A potential villain from Sam Raimi’s cut Spider-Man 4 could’ve made Spider-Man: Homecoming even better. Spider-Man is a Marvel hero that has been notoriously rebooted several times, but Tom Holland’s MCU iteration seems to be the one that will stay. Before him, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker was the character that started it all, and director Raimi garnered a lot of success with his initial Spider-Man trilogy. Though his Spider-Man 4 film ultimately didn’t happen, it’s interesting to know what direction he would’ve taken.

According to Sean O’Connell’s book With Great Power, the proposed villain for Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 was Adrian Toomes’ Vulture. It’s interesting how that was the alleged direction for the trilogy sequel, considering that the Vulture is the villain that Marvel ultimately went with for Spider-Man’s MCU debut. It’s nice to think of Spider-Man: Homecoming as the MCU paying tribute to Raimi’s fourth Spider-Man film that never happened. However, Spider-Man’s MCU debut could’ve been even better if Raimi had gone through with a film featuring the Vulture.

Spider-Man 4’s Vulture Plans Set Up A Very Different Version Of The Villain For Tobey Maguire’s Hero To Face

The scrapped Spider-Man 4 film planned to feature the Vulture, but it would’ve been a very different version of the villain than Michael Keaton’s eventual portrayal in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Keaton’s iteration of the Vulture was intimidating in his own right, but Spider-Man 4’s villain was supposed to be on a whole new level. The Vulture was going to be an aggressive, menacing version of the character who didn’t leave much room for negotiation with his victims.

Spider-Man 4’s Adrian Toomes was meant to be an individual caught up in the ugly side of his field, doing suspicious things for both the government and his personal contracting work. His costume would’ve featured blades hidden in the wings and an overall murderous vibe, fitting his much more aggressive approach to defeating his enemies. The version of Adrian planned for this project would’ve been especially fitting for his villain moniker, as the only thing left of his enemies when he was done with them would be bones.

A More Ruthless Version Of The Vulture Coming Before Would’ve Made Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Facing The Villain Way More Tense

Although the ruthless version of the Vulture wouldn’t have carried over to the MCU, having the comparison there would’ve made Spider-Man: Homecoming way more tense. Spider-Man fans would remember how intimidating Spider-Man 4’s Vulture was, and seeing Holland’s young Peter go up against his own version of the villain would’ve been terrifying. Despite the iterations of the villain being in separate universes, fans would undoubtedly remember the prospective threat that they know the Vulture can present.

Keaton’s portrayal of the Vulture in Homecoming was excellent, and one of his best scenes is the car ride when Adrian figures out Peter’s idenтιтy. The tension was palpable as both parties communicated so much through eye contact in front of an oblivious Liz. If Spider-Man 4 had actually happened, a scene like this would’ve had fans at the edge of their seats, since they’d know what past versions of the Vulture were capable of. A Spider-Man 4 featuring the Vulture wouldn’t have needed to change anything about Keaton’s MCU portrayal, it just would’ve added an extra layer of anticipation.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Captain America: Brave New World

  Release Date

  
  February 14, 2025
  

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

  Release Date

  
  July 25, 2025
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday (2026)

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  Spider-Man Homecoming 4

  Release Date

  
  July 24, 2026
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

  Release Date

  
  May 7, 2027