'I was a pawn': When John Leguizamo spilled the tea on how he lost Spider-Man's Vulture role to Michael Keaton!
John Leguizamo revealed he was initially tapped to play Vulture in the 2017 blockbuster "Spider-Man: Homecoming," only to be replaced by Michael Keaton. Leguizamo claims Sony used him as a negotiating pawn to entice Keaton into closing his deal. Dive into this dramatic Marvel-scape to find out what went down!
Updated : October 20, 2023 05:27 PM ISTJohn Leguizamo revealed he was initially tapped to play Vulture in the 2017 blockbuster "Spider-Man: Homecoming," only to be replaced by Michael Keaton. Leguizamo claims Sony used him as a negotiating pawn to entice Keaton into closing his deal. Dive into this dramatic Marvel-scape to find out what went down!
John Leguizamo (Source: Outlook India)
"I Was Supposed to Be the Vulture": The John Leguizamo Saga We Didn't Know We Needed
"I was a pawn." That's how actor John Leguizamo felt as he entered the whirlwind negotiations to become Vulture, the notorious villain in Sony and Marvel's 2017 hit "Spider-Man: Homecoming." But what's that, true believers? There's a twist. As Leguizamo says, he was merely a chess piece in Sony's bigger game to secure the only Michael Keaton.
The Role That Almost Was
Leguizamo claims he was all set to wing it as Vulture until Sony dropped the bomb that they were essentially using him as bait. "We had negotiated and I was about to play him," Leguizamo told ComicBook. Then, the deal vanished quicker than Spider-Man's secret identity. As reported by TheWrap, Michael Keaton swooped in and claimed the role like he was grabbing some vibranium.
"No, We'll Work with You Again" and Other Hollywood Promises
Sony dangled a "tiny" something in front of Leguizamo as a consolation prize, but the "Encanto" voice actor wasn't buying what they were selling. He declined. Sony promised a future collaboration, but Leguizamo's spidey senses must have been tingling, as he didn't bite.
"I should have said 'no' because we had agreed to terms! And I had a leg to sue but I ain't litigious," Leguizamo vented on Instagram. Ah, the old "we'll call you" routine. But as we know in Hollywood, promises are as abundant as reboots of beloved franchises.
Keaton ultimately wore the villain's feathers in 2017 and reprised the role in 2022's "Morbius." While Leguizamo, on the other hand, starred in other notable projects like "Violent Night" and "The Menu."
Talk about a Hollywood shuffle! A tangled web of missed opportunities and behind-the-scenes drama. The story reminds us that in the cutthroat world of Tinseltown, you're either the predator or the prey. "It's true but I was used as a pawn to close Keaton," says Leguizamo, and we can't help but think he's the real hero for letting us in on this juicy scoop.
(Several parts of the text in this article, including the title, were generated with the help of an AI tool.)