He might already have Luke Skywalker and Batman’s nemesis the Joker under his belt, but it turns out that isn’t enough for Star Wars icon Mark Hamill. That’s because the actor wanted to join another all-conquering franchise by playing the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
While chatting with Rotten Tomatoes, Hamill was asked who would win in a battle between the Jedi and the Avengers. At first, he decided not to comment on that, saying that he didn’t want “to jeopardize any potential roles I might have in a future Marvel film.” Yup, that’s right. Apparently, the actor had set his sights on playing Spidey’s latest cinematic foe.
“I had my fingers crossed that Michael Keaton would turn down the Vulture but darn it! There’s not a lot of villains roles for senior citizens so I had my eyes on the Vulture.”
While we love Hamill, we have to say that Michael Keaton was perfectly cast as Adrian Toomes. Not only because he turned in such a terrific performance – and he really did – but because the casting was so pleasing to superhero fans everywhere. Keaton has made a name for himself by playing winged vigilantes – he was Batman in Tim Burton’s duo of movies back in 1989-92 and then he starred in 2014’s Birdman.
Besides, anyone who remembers the Spider-Man animated series from the 1990s will know that Mark Hamill has already had a crack at playing a Spidey villain. At the same time he was voicing the Joker over at DC, he was portraying the Hobgoblin for Marvel. It’s a role we wouldn’t mind seeing him reprise in live-action at some point, too. That is, if Jacob Batalon’s Ned Leeds doesn’t follow his comic book trajectory and become the character.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is in cinemas now. While he didn’t make it into that movie, you’ll be able to see Mark Hamill on the big screen when Star Wars: The Last Jedi arrives on December 15th.