Sony is expanding its “Spider-Man” character universe on the big screen, with the upcoming film “Kraven the Hunter” featuring a fresh portrayal of The Rhino. This iteration of the character has the potential to become a formidable counterpart to the Hulk in Sony’s “Spider-Man” Universe, despite the films being subject to extensive memes.
Throughout their encounters in Marvel Comics, the matchups between these formidable characters have consistently favored the Hulk. In terms of strength, intelligence, and other attributes, Rhino has always fallen short against the Green Giant. In “The Incredible Hulk” #104, Hulk confronts the Spider-Man villain and ultimately eliminates him after Rhino attempts to hold Betty Ross captive.
In the realm of comics, there’s no doubt that the Hulk reigns supreme over Rhino. However, Sony’s interpretation of Rhino in “Kraven the Hunter” has the potential to take their rivalry to new heights. In the trailer, Rhino is depicted without his traditional costume, instead showcasing a surprising Hulk-like transformation. Combined with his gamma-ray-enhanced powers, it seems that Sony is positioning Rhino to become their own formidable counterpart to the Hulk, and the timing couldn’t be more opportune.
Sony’s Rhino could capitalize on the MCU’s lack of Hulk
Marvel Studios has faced a notable challenge when it comes to the Hulk’s presence in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following “The Incredible Hulk,” the character has received limited attention, and “Avengers: Endgame” introduced a different version of the Hulk, known as Professor Hulk. Nevertheless, if Sony approaches it strategically, “Kraven the Hunter” has the potential to offer audiences a Hulk-like creature that could help fill the void left by the green rage monster.
In the comic books, Rhino acquired his enhanced abilities through exposure to gamma rays, resulting in increased strength, stamina, durability, and speed. However, unlike the portrayal in “Kraven the Hunter,” transformations were not part of the villain’s repertoire. Instead, he was bonded to a rhinoceros suit, which augmented his strength and vitality, and provided resistance against various forms of damage, such as bullets and extreme temperatures. When we combine these comic-book powers with the intriguing transformation hinted at in the “Kraven the Hunter” trailer, where Rhino can become a hybrid of Rhino and human, the character starts to resemble the familiar rage monster last seen in the MCU.
As the MCU has shifted its focus towards Professor Hulk, the character’s displays of mindless smashing and raw strength have become less prominent. Considering this, Sony has the opportunity to position Rhino as the stronger on-screen character in “Kraven the Hunter.” There have been rumors circulating that Marvel has regained the rights to Hulk, which opens up the possibility of a future showdown between Hulk and Rhino, perhaps in a film like “Secret Wars.” Of course, this assumes that Marvel Studios and Sony can maintain a cooperative relationship long enough to bring such a matchup to fruition.
