Entertainment Weekly’s Spider-Man: Homecoming blowout continues today and this time, the spotlight has been shifted over to a certain Adrian Toomes.
Better known to you, I, and the people of New York City as The Vulture, Michael Keaton’s big bad is the primary villain anchoring Jon Watts’ franchise reset – even if Keaton himself doesn’t refer to him as such. He’s a “conflicted, complicated” character, according to Marvel boss Kevin Feige, who told EW that the Vulture is not only “terrifying,” but “Michael [Keaton] won’t call him a villain.”
Keaton has dipped his toe in the comic book universe before, of course, after donning the cape and cowl for Tim Burton back in ’89. Now, almost 30 years later, the Oscar-winner has returned by way of Marvel, and early reviews claim The Vulture is one of the more compelling, nuanced antagonists in a universe crying out for them.
In tandem with today’s featurette, EW also lifted the lid on another action shot of The Vulture mid-flight, as Toomes calls upon one of his advanced weapons to wreak havoc on NYC.
From what we’ve seen in the Homecoming trailers, that action shot is likely pulled from the scene involving Spider-Man’s desperate attempts to rescue a boat filled with innocent people, as Michael Keaton’s baddie circles dangerously overhead.
From Birdman to The Vulture, here’s what the award-winning actor had to say when quizzed about his portrayal of Adrian Toomes, public enemy number one.
I found it a really interesting approach to what you all want to call a villain. The Vulture does corrupt things in order to fight what he sees as corruption.
Putting the crossover rumors to one side for the time being – in short, Spidey and Venom have been placed on two separate tracks…for now – Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into theaters worldwide on July 7th. It’s the second step in launching Tom Holland toward box office stardom, what with roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Homecoming 2 already on the cards. And that’s before you even factor in those gigs beyond the Marvel Cinematic Universe like, say, Sony’s long-brewing Uncharted movie.