As the latest Peter Parker (in the shape of Tom Holland) prepares to hit the screen in Captain America: Civil War, Sony and Marvel are looking ahead to his first stand-alone adventure, now officially known as Spider-Man: Homecoming. And it would seem the producers have a man with real comic book film cred in mind as the villain, with Michael Keaton now in talks to join the cast.
Spider-Man: Homecoming will eschew the usual origin story, but will keep Peter Parker a school student dealing with a life that includes teenage drama as well as stopping villains. Cop Car director Jon Watts is calling the shots, with John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein on script duty. Marisa Tomei is Aunt May, and singer/actress Zendaya is also on board in an unknown capacity.
According to Variety, Keaton's only in early talks, and details of who he might play are naturally somewhere near the level of a state secret. But according to Birth. Movies. Death., rumour has it that Spidey rogues' gallery staple Vulture is part of the movie, and you can certainly picture Keaton in the role – after his spins as Batman and the satirically superheroic moments of Birdman, he certainly knows how to played winged characters. Unless Marvel wants to take a really big risk and have the nemesis be the ghost of Uncle Ben, vengeful and ruthless after Peter's inaction led to his untimely demise? Yeah, probably not.
Spider-Man: Homecoming will be with us on July 7 next year. But you'll get your proper introduction to the new take on the hero in Civil War, which we reviewed right here, and that one arrives in the UK on April 29.