Aaron Taylor-Johnson on Kraven the Hunter, Following Madame Web Bombing

Aaron Taylor-Johnson revealed there was one thing that would have kept him from signing onto Kraven the Hunter.

In a cover story for Rolling Stone U.K., the Bullet Train actor opened up about his role in the upcoming Sony/Marvel project, which sees him take on the role of the Spider-Man villain.

“I think there was something unique about this character and something grounded,” he told the publication. “We’ve all had enough of seeing certain studio films, a certain kind of pop culture… where they’re churning out stuff that dilutes wanting to go to the cinema. I wouldn’t have signed onto it if I felt there wasn’t something to really bring to life with this character.”

He explained that working on a Sony/Marvel film is a challenge in and of itself because there are so many things to take into consideration for the part.

“There’s the story, the character, the role; that’s one thing,” Taylor-Johnson explained. “But then you also step into a world where you’re dealing with a studio and a franchise — or possible franchises, though let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

He continued, “They’re rolling the dice on me, in a sense, which is a lovely thing. But you’ve got to appease the studio, please the audience and do what’s dignified for you as an actor. I find all of that super challenging.”

Kraven the Hunter follows Taylor-Johnson’s Sergei Kravinoff, a Russian immigrant who’s on a mission to prove he’s the greatest hunter in the world, according to its logline. The film’s trailer shows audiences how he goes from wanting to be a hunter to one of Spider-Man’s most formidable villains. Russell Crowe, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola and Christopher Abbott round out the cast.

Sony is betting big on Kraven because the character is one of the more well-known villains in Marvel’s comics. Taylor-Johnson signed a multi-year deal with the company when he was first cast in the role. Following the release of Madame Web, the studio could also use a win at the box office, considering the Dakota Johnson-starrer grossed less than $100 million worldwide.

Kraven the Hunter was set to hit theaters Oct. 6, 2023, but its release date was pushed to Aug. 30, 2024, as a result of the actors strike.