Warning: Contains Potential Spoilers for Spider-Man & Wolverine #1!

Kraven the Hunter has earned his spot as one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic Spider-Man villains, but a new series suggests that the character would be better served in another superhero’s rogues gallery. As Kraven meets Spidey again in his latest adventure, Wolverine s the action, proving that the former Sinister Six member and super-powered big game hunter may be a more worthy match for the mutant hero.

Marvel’s preview for Spider-Man & Wolverine #1, written by Marc Guggenheim with art by Kaare Andrews, features the two popular heroes teaming up on an all-new mission and immediately facing off against two of their most brutal villains.

When Kraven the Hunter and Omega Red enter the fray, Wolverine and Spidey find themselves going toe-to-toe with a less familiar foe as they take on each other’s more common nemeses. As Wolverine and Kraven fight, the hunter actually says that Wolverine is the “more challenging quarry”. Since Kraven wants to prove that he’s the world’s greatest hunter, this declaration could mean he’s moved on from Spider-Man.

Marvel Re-Ignites the Debate Over If Kraven the Hunter Should Actually Be a Wolverine Villain

Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 by Marc Guggenheim, Kaare Andrews, and Brian Reber

Since Kraven blatantly states Wolverine is “more challenging quarry” in this new series, the creative team might also be suggesting that Kraven the Hunter makes more sense as a Wolverine villain than one of Spider-Man’s enemies. The mutant hero has a long list of powerful foes himself, but since Wolverine is far more animalistic than Spidey in a variety of ways, it’s a no-brainer to pit him against an animal hunter. The characters aesthetically match as adversaries, so some readers have been eager to get a more fleshed-out battle between them, and Kraven’s now indicating that he wants the same.

With the new revelation in Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 that Kraven actually finds Wolverine to be the most challenging game to hunt, it’s pretty clear that the villain should actually be targeting the clawed mutant if he really wants to claim the title of the Marvel Universe’s greatest hunter. As it’s mentioned in the preview, Wolverine and Kraven have actually gone toe-to-toe before, in X-Force #33 by Benjamin Percy, Robert Gill, and Guru-eFX. However, their battle then was fairly brief, and Wolverine hasn’t truly had a chance to dig his claws into Kraven as a more hardcore opponent with real stakes.

Wolverine Proves Kraven Is a Better Match for Spider-Man

Wolverine May Be Too Powerful to Make Kraven a Compelling Long-Term Enemy

There are some issues holding back the argument that Wolverine should take Kraven on as his enemy in the comics, and a major one is that it’s likely that Wolverine could actually take out Kraven pretty easily, and wouldn’t be as friendly as Spider-Man. Wolverine easily defeated Kraven during their scuffle back in the pages of X-Force, and the issue indicates that if the mutant hero were in a more deadly mood, that could have been the end of this version of Kraven. Still, as they rematch in Spider-Man & Wolverine, Kraven could prove capable of putting up a better fight.

Although Wolverine and Kraven make a logical pairing, the hunter is a strong addition to Spider-Man's large list of villains and helps make the character’s rogues gallery one of comics’ best. The various versions of Kraven exist as fairly grounded villains for Spider-Man, although the mantle is just as brash and colorful as some of the others, and it’s one that brings along serious stakes. The contrast between Spider-Man and Kraven makes their dynamic as enemies more complex than one would be with Wolverine, but the villain has earned the chance to go up against Marvel’s other iconic heroes more often.

Kraven Is One of Spider-Man’s Greatest Villains but Deserves to Hunt More Marvel Heroes

Should the Hunter Move Beyond the Webslinger?

The various incarnations of Kraven have gone up against other heroes in the past, like Black Panther and the Hulk, but the character’s mantle keeps going back to Spider-Man comics because that’s where he originated and arguably where he belongs. Kraven is responsible for some of Spider-Man’s most iconic comic stories. Still, other characters in the Marvel Universe got their start as villains in Spider-Man comics and moved beyond that status. Marvel can try to make Kraven a Wolverine villain, or even turn him into a superhero of his own, but he’ll always be connected to Spider-Man lore.

After the villain’s film adaptation that attempted to turn Kraven into a hero failed to materialize with real franchise potential, there’s room for Marvel Comics to reinvigorate his status in Earth-616 as a hardcore villain. Perhaps a new rivalry being solidified in Spider-Man & Wolverine or his role in Marvel’s Predator crossover series could help Kraven stand on his own outside the Spider-Man franchise and take on new prominence in the Marvel Universe at large. If Kraven has officially decided that Spider-Man is a less worthy threat than Wolverine, he’ll have to start hunting a different superhero from now on.

Spider-Man & Wolverine #1 will be available May 21, 2025, from Marvel Comics!