‘Kraven The Hunter’ Sets ‘West Side Story’ Star Ariana DeBose As Calypso

Sony’s Kraven the Hunter film, a spinoff that’s part of its extended Spider-Man cinematic universe, already has a number of key pieces in place. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is set to play Marvel’s ultimate big game hunter, with Russell Crowe in an unspecified role and Fred Hechinger recently cast as half-brother Chameleon. But the role of Calypso has many actress’ names circling it, including Jodie Turner-Smith and most recently Zola star Taylour Paige. Well, you can put those names to bed because the role has now been filled.

Variety confirms West Side Story breakout and Oscar nominee Ariana DeBose has landed the Calypso role in Kraven the Hunter. Wow, what a meteoric rise she’s had over the last few months, eh? Not only was she a showstopper in Steven Spielberg’s musical, but now she’s entered the Marvel Universe as Kraven’s occasional lover and full-time voodoo priestess specializing in mind control and magic potions.

Next up for DeBose is sci-fi thriller I.S.S. from Our Friend director Gabriela Cowperthwaite. Actually, next up for her is a sure-fire Oscar win for Best Supporting Actress.

Kraven the Hunter will be directed by JC Chandor and opens on January 13th 2023.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.