‘Spider-Man 4’: Sam Raimi Wanted to Use This Iconic Villain
Spider-Man fans have seen many of the heroes’ villains on the silver screen including Green Goblin, Mysterio, Vulture, Electro, Doctor Octopus, Sandman, and Venom. However, there are still several villains that comic book fans crave to see on the big screen fighting their favorite web-slinger. Director Sam Raimi says that he wanted to use this iconic villain in Spider-Man 4 who still has not been seen in any movie.
Sam Raimi never got the chance to make ‘Spider-Man 4’
Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy is beloved by many. The first Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire is still a milestone movie in the superhero genre. While Spider-Man 3 did not receive the same love from critics and audiences as the first two, many still wanted to see a closing chapter for Maguire’s Spider-Man. We did get some form of closure in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but Raimi never got to finish his vision.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, Raimi said that he wanted to make Spider-Man 4 as a form of redemption for Spider-Man 3 and to end on a high note. However, he ultimately abandoned the idea because he couldn’t get the script to be of the quality he wanted.
“It was a very painful experience for me. I wanted to make a Spider-Man movie to redeem myself for that. [The aborted] Spider-Man 4 — that was really what that was about. I wanted to go out on a high note. I didn’t want to just make another one that pretty much worked. I had a really high standard in my mind. And I didn’t think I could get that script to the level that I was hoping for by that start date.”
Sam Raimi wanted to use the villain Kraven the Hunter in ‘Spider-Man 4’
Raimi has plenty of ideas for Spider-Man 4. Similar to 3, the movie would include multiple villains including John Malkovich as Vulture and Bruce Campbell as Mysterio. One villain that the director really wanted to utilize was Kraven the Hunter. In the comics, Kraven is a famous hunter who has a goal to kill Spider-Man in order to declare himself the greatest hunter in the world.
“I missed Kraven the Hunter,” Raimi told Rolling Stone. “We were going to work that character into the next Spider-Man; I always wanted to see Kraven fight Spider-Man on the big screen. I thought that would be really unique. He’s the ultimate hunter, and Spider-Man is like the most agile trickster of the skies. And I wanted to see Peter continue forward as a human being.”
Fortunately, Raimi will have a chance to see Kraven soon as there is a Kraven the Hunter movie on the way starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The Sony movie is expected to debut in 2023. However, since this takes place in the Sony Spider-Man universe, it’s unclear if we will see Kraven and Spider-Man fight.
Will there be a fourth Spider-Man movie with Tobey Maguire?
Maguire’s recent appearance in No Way Home had fans hungry for more. Many are wondering if Maguire and Raimi would be interested in coming back to make a Spider-Man 4 and finish the story. While there is nothing confirmed by Sony and it’s probably unlikely, Raimi says he would be interested in making another if there was a “great story” and Maguire wanted to return.
If there was a great story there, I think it’d be … my love for the characters hasn’t diminished one iota,” Raimi said. “It would be the same things that would stop me now that stopped me then: ‘Does Tobey want to do it? Is there an emotional arc for him? Is there a great conflict for this character? And is there a worthy villain that fits into the theme of the piece?’ There’s a lot of questions that would have to be answered. If those could be answered, then I’d love to.”
Raimi is returning to Marvel with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, arriving in theaters on May 6.
