With Captain America: Civil War amping up interest in the Marvel/Sony reboot of Spider-Man: Homecoming, it is only natural that speculation increase over what villains might appear in that film. On that note, actor Michael Keaton is reportedly once more in talks to join the cast, prompting new speculation on what part he’ll play.
Keaton’s return to Spider-Man: Homecoming negotiations is something of a surprise. It was reported that talks with the actor had stalled and that Marvel had begun talking to Woody Harrelson for the same part. Now, THR reports that things are back on track with Keaton, and even in the final stages of the process.
The question becomes where will Keaton fit into the new Spider-Man film, which already stars Tom Holland reprising his role as Peter Parker, and Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. There were early reports that Vulture, an electronics engineer with a flight suit, will be the main baddie in Homecoming, but speculation has also expanded to include The Tinkerer, who helps the Vulture build the suit. This might create a very nice parallel for the whole arc of Stark assisting Peter to become a bigger, better Spider-Man, while also tying in with the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
It seems to me that Keaton could fit easily into either role, if he’s going to play a villain – though playing the Vulture might come too close to his parodic part in Birdman. Regardless, it’s nice to hear that the actor is back on board, hopefully with a meaty part. It would not do to waste an actor of his calibre, after all.
Spider-Man: Homecoming will begin filming in June, with a release date set for July 7, 2017. It’s directed by Jon Watts from a script by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein.