A new Spider-Man 4 behind-the-scenes image reveals an up-close look at what would have been John Malkovich's costume as Vulture, the film's planned villain. After first playing the character in 2002's Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire returned for two sequels with director Sam Raimi, including the acclaimed Spider-Man 2 in 2004 and the divisive Spider-Man 3 in 2007. Despite the lukewarm reception to Spider-Man 3, a fourth film from Raimi was in the works but Sony eventually shelved the project. Details regarding the scrapped Spider-Man movie have emerged in recent years, revealing that Malkovich was slated to play a very dark version of the Vulture.Now, comic book writer and artist Ken Penders has revealed a closer look at what Vulture's costume would have looked like in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4. Although the image doesn't feature Malkovich wearing the costume, it does give an indication of how the character would've been brought to life on-screen, including the overall darker tone that was imagined for the iconic villain. Check out Pender's tweet with the image below:
How Sam Raimi's Vulture Would Have Been Different From The MCU's
Although audiences never got to see Raimi's version of Vulture brought to life, Tom Holland's first solo outing as Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming featured the superhero facing off against Michael Keaton's version of the villain. The 2017 MCU film was a hit with audiences, but Raimi's take on the Marvel villain would've been very different. Having gotten his start as a director with films like The Evil Dead, Raimi's camp-horror background often played into his work in the superhero genre, something that Spider-Man 4's Vulture may also have incorporated. A recent book on all things Spider-Man revealed that Vulture had gotten his name in Spider-Man 4 by leaving nothing but bones behind, hinting that the character may have been more violent and ruthless than Keaton's version.
What's more, Pender's Vulture image reveals that the villain's suit would actually have been practical, at least for certain scenes. This is similar to how Raimi brought Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) to life in Spider-Man 2, with the film featuring life-like, human-operated practical arms for some scenes while most of the action scenes used CGI. Spider-Man: Homecoming's Vulture, by contrast, features wings that are entirely CGI for all the character's appearances in the movie. By using a practical costume, the darker take on Vulture would likely have felt much more visceral and Spider-Man 4, in general, would have continued the unique tone and aesthetic that so many fans love about Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.
It's unlikely, at this point, that Raimi and Maguire will re-team for Spider-Man 4, and it's even less likely that, if they did, Malkovich's Vulture would be the villain. Although Raimi's darker take on Vulture may never be brought to life on the big screen, information that has been released thus far paints a picture of a unique villain character that may have redeemed some of Spider-Man 3's shortcomings. It's unclear what became of Vulture's Spider-Man 4 costume, but hopefully, the piece can eventually see the light of day once more so that fans can continue to appreciate the craftsmanship and artistry that went into creating it.
Source: Ken Penders (@KenPenders)/ Twitter