Director Jon Watts is going to have his hands full once filming commences on Spider-Man: Homecoming. He is going to lead a plethora of top-notch actors including Tom Holland, Robert Downey Jr., Marissa Tomei, Donald Glover… and possibly Michael Keaton (among others). Now there are two more actors joining the Marvel/Sony collaboration.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Logan Marshall-Green is in talks to join the cast; he’s best known for his role in the Ridley Scott Alien prequel, Prometheus. It’s also being reported that Silicon Valley alumni Martin Starr is also coming on board. That’s another two solid pieces as Watt looks to put his Spidey-puzzle together.
But who exactly will these two Marvel newbies be playing? Until we get a Thor: Ragnarok style cast unveiling, your guess is as good as any. Much like fellow nerd-cult sensation Donald Glover, any information regarding Starr’s role is under wraps. The same can’t be said for Marshall-Green. It’s being reported that he is expected to play the secondary villain to Keaton’s primary one.
Wait… what? A secondary bad guy is going to be in Spider-Man: Homecoming? Now, before everyone loses their minds and remembers the “too many baddies” issue that plagued both Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, let’s just take a deep breath and think about the possibilities. This could be the best possible news to come from these casting rumors!
Follow me here. It’s been rumored for a while that The Vulture would be a villain in the next Spidey flick. When Michael Keaton’s name began floating around as an antagonist for Peter Parker, everyone connected the dots that he would be the one playing Adrian Toomes. What if that isn’t the case? What if something more “sinister” is in the works with Marvel?
Could Keaton actually be playing someone else? Perhaps Norman Osborn. While Spider-Man has an endless catalog of villains to choose from, Osborn is at the top of that list. If you’re going to bring someone like Michael Keaton on board, you might as well give him one of the premier parts in the entire Marvel Universe. Not that The Vulture is chopped liver, but someone with the gravitas of Keaton could run with the Osborn role (a role that could stretch over many MCU properties for years to come!!!). So where would that leave Logan Marshall-Green?
He would become the first villain Holland’s Spider-Man actually takes out. Marshall-Green would be Adrian Toomes, a.k.a. The Vulture. A big villain, but secondary to Keaton’s Norman Osborn. Seems to fit with the rumors, right? Plus, by bringing Marshall-Green on as The Vulture and having Keaton take the steps needed to become the future Green Goblin, you are one third of the way to the creation of The Sinister Six!
Perhaps that’s why Marvel and Sony are being so guarded with the characters of Donald Glover and Martin Starr. Either one of them could play another version of a character who eventually becomes a member of The Sinister Six. Max Dillon (Electro)? Quentin Beck (Mysterio)? Dmitri Smerdyakov (Chameleon)? Mac Gardan (Scorpion)? Any of these characters – and more – could possibly be adapted and played by Glover and Starr, getting us closer and closer to the formation of one of the premier, villainous team-ups.
It could be just wishful thinking, but I can’t be the only one who smells something funky with what Marvel and Sony are cooking! Until it’s one hundred percent confirmed that Michael Keaton is playing the Vulture, the door is still open for more day dreaming and fantasy booking for the characters in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Maybe… just maybe… Keaton’s role will be something completely different, leaving the door open for him to show up throughout the MCU. And in the process, he can get the ball rolling in compiling the roster for The Sinister Six!
So, what are your thoughts? Do you think Keaton is going to be The Vulture, or someone else? Let us know your predictions for Spider-Man: Homecoming, then come back in a year to see if they came true!!!
