This interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to the silver screen. Esquire’s latest cover star has fronted several critically-acclaimed films, such as Bullet Train, Kick-Ass, Nowhere Boy, and Nocturnal Animals. Really, the man is a chameleon—with each role Taylor-Johnson takes, he crafts a new persona. His latest character, however, may very well his most impressive transformation to date. Next summer, Taylor-Johnson will star as Kraven, Spider-Man’s supersized adversary, in the upcoming Sony film, Kraven the Hunter.
In the latest episode of “Explain This,” the 33-year-old actor opened up about transforming into Kraven. “He’s quite the big dude,” he said. “I remember looking at the comic books and thinking his arms are really big but also his stomach as well, which is a bit of a contradiction really, because if you want to put on some size you’ve got to eat a lot, but you’re not really going to end up with a washboard stomach.” The actor worked with a trainer to achieve Kraven’s chiseled physique. He said the training process—which took around six months—was “quite tricky.” But it was certainly worthwhile.
According to Taylor-Johnson, his training came in handy during filming. Throughout Kraven the Hunter, the actor performs wild stunts—which, of course, requires loads of endurance. “The action side of things is really agile,” the actor said. “I really wanted to show his movement. His technical skill set is that he tracks and hunts down his prey, so that was really important.”
We’ll have to wait until August 30, 2024 to see Kraven in action. Until then, check out the rest of Taylor-Johnson’s “Explain This” video, streaming above, where he talks about filming Bullet Train with the one and only Brad Pitt. (Spoiler: the man loves cashmere sweaters.)
Associate Staff Writer
Bria McNeal is a Manhattan based journalist who is patiently awaiting B5’s revival. When she’s not writing about all things entertainment, she can be found watching TV or trying to DIY something (likely, at the same time). Her work has appeared in NYLON, Refinery29, InStyle, and her personal newsletter, StirCrazy.
