As we all know at this stage, Marvel and Sony have teamed up to bring us yet another Spider-Man reboot, this time starring Tom Holland as Peter Parker, who will make his debut in next year’s Captain America: Civil War. We’ve already heard from the star of the previous big-screen iterations, Andrew Garfield, in regards to how he feels about being shelved after the two Amazing Spider-Man flicks, but what about the actor who played the first film’s villainous Lizard, Rhys Ifans?
Never one to mince words, the Welsh actor spoke candidly about his experience on the movie during an interview with Total Film magazine. Ifans talks about his expectations after reading a particularly grizzly-sounding comic featuring the Lizard and the reality of trying to get too character-focused in a big franchise picture.
Anthropologically, it was fascinating. If I was an anthropologist, it would have been very valuable… As an actor, it was a lesson. As I got into it, I remember looking into The Lizard and there was one of the comics where Dr. Curt Connors goes home, and he’s messing about with his Lizard-ness. He takes his work home with him, and he eats his kids. I remember thinking at the time, ‘That’s the film I want to be in.’ Not necessarily Dr. Curt Connors eating his kids, but in terms of exploration, in terms of what this film could be about, that was the film. And of course, it could never be that. Whatever you’re told and promised at the beginning of something, when it comes to franchises like that, it’s never ever going to be what ends up on screen.
And what of this reboot? Does Ifans want to see them take a particular route this time around?
I have absolutely no opinion on it. No opinion. I hope that when they reboot, there will be more emphasis on the ‘boot’ than the ‘re’, because it needs a kick up the arse.
Indeed it does. Jon Watts will helm the still untitled Spider-Man reboot, which is also set to star Marisa Tomei as Aunt May, and is scheduled to open in theaters on July 28, 2017.