‘Black Panther’ Director Reveals Marvel Villain That Couldn’t Appear in Original Film

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Ryan Coogler, who directed both Black Panther films and the Eyes of Wakanda animated series, shared that Marvel Studios initially thought about featuring the Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter in the first Black Panther movie.

Ryan Coogler recently shared on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that although using the Kraven character was considered, the studio decided against it.

Director Ryan Coogler revealed that the initial plan for the film’s villains involved both Erik Killmonger, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan, and Klaw. He explained that while they were considering both, Klaw felt like he could be easily adjusted or removed from the story. Coogler also expressed his excitement about the opportunity to work with Andy Serkis, who would have played Klaw.

He explained the story’s beginning was influenced by Christopher Priest’s work on Black Panther comics, specifically a scene where Black Panther and Kraven have a fight in a kitchen. He emphasized, “It literally starts with Ross, Panther, and Kraven fighting in a kitchen.”

Ryan Coogler, who’s a big Spider-Man fan, really wanted to include the character Kraven in his film. He asked Marvel Studios if it was a possibility, but they initially doubted it. They checked with Sony, who owns the rights to Kraven, and Sony immediately said no. Coogler was then told that Kraven wouldn’t be appearing in the movie.

I initially agreed, but it took about two weeks to explore some concepts. Ultimately, I’m glad that project didn’t move forward because it would have meant Kraven replaced Klaw, and I wouldn’t have had the chance to collaborate with Andy. It was never really going to happen anyway, thankfully.

It’s easy to understand why Kraven wasn’t in the Black Panther movie. Andy Serkis’ performance as Klaw successfully tied the film into the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially since Klaw also appeared in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

As a fan, I always thought Killmonger was the perfect villain for Black Panther. His family history gave him a legitimate reason to go to Wakanda and challenge for the throne, which made the story so compelling. Director Ryan Coogler has said that if they’d used Kraven instead, it wouldn’t have worked as well – we’d have lost a really powerful antagonist and some interesting connections to the wider Marvel universe wouldn’t have been explored.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson starred as Kraven in a 2024 Sony Pictures movie, giving the character his first live-action portrayal. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t successful, receiving poor reviews and failing to perform well at the box office.

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2025-12-29 23:22