Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 never came to fruition, but new details reveal just how horrifying The Vulture would have been as the film's primary villain. Essentially kick-starting the modern-day comic book movie boom, 2002's Spider-Man introduced audiences to Tobey Maguire's take on Peter Parker. Previously best known as the director of Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness, Raimi brought the Marvel hero to life in a way that proved popular with audiences and critics alike. Both Raimi and Maguire would return for the critically-acclaimed Spider-Man 2 in 2004 and the far more divisive Spider-Man 3 in 2007.

Although Spider-Man 3 was a hit financially, the film largely failed to strike a chord with many viewers due in large part to the film's overstuffed nature, which is widely reported to be the result of studio interference. Despite Spider-Man 3's lackluster reviews, Spider-Man 4 was given the green light and a 2011 release date, which was shortly thereafter canceled due to continued problems with the movie's script. Many details about the scrapped Spider-Man 4 have emerged in the years since the film's cancelation, including the fact that The Vulture, Mysterio, and Lizard may have served as the central villains in the story.

Related: Peter Parker's Scariest Form Could Only Work In Raimi's Spider-Man 4

Now, Sean O'Connell's new book, With Great Power, as shared by The Direct, reveals new details about Sam Raimi's version of The Vulture that would have appeared in Spider-Man 4. Storyboard artist Jeffrey Henderson shares additional information regarding the character's backstory and also the dark way The Vulture earned his villain nickname. Check out Henderson's full comment below:

“He was essentially a guy that did as a lot of ugly stuff for the government, did a lot of ugly stuff as a private contractor… I thought a clever thing to do would be to say that part of the reason they called him The Vulture was because when he was done, he didn’t leave anything but bones behind.”

How Raimi's Vulture Compares to Other Spider-Man Trilogy Villains

Alfred Molina as Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2

Although Raimi's Spider-Man movies are all family-friendly, the director's horror roots do occasionally shine through when it comes to the trilogy's villains. Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus famously has one sequence in Spider-Man 2 in which he slaughters a room full of hospital attendants and Venom in Spider-Man 3 also has some frightening moments. While Raimi's version of The Vulture was never brought to life on the big screen, the latest details affirm that the character would lean once more into the dark approach that Raimi is so often drawn to with his villains.

Maguire's return to the role of Spider-Man in last year's Spider-Man: No Way Home has reignited fan demand for Raimi's Spider-Man 4. It's unlikely the film will ever come to fruition, but the new details regarding the planned role for The Vulture hint that the character had the potential to be the most formidable and ruthless villain Maguire's Spider-Man had ever faced. While it's unclear if Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 would have made The Vulture as empathetic and tragic as Doctor Octopus had in Spider-Man 2, the character's latest backstory reveal is likely just going to ignite further fan interest in seeing the canceled project come to life.

Next: Will Maguire & Raimi's Spider-Man 4 Ever Actually Happen?

Source: The Direct

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