Emmy and Tony-winner John Leguizamo, out promoting the home video release of “Violent Night,” has revealed that he was close to starring as the villain Adrian Toomes/Vulture in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” before Michael Keaton took the gig.
Keaton played opposite Tom Holland in what was the first Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man solo film following Sony striking a deal to share the character with Disney. The film grossed $880 million at the worldwide box office along with scoring rave reviews.
Keaton’s performance was considered one of the best elements of the movie and scored high praise. Speaking with ComicBook.com this week, Leguizamo said he had gone as far as negotiating with Marvel for the role.
However, it was then that Keaton wanted in and the studio asked Leguizamo to step aside for another role down the line:
“I was supposed to be the Vulture. We had negotiated and I was about to play him, and they said that Michael Keaton wanted it back and they asked me if I would give it up. I said, ‘Well, okay I guess.’ They said, ‘No, we’ll work with you again, we’re gonna…’ That’s what happened there.”
According to Leguizamo, the studio then “offered him something tiny” as a consolation for him giving up Vulture to which he said: “I went, ‘Nuh uh’.”
Keaton reprised his Vulture character last year in Sony’s Jared Leto-starring “Morbius” and the door is open for Keaton to continue playing the character should he wish.
Leguizamo most recently appeared in Mark Mylod’s dark satire “The Menu”.
