EXCLUSIVE: The Many Saints of Newark star Alessandro Nivola is set to join Sony Pictures’ Marvel movie Kraven the Hunter, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the titular role. It’s unknown who Nivola will be playing other than it being the villain in the film. He joins a cast that includes Ariana DeBose, Russell Crowe and Fred Hechinger
J.C. Chandor is directing the pic with Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach producing. Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk penned the screenplay.
Sony had no comment on Nivola’s casting.
One of Sony Pictures’ universe of Marvel characters, Kraven is among Marvel’s most iconic and notorious antiheroes. He has encountered Venom, Black Panther and many others as well as being one of Spider-Man’s best-known and most-formidable enemies. The film will be released theatrically January 13.
Sony is coming off a hot streak, with Spider-Man: No Way Home becoming the biggest film of 2021 with $1.8 billion in worldwide sales after Venom: Let There Be Carnage made more than $500 million worldwide. As for future films, the Jared Leto-starrer Morbius bows next month in the U.S., and the studio just named Dakota Johnson to lead Madame Web.
Nivola continues to build momentum following his star turn as Dickie Moltisanti in last year’s The Sopranos prequel film The Many Saints of Newark.
Later this year, he stars as part of the A-list ensemble in the as yet untitled David O Russell movie which includes Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, Robert DeNiro, Rami Malek, and Anya Taylor Joy among a host of others. He also stars opposite Alison Brie in Jeff Baena’s comedy Spin Me Round which is set to debut at SXSW on March 12. He just wrapped the 20th Century pic Boston Strangler starring opposite Keira Knightly.
Nivola is repped by CAA, Independent Talent in the UK, and Range Media.