Hot damn, Spider-Man: Homecoming just went ahead and cast an Academy Award nominee as its lead villain. That is, if the latest reports from The Hollywood Reporter and Variety are to be believed (which they usually should). According to those publications, Birdman and Spotlight star Michael Keaton is “closing [a] deal” to play Spider-Man: Homecoming’s central antagonist, Vulture.
Keaton was initially said to have turned down an offer to play Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) enemy, but apparently changed his mind. Maybe he came around after seeing how dope Holland’s rendition of Spider-Man was in Captain America: Civil War. Regardless of his reasoning, casting Keaton as the primary villain is a huge win for Homecoming and the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spidey was universally beloved in Civil War, and having a respected actor like Keaton on the bill adds yet another reason to watch Spider-Man’s full MCU debut.
Since Spider-Man is now a part of the MCU, Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in the upcoming installment. I’m assuming most of you have seen or at least heard of Civil War by now, so it should come as no surprise that Stark will appear in Homecoming as Peter’s mentor and costume designer. In addition to Downey Jr., Marisa Tomei will return as Aunt May after making her debut in Captain America.
Vulture, for those unfamiliar, is a recurring supervillain in the Spider-Man universe who battles Peter with his electromagnetic suit, super-strength and flight abilities. Several characters have taken the alias of Vulture throughout the comics, but the original was created by genius electrical engineer, Adrian Toomes. He’s certainly a challenging foe to introduce MCU Spider-Man, but it’s not like we have any other choice. Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has heavily hinted that none of the previous Spider-Man antagonists will feature in Homecoming. Green Goblin, Doc Ock and The Lizard are off the table.
Marvel has yet to officially confirm the news of Keaton’s casting, but with so many credible sources reporting the story, it seems pretty likely to go down in the near future. Keaton has experience in the realm of superhero movies -- 2014’s Best Picture-winning Birdman satirized the superhero genre, and Keaton played Batman back in the early 90s. Seems to be a good fit, if you ask me.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is set to arrive in theaters July 17, 2017.
- Hilarious from start to finish
- Spider-Man's place in MCU solidified
- Underserved supporting characters
- Tony Stark is an asshole
