New concept art reveals a planned Vulture cameo in Spider-Man: No Way Home that never made it to the big screen
The emotion does not stop growing when we talk about Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). But what if I told you that the latest blockbuster, Spider-Man: No Way HomeCould there have been even more surprises? Intrigued? Well prepare your mental cobwebs, because what I’m going to tell you is a plot twist that never came to be.
Michael Keaton, who we already loved as the Vulture in Spider-Man: Homecoming, was on the list to reprise his role in the recent installment of the arachnid. Here he would not be as a villain but, surprise!, as an unusual ally of Peter Parker. Especially if we take into account the postcredit of the first film where Toomes, who already knew the identity of the arachnid and shared this information with another prisoner, the future Scorpion, all this with the intention of creating the possible sinister six, which it seems that They did not come to fruition.
The Vulture that could have been
The information comes thanks to Phil Saunders, the film’s concept artist, who explained the reasons why the scene was scrapped. According to him, in an early version of the script, Peter Parker sought the Vulture’s help to “rehabilitate captured multiversal villains.” Imagine Tom Holland’s arachnid escorting this group of thugs around the city with the help of Doctor Octopus’ hacked tentacles.
Now, it’s time for a stroke of nostalgia. The last time we saw Adrian Toomes, better known as the Vulture, he was in prison, chatting with Mac Gargan about the formation of his own Sinister Six group. Wouldn’t it have been amazing to see that plan collide or merge with the events of No Way Home?
Furthermore, this is not the first time that the return of the Vulture has been considered for this film. Previous concept art had already shown that Toomes would be present at Aunt May’s tragic death., which places it in two critical moments that were discarded. One wonders, what would have become of our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if these plans had come to fruition?
There is no denying that Spider-Man: No Way Home is a key piece in the MCU puzzle, co-produced by Columbia Pictures y Marvel Studios and distributed by Sony Pictures. But it is also true that with the constant changes in the scripts and the adaptation to the larger plan of the MCU, some surprising elements are left in the pipeline. Now that Peter’s identity has been revealed and the lines between his superhero life and his existence as Peter Parker have been blurred, the possibilities for future films are as vast as the multiverse itself.
The future of the Vulture
Michael Keaton has already left his mark on the MCU, not only for his unique interpretation of the Vulture, but also for the complexity he brought to the character. His presence in prison in the final act of Spider-Man: Homecoming raised questions about the possibility of a future Sinister Six. And he even had a small cameo in Morbius in the film’s post-credits. But what role would Toomes play if he and Spider-Man were on the same side?
Script changes are common in large-scale films, and even more so in a cinematic universe as complex and dynamic as the MCU. These discards make us reflect on the infinite possibilities that open up in future installments. As Phase 5 of the MCU continues to unfold, questions about which characters could return or be redefined remain in the air.
