Tom Holland reveals the backup plan for Spider-Man: No Way Home – and it involved Kraven the Hunter

Spider-Man: No Way Home
(Image credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios)

Tom Holland has revealed the alternate plan for his third Spider-Man movie.

It’s hard to imagine Spider-Man: No Way Home being anything but a multiverse adventure now, but it was never a sure thing. Holland revealed to Collider that director Jon Watts’ initial plan was very different – and involved a certain Kraven the Hunter.

"For a long time, there was going to be a Kraven movie that was going to be the third movie because things weren’t working out and all sorts of different stuff," Holland said. "Jon pitched me this Kraven movie, which actually was really cool. I don’t want to talk about it in case that movie ends up happening down the line, but it was fun."

Holland probably has every right to tread carefully with any Kraven pitches. That’s because Aaron Taylor-Johnson, as per Variety, will portray Russian supervillain in a standalone Kraven the Hunter movie, with A Most Violent Year director J.C. Chandor set to helm the project.

Even without Kraven – most famous for his ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ comic arc that saw the hunter bury and impersonate Spider-Man – there are still plenty of villains to go around in No Way Home. Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and Electro have been front and center of marketing so far, while Sandman and Lizard are also likely to oppose Spidey throughout the threequel. Still, we hope Kraven can get the webhead in his sights one day.

Spider-Man: No Way Home is swinging into cinemas on December 15 in the UK and December 17 in the US. For more on the MCU’s grand plans, check out our guide to Marvel Phase 4.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.