This year is the year of the villains for Fred Hechinger, who portrays Emperor Caracalla in Gladiator II and Chameleon in Kraven the Hunter. Caracalla is an antagonist who delights in bloodshed. As for the Chameleon in Kraven the Hunter, not much is known. However, in the comic books, he’s a Spider-Man villain who is a master of disguise.

In an interview with Nerd Reactor, Hechinger talks about how much fun it is to play villains.

“I mean, that’s what they say, right? Like, villains have the most fun,” Hechinger said. “But I guess the other adage is everyone’s like the hero of their own story. And so I will say, when you’re playing someone, the main job, the only focus is how do you find all of them, right? How do you look at and give life to their whole self, all the contradictions, all the complexity? How are you both uncompromising and in some ways, kind of tough on them, but also tender and loving of them at the same time and maybe in equal measure? And I think that’s just like a worthy challenge any which way.”

About Gladiator II

Synopsis: From legendary director Ridley Scott, Gladiator II continues the epic saga of power, intrigue, and vengeance set in Ancient Rome. Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical Emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart and the future of the Empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.

The film is directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Scarpa from a story be Peter Craig and Scarpa. It stars Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, with Connie Nielsen and Denzel Washington.

Gladiator II releases in theaters on November 22, 2024.

About Kraven the Hunter

Synopsis: Kraven the Hunter is the action-packed, R-rated, standalone story of how one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays Kraven, a man whose complex relationship with his ruthless gangster father, Nikolai Kravinoff (Russell Crowe), starts him down a path of vengeance with brutal consequences, motivating him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world, but also one of its most feared.

The film is directed by J.C. Chandor and written by Richard Wenk and Art Marcum & Matt Holloway from a story by Richard Wenk. It’s produced by Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach and David Householter.

Stars include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ariana DeBose, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola, Christopher Abbott
and Russell Crowe.

Kraven the Hunter releases in theaters on December 13, 2024.