncharacteristic decisions in the wake of their father's death. This is particularly true of Kraven's decision to not only wear his father's gift, but also to kill Nikolai in the first place. For example, it might have made more sense for Kraven to break the cycle of darkness by sparing his father's life. Additionally, it also could have made more sense for Sergei to discard the vest after trying it on, rather than all too quickly embracing the path his father laid out for him in the last two minutes of Kraven the Hunter. At any rate, it certainly does seem as though Kraven the Hunter's ending suffers from being far too rushed. It simply doesn't fully pay off the potential that had been set up earlier in the new Marvel movie. How Kraven The Hunter's Ending Was Received While it was nice to see Kraven the Hunter finally look like his iconic comic book counterpart, by the time it happens, it's hard to be excited given how lackluster the rest of the film is. In fact, if the movie had been much stronger overall, a lot of the final moments that set all these characters on their new paths could have made more of an impact. Instead, Kraven the Hunter's ending was received like many of Sony's Spider-Man Universe films with a resounding... "meh." Chameleon was the very first villain that Spider-Man fought in Marvel Comics, and he could have been set up on a collision course with the wall crawler, but the isolated nature of Sony's shared universe made it likely that it would never happen (even if the SSU was still alive). Most choices the characters make at the end of Kraven the Hunter are also baffling, making the journey to get there feel pointless for several viewers. Does The Ending Set Up A Kraven The Hunter Sequel? Now that Sergei has officially become the Kraven seen in the comics by the movie's ending, it's natural to wonder if there will be a sequel or if the character will be brought back as a key Spider-Man villain at some point. However, it was recently confirmed that Sony's existing Spider-Man Universe of spin-off films is over, effectively making 2024's Kraven the Hunter the last of a very rocky and largely underperforming interconnected universe which never really found its stride. As such, a sequel feels highly doubtful at this point, even if the movie had performed better than it did. The biggest bummer is that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was solid casting for a live-action Kraven despite the movie's overall struggles, so the fact that we'll likely never see him face off against any version of Spider-Man is a pretty sad waste of potential. That said, perhaps Kraven the Hunter could be used in a future MCU Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland, though one can imagine it'd likely be with a new actor. After all, an adaptation of the "Kraven's Last Hunt" storyline for Spider-Man 5 sounds awfully compelling. Release Date December 13, 2024 Runtime 127 Minutes Director J.C. Chandor Cast Sergei Kravinoff / Kraven Kraven the Hunter explores the origin story of Sergei Kravinoff, known as Kraven, as he navigates his tumultuous relationship with his father, Nikolai. This path of vengeance sets Kraven on a journey to become a formidable hunter with a reputation for fearsome brutality.