Sony Pictures is due to showcase some of its upcoming films later today as part ofCinemaCon—a kind of Comic-Con for theater owners—and we may or may not get some official news on thenewSpider-Manrebootat the time. But for now, a new rumor has surfaced regarding a villain that may appear in the film, marking a pretty significant piece of information if indeed true.
Per Devin Faraci over atBirth.Movies.Death., the comics villain Vulture will appear in theSpider-Manreboot, which Devin also says is definitely going under the working titleSpider-Man: Homecoming, which wecaught wind of last week. It’s unclear if Vulture isthevillain or is simply a supporting character—possibly even just in the opening scene since this reboot is foregoing the origin story—but according to this report Vulture will indeed be part of this new standalone film, which is a collaborative effort between Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios.
Also known as Adrian Toomes, the comics history of the villainous Vulture involves a jilted electronics engineer who creates a flight harness that gives him superhuman strength and the ability to fly. Toomes is an older villain in terms of age, and would mark a nice foil to 19-year-oldTom Holland’s Peter Parker as part of the film no matter his specific capacity. His ability to fly also provides directorJon Wattswith some serious set piece potential.
Vulture actually has a curious history with theSpider-Manmovie franchise, as directorSam Raimiintended to use the villain forSpider-Man 4withJohn Malkovichin the role. Raimi was keen on making up for the semi-disaster that wasSpider-Man 3with a more focused and filmmaker-driven sequel, but he and the studio didn’t see eye to eye and producerAvi Aradwas reportedly not so hot on Vulture, so the film ended up falling apart. Within hours, Sony had announcedThe Amazing Spider-Man, and Vulture has yet to be used onscreen—untilHomecoming, that is.
As Marvel Studios presidentKevin Feigerecently told us, Marvel are acting as the“creative producers”on the standaloneSpider-Manreboot, so the decision to include Vulture no doubt comes from screenwritersJohn Francis DaleyandJonathan Goldsteinunder the guidance of Marvel. It’s a smart move to go with a villain we haven’t seen before, and I’ll be curious to see what other baddies the film surrounds Peter Parker with.
What do you think folks? Which villains besides Vulture should Marvel include inSpider-Man: Homecoming? Sound off in the comments below. The film is set for release on July 30, 2025.
