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

Ryan Coogler, the director behind the two Black Panther movies and the animated series Eyes of Wakanda, revealed that Marvel once considered including Spider-Man villain Kraven the Hunter in the first Black Panther film.

In a recent interview with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Coogler explained that while Kraven was briefly an option, the studio ultimately blocked the idea.

Coogler said the original villain plan for the movie was always Erik Killmonger, played by Michael B. Jordan, and Klaw. “In the outline of villains were Klaw and Killmonger, but they weren’t sure. Klaw felt slightly modular to them, and obviously, it was the great Andy Serkis, so I’m hyped to work with him,” he explained.

He added that the story was inspired by Christopher Priest’s comic run on Black Panther, which begins with a fight between Black Panther and Kraven in a kitchen. “His run starts with a fight with Panther and Kraven in the kitchen. That’s the first thing. It’s Ross, Panther, and Kraven fighting in a Kitchen.”

Coogler, a long-time Spider-Man fan, said he loved the idea of using Kraven and asked Marvel if it was possible. “I was like, ‘Yo, can I have Kraven in this movie?’ They were like, ‘We don’t think so, but let us check.’ So, they hit Sony, and Sony was like, ‘Absolutely not.’ They came back to me like, ‘Yo, we can’t do it.’

So, I was like, ‘Okay.’…But it was like a two-week process where I was developing some ideas. But I’m glad it didn’t work out because Kraven would have basically taken that Klaw spot, and I wouldn’t have been able to work with Andy. Thankfully, it was doomed from the jump.” He said.

Fans of the MCU can see why Kraven never made it into Black Panther. Andy Serkis’ portrayal of Klaw helped connect the film to the larger Marvel universe, including his appearance in Avengers: Age of Ultron.

His role also gave Killmonger a clear path to enter Wakanda and claim his place as a challenger to the throne. Coogler noted that if Kraven had appeared instead, it would have taken away a major antagonist from the story and left some MCU connections unused.

Kraven eventually received his own movie from Sony Pictures in 2024, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, marking the character’s first live-action appearance, and it flopped both when it comes to box office and audience reactions.