Summary
After a failed attempt to make Rhino part of Andrew Garfield’sThe Amazing Spider-Manmovies, audiences will finally get to appreciate the iconic villain in all his glory as part of the upcomingKraven the Hunter.Sonyhas brought the character to life as the main villain for the film, which will be released on July 20, 2025. However, this does mean that it’s unlikely Rhino will appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe anytime soon.
There has long been speculation that Marvel Studios isn’t allowed to use villains that appear in Sony movies, which means Rhino will now be ruled out of any future MCU projects. This most notably impactsSpider-Man 4, where Rhino might have been better used fighting against Tom Holland.
Rhino Is Going To Burst His Way Into Kraven The Hunter
Rhino might have popped up as part ofThe Amazing Spider-Manfranchise, but it was more of a cameo appearance, and it never got the best out of the character that fans know and love to hate. He’s an iconic villain from the comics and one that is perfect for a comic book movie, due to his larger-than-life appearance and the powers he boasts.
Audiences are guaranteed to see the character in some capacity. Alessandro Nivola is taking on the role of the Russian mercenary who is capable of turning into a rhino hybrid, which will see him bring all the classic powers of this villain to the forefront. Spider-Man fans have been waiting a long time to see it done correctly, and while it likely rules him out ofSpider-Man 4,fans will at least be able to see the character brought to life.
Rhino Has Been Wasted Once Already
Sony’s own Spider-Man universe has been hit-or-miss in terms of quality and box office success. Several characters haven’t being portrayed how fans would have liked in the past. Rhino is one of the most glaringly obvious misfires, as the character’s on-screen debut inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2was a disaster.
Paul Giamattiportrayed the iconic villainin that movie, popping up at the end of the sequel in a few brief appearances that seemingly set him up as a future antagonist. However, die-hard Spider-Man fans weren’t impressed by the decision to put him in a rhino-shaped suit of armor rather than a classic latex suit, which is how he’d been showcased in the comics.
Of course, that isn’t the only instance of a character’s design being adapted for a live-action movie, and Rhino has been shown in metal previously. But it did not suit the character, and it looked poorly done, even if it was slightly more believable. At least inKraven the Hunter, it appears that Rhino is going to be more faithful to the image fans have in their minds, with skin that is similar to the animal.
However, there is still a risk that Rhino will be wasted by not puttingthe iconic villain in a classic Spider-Man movie. After all, it’s the classic web-slinger who is Rhino’s true enemy, and that’s the fight scene that fans want to see play out properly on the big screen.
Why Rhino Would Be Better Used In Spider-Man 4
Ultimately, Rhino would have been better used inthe MCU’sSpider-Man 4because audiences want to see Spider-Man duke it out with the classic villain. Marvel has done a great job incorporating many villains without going for the most obvious, such as Venom, and they’ve made them all compelling characters.
Every Spider-Man villain the MCU has tackled has been done beautifully. This even includes the characters from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s movies, who were brought back as part of the multiverse storyline inSpider-Man: No Way Home. That’s why Rhino would have been best suited to being the lead villain inSpider-Man 4.It would have given the character the best chance of being done right, all while getting the most eyeballs on it possible.
Of all the versions of Spider-Man that have appeared in live action,Holland’s provides the most vulnerability. The way he portrays the Marvel hero brings more youth to the role, which is perfect for fighting against Rhino. The strength and power of this villain could easily be seen as the ultimate challenge for Holland’s character. It would create something compelling and different from what he has had to deal with before, as his other villains have tended to be more intelligent.
The fact thatKraven the Hunter’s release date has been pushed back three timeshas led to concerns about the movie’s qualityamong fans. Seeing Rhino wasted in another potentialMorbius-style flop would be a gigantic waste, especially sinceSpider-Man 4is likely to attract lots of attention following the previous film.
