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This week at CinemaCon, attendees got their first look at Kraven the Hunter. With the film confirmed to be R-Rated and have a more violent tone to it, fans were surprised considering most of Sony's Marvel films have been PG-13. However, the biggest surprise came when it was confirmed that Rhino, to be portrayed by Alessandro Nivola, will appear as a villain in the movie.
Rhino is a classic Spider-Man villain, and his being in Kraven the Hunter left fans excited. He is one of the biggest enemies of the wall-crawler and first made his appearance in 1966. However, it looks like Kraven the Hunter will be adding its own spin on the Marvel villain, as the description hinted at a twist.
Kraven the Hunter villain, Rhino goes by the name Aleksei Sytsevich
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In the comic books, Rhino goes by the name of Aleksei Sytsevich and was introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #41 created by the legendary duo of Stan Lee and John Romita Sr. The character in the comics is rather simple like any of the animal-themed Spider-Man villains in that he looks like a rhino and specializes in causing destruction.
According to Fandom, Aleksei was a Russian mafia thug who had dreams of becoming rich. When given the promise of earning easy money and power, Aleksei put himself through a series of life-threatening radiation treatments that turned him into a superhuman and he soon became an agent for professional spies.
His superhuman strength came from his armor, which permanently bonded with him. He took the form of a rhinoceros, as the scientists behind the project believed that it was a form that would make Aleksei instantly recognizable and would form an armor that would be effective in an assault. Aleksei then received the codename Rhino and was sent on a mission.
His first mission was to kidnap J. Jonah Jameson's son, John Jameson, and sell him to a bidder. This put him on a collision course with Spider-Man, who saved the day and stopped Rhino's plans. This incident is what led to the age-old rivalry between the duo.
However, it looks like Kraven the Hunter will be taking a different route with Rhino's character.
In the footage description of Kraven the Hunter from CinemaCon, it was confirmed that instead of having the armor directly, Aleksei will be taking a serum that will turn him into a raging monster.
This is very different from the Spider-Man comics, where one of Rhino's defining characteristics is how he wants to let go of the armor and become a person again. However, it seems like Kraven the Hunter will feature him wanting to become Rhino by choice and not out of desperation.
It is clear that Kraven the Hunter will portray Rhino differently as compared to comics. It is important to note that Kraven himself is a Spider-Man villain, and pitting Rhino against him will surely be interesting. Kraven loves hunting down meta-humans who have an animalistic tendency, and Rhino can definitely offer him that challenge.
The much-awaited film is set to release in theaters on October 6, 2023.
