Even before Michael Keaton was linked to Spider-Man: Homecoming, there was an expectation the film’s villain would be Vulture; the Sony/Marvel co-production seemed to be eyeing up a bad guy we’d not seen in any of the previous live-action iterations, and there was clearly a desire for the character given his presence in canned movies Spider-Man 4 and Sinister Six. Continued rumours only backed that up.
Well, now we have confirmation Birdman will indeed be suiting up again. In an interview with Toronto Sun, Kevin Feige (while fielding a strange question about how apparently memorable Mads Mikkelsen’s Kaecilius was) stated rather nonchalantly that Keaton is indeed playing Adrian Toomes:
“We’ve had a wish list and most of them in the near-term are coming together. Cate Blanchett is playing Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. Michael Keaton’s Vulture in Spider-Man is something. And of course, finally, we’re showcasing Josh Brolin’s Thanos (in Avengers: Infinity War). We’re looking forward to that very much.”
Because it’s more confirmation of something we’ve all suspected for a while, there’s not much more to be said about what the former Batman could bring to the role, although it is interesting that Feige’s really pushing the villain’s of future movies. Weak antagonists has been a persistent criticism of the franchise (and, looking back at the bland masks of Phase 2, it’s hard to disagree), so it’s refreshing that it’s something the producer is really working to fix.
We caught up with the new Spider-Man Tom Holland at the Captain America: Civil War premiere earlier in the year. Here’s what he had to say.
Tom Holland Interview
