John Leguizamo Was “Uninvited” From SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING After Landing the Vulture Role: “What the F*ck Is This?”

John Leguizamo came surprisingly close to joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as one of Spider-Man’s best villains, only to have the role pulled away after he’d already agreed to terms.

Back in 2024, John Leguizamo (The Odyssey, Summer of Sam, John Wick) revealed that he was lined up to play Adrian Toomes, aka the Vulture, in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Michael Keaton ultimately landed the part, but the story of how that happened is a pretty wild piece of MCU casting history.

Keaton had reportedly been hesitant to commit to the movie, so Marvel and Sony began working with Leguizamo as an alternative. According to Leguizamo, negotiations went far enough that he was told the Vulture was his.

He previously explained: “I was supposed to be the Vulture,” Leguizamo said at the time. “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.”

Leguizamo has now revisited the experience, describing it as essentially being “uninvited” from the MCU after negotiations had already reached an advanced stage. He told THR:

“They offered me Spider-Man, the Vulture, and then the head of the studio called me, ‘Oh, John, this is really terrible.’ We had already negotiated. We had accepted terms. I hadn’t signed a contract, but we had accepted terms. It was pretty far along in negotiations.

“And she said, ‘We’d like the role back. Michael Keaton wants it back.’ And I was like, ‘What the [frick] is this?” I’ve never heard of such a crazy thing.’ I could have sued, but my reps are all cowards. It could [also] backfire. I mean, I’m not a litigious person anyway. That’s not who I am. I’d rather move on and create my own stuff.”

That’s a rough phone call to get. Leguizamo hadn’t signed the final contract, but from his perspective, the negotiations were far enough along that he considered the deal settled.

Keaton went on to deliver one of the MCU’s stronger villain performances in Spider-Man: Homecoming, but it’s interesting to imagine what Leguizamo would have done with Adrian Toomes. His version certainly would have had a very different energy.

The experience hasn’t killed Leguizamo’s interest in comic book movies, either. He’d still be willing to jump into another superhero franchise if somebody came to him with a substantial character. He even has a particular Batman villain in mind.

“I would if I was offered The Riddler or some part like that. I would go back to other franchises. I mean, if you make it up to me. But then they offered me some tiny scientist in the movie. I was like, ‘No thank you. Thank you, but no.'”

So, apparently, Marvel did try to bring him into the movie in another capacity, but swapping the Vulture for a “tiny scientist” wasn’t exactly an appealing consolation prize.

As for Keaton’s Vulture, his future isn’t looking particularly clear. Adrian Toomes last appeared in the infamous post-credits scene of Morbius, where the character somehow ended up in Sony’s Spider-Man universe and approached Jared Leto’s Morbius about teaming up.

Sony’s attempt at building its own universe around Spider-Man-adjacent characters has since pretty much collapsed, leaving Keaton’s potential return as Vulture looking increasingly unlikely.

Leguizamo, meanwhile, has plenty happening outside the MCU. He’s earning Oscar attention for his supporting performance as Eumaeus in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and while discussing the film, he also addressed the continuing debate over casting actors in roles that don’t necessarily match traditional expectations for those characters.

Speaking about Nolan’s approach to Homer’s ancient story, Leguizamo said: “Now that ancient story that’s so powerful to Western literature belongs to everyone, and how beautiful is that? How generous is that? How open and inviting is that, to have Lupita Nyong’o play twins, Clytemnestra and Helen of Troy, and Travis Scott be the bard, and Corey Hawkins be Polybus, one of the evil suitors?”

Leguizamo expanded on his position, arguing that Hollywood still hasn’t reached the point where every performer has historically received the same opportunities:

“In a fair world, which it never is, everybody should be able to play anything. But the thing is that nobody gets to play anything except white cisgender males. They were never casting disabled actors ever.

“And now directors that I know, friends of mine, make it a mandatory thing to cast one disabled actor, to create a role for them. How great is that for them? They wouldn’t cast gay actors, even in gay roles they wouldn’t, that’s the way it was.

“In Latin roles, a lot of white actors were taking Latin roles in brownface for the longest time, since Touch of Evil with Charlton Heston in brownface with the black mustache. It was crazy.

“So I think, in this moment of correction, and perhaps it’s an overcorrection, it’s important that we cast the people who are written as the role and give them the opportunities. I really believe that. And then maybe eventually, when things are fair, then everybody can play everything all over again.”

It’s fascinating to think that Leguizamo was that close to becoming Vulture, especially since Keaton’s performance became such a memorable part of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Hollywood casting stories are full of actors who almost landed major roles, but getting far enough to agree on terms before being asked to hand the character back is a particularly brutal variation.

Still, Leguizamo clearly hasn’t closed the door on superhero movies. If DC happens to be looking for a Riddler someday, he’s already thrown his hat into the ring.