On the surface, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2 are worlds apart when it comes to setting, tone, and gameplay, but the two open-world sequels share a surprising connection through one of their prominent voice actors. After a nearly two-year wait, fans finally got to see more of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 last week during the latest PlayStation Showcase livestream. This lengthy story and gameplay trailer confirmed that Peter Parker will indeed don the Symbiote costume during his newest adventure and gave players their first look at the game’s version of the Lizard.
Dr. Curt Conner’s scaly alter-ego wasn’t the only villain highlighted in last week’s Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 trailer, as Kraven the Hunter finally appeared in the flesh after his voiceover narration in the initial Spider-Man 2 announcement teaser. Like in the comics, Sergei Kravenoff is a big game hunter and mercenary who has grown bored with his usual quarry, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will see him seek out a greater challenge from the various superbeings in New York City. Insomniac’s take on Kraven has certainly made a menacing impression so far, and fans of Red Dead Redemption 2 may find his deep and sinister voice familiar.
That is because Kraven is voiced by Jim Pirri, who previously played the ruthless Angelo Bronte in Red Dead Redemption 2. Reddit user iiiAlex1st pointed this connection out in an image post on r/reddeadredemption, leading other users in the comments section to note the striking similarities between Bronte and Kraven the Hunter from Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. This includes the stunning irony of Bronte’s eventual death, which sees him being eaten by an alligator after being drowned. In contrast, Kraven is hunting a large reptile in the form of the Lizard during the latest Spider-Man 2 trailer.
Jim Pirri has had a long acting career across various mediums, and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 isn’t his first foray into the Marvel gaming universe. Years before he voiced Angelo Bronte, Pirri could be heard in 2011’s Captain America: Super Soldier and the video game tie-in for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Interestingly enough, the latter saw him oppose Spidey as a Russian goon in a story that involved Kraven the Hunter, nearly a decade before Pirri is set to don the Hunter’s signature lion-pattered vest in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Only time will tell if Pirri’s Kraven the Hunter from Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will share the same fate as Red Dead Redemption 2’s Angelo Bronte, but the two characters have many similarities. For example, both are leaders of powerful crime organizations who present themselves as honorable, only to reveal their true ruthlessness to their enemies. Pirri has experience playing such a villain, and it will be exciting to see what he brings to Kraven in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 launches this fall for PlayStation 5.