It is considered one of the deadliest predators in the world. But Academy Award-winning actress Ariana DeBose — who plays Kraven’s loyal friend Calypso in Sony’s new Spider-Man universe film “Kraven the Hunter” — wants you to reconsider what you know about this supervillain.

“No matter how you look at him, I don’t necessarily use the word ‘villain’ to describe him. I don’t necessarily use the word ‘hero’ to describe him,” she said of Kraven (played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson) in a video interview with NBC News.

DeBose says the film features complicated characters who are neither good nor evil, but rather shades of gray that run in both directions.

Kraven the Hunter hits theaters nationwide Friday and director JC Chandor stars Kraven as a superhuman killer and conservationist, as well as a fierce protector of his family.

“This film is about motives and understanding why these characters do what they do,” DeBose said.

She believes this takes the film to a level of reality “that some of the previous Sony Marvel works haven’t shown.”

Viewers will see Kraven carry out a brutal attack on a kingpin in a maximum security prison and eliminate poachers who have raided a nature reserve, while also marking other enemy targets as prey. He also checks in with his brother (played by Fred Hechinger) when his gangster father (played by Russell Crowe) gets into trouble.

“Kraven the Hunter” is the first Spider-Man Universe film from Sony to receive an R rating. And DeBose says this gives both the film and its viewers the space to explore the origins and motives of the characters who were portrayed as villains.

“I think the R rating definitely liberated the film in a way. The reality is that Kraven himself is portrayed as a villainous character in the comics,” she said. “And I think it allows the audience to really go on the journey and ask themselves the question, ‘Who actually does what?’ And “Who has pure intentions?” And “Who is doing this for personal gain?”

When asked to define her character’s motives, DeBose said she leaves that up to the audience.

“My goal was to play a woman at a transition point in her life and go on the journey,” she said. “I think it’s fun to delve into the origins of it all, if that makes sense. So when you get to know Kraven, you get to know Calypso.”

DeBose made history in 2022 when she became the first Afro-Latina and first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar, taking home the award for best supporting actress for her role as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s remake of “West Side Story.” She was previously part of the original cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical Hamilton.

And next year, DeBose will work with Oscar-winning actor Ke Huy Quan in the action comedy “Love Hurts.”

Looking back at other characters that inspired her to play Calypso, DeBose pointed to one that is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (commonly referred to as the MCU).

“I liked Disney’s take on Maleficent and how you can give a character who has historically been considered evil an origin story that allows for an explanation of their own history and how they got to the point they got to DeBose said. “I love stories like this, that’s probably why I was drawn to Kraven.”

Now, DeBose wants viewers to ask questions about the origins and motives of Kraven and her character Calypso, even if they’ve only known her in one way.

“I think you have to give the audience a wide variety of entertainment so that we don’t teach them that only one interpretation is the right or good interpretation. That’s not the point of art,” she said.