John Malkovich rumored to play SPIDER-MAN 4 villain

[JacksonArcher]

John Malkovich (Burn After Reading) is apparently rumored to play The Vulture in Sam Raimi's upcoming Spider-Man 4. Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada) would also be joining the cast, but she would not be playing the rumored Black Cat. She would still play a character called Felicia Hardy, but Raimi's version of Felicia would apparently become The Vulturess.

Now, these are just rumors right now, so take them with a grain of salt until you hear otherwise.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=61488

My take? I really hope these rumors are false. Why use Felicia if you're going to turn her into a completely different character? Why not just use a completely different character? The Vulture never seemed like such a dynamic villain, especially one to carry a movie all by himself. Ben Kinglsey was supposedly set to play The Vulture in Spider-Man 3 but was replaced by Venom, so I have a feeling this story might have a shred of truth, which worries me.

What does everyone else think?

 

[John Picard]

Malkovich?

 

[exodus]

Nobody but nobody plays a better crazy than John Malkovich.

If he's in the film, I'll be the first in line for a ticket.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I have no complaints about Malkovich. He's a top rate actor. I just wish he wasn't playing The Vulture, if true.

 

[Captain Craig]

If some of this info is true and some false I'd like to cherry pick.
I can handle a Makovich Vulture. He does crazy and obsessed very well.
I dismiss Hathaway as a 'Vulturess' for this reason. Sam likes the classic characters and he has the control that he didn't have for part 3(aka forced Venom inclusion). Therefore I find it hard to believe he'd include a classic character and turn said character into something else.

 

[exodus]

I have no complaints about Malkovich. He's a top rate actor. I just wish he wasn't playing The Vulture, if true.

See, I've always found the Vulture to be corny.
With Malkovich in the role, I think he can really add more drama to the part.

Capt. Craig, 100% agree and I do hope you're right.

 

[Starbreaker]

I wouldn't waste a grain of salt on these rumors... Malkovich could be a good villain though.

 

[Captaindemotion]

He was supposed to have been one of the contenders for the Green Goblin in the first movie but it went to his Shadow of the Vampire co-star Dafoe instead.

This story might be believable but for the Vulturess part of it. Vulturess? Come on! Vulture himself is a dodgy enough character but a female version sounds plain silly.

I'd rather see someone like Kingsley in the role, but I could see Malkovich as him too. But with Jonah Hex and other fantasy villain roles in the recent past, isn't he a bit over-used in this sort of part?

 

[Emher]

Malkovich would be freaking awesome, as would Hathaway. But please let her be Black Cat. She would awesome and it's a part that needs quite a sex appeal, something she has in spades.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I recall that he turned down the Green Goblin role because they weren't offering enough money, which he said was, "the only reason to do that sort of film."

If this is true, I wonder what's changed; his attitude, or the amount they're willing to pay.

Maybe he enjoyed making Jonah Hex enough to be more open to comic book movies?

 

[JacksonArcher]

Hey, money is money, especially in this economy. Nicholas Cage is doing Season of the Witch for precisely that. Well, that, and he's bankrupt.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ Cage was also linked to the role of GG for Spidey 1; IIRC, he turned it down to do Adaptation, which landed him an Oscar nod. And as with Dafoe and Malko, there's a Shadow of the Vampire connection - he didn't appear in it, but produced it.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I don't understand the problem actors have with doing comic-book adaptations. I mean, I would prior to X-Men and Spider-Man in the late 90's, so I can see why Malkovich would pass on Green Goblin, since comic-book movies didn't have the best reputation, and gave us such gems as the original Fantastic Four, Captain America, Batman & Robin and the lame Dolph Lungdren Punisher. Now, we have X2, The Dark Knight, Iron Man and the list goes on, and doing comic-book films shouldn't be considered "that" type of movie anymore.

Originally posted by Captaindemotion
^ Cage was also linked to the role of GG for Spidey 1; IIRC, he turned it down to do Adaptation, which landed him an Oscar nod. And as with Dafoe and Malko, there's a Shadow of the Vampire connection - he didn't appear in it, but produced it.

Actually, John Malkovich did co-star in Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Dafoe. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0189998/

 

[Trent Roman]

^ He meant Cage. I wouldn't mind Malkovitch as a villain, as long as they can find some way to make Vulture less cheesy and imbue the character with some pathos. I hate, hate, hate the idea of introducing Felicia Hardy but not doing the Black Cat. I'm hoping this is someone who had a kernel of a rumour, then added their own (bizarre) wish to it.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

 

[JacksonArcher]

^ He meant Cage. I wouldn't mind Malkovitch as a villain, as long as they can find some way to make Vulture less cheesy and imbue the character with some pathos. I hate, hate, hate the idea of introducing Felicia Hardy but not doing the Black Cat. I'm hoping this is someone who had a kernel of a rumour, then added their own (bizarre) wish to it.

Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman

Ah, gotcha. I had no idea Cage was a producer.

 

[Kegg]

I don't understand the problem actors have with doing comic-book adaptations. I mean, I would prior to X-Men and Spider-Man in the late 90's,

Isn't that the point? Malkovich rejected out of hand doing a supervillain pre-Spider-Man.

Post-Dark Knight and Heath Ledger, Malkovich is doing a supervillain. Somewhere in the middle he was in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Beowulf, which while not comic book films they weren't high art either.

Originally posted by Captaindemotion
^ Cage was also linked to the role of GG for Spidey 1; IIRC, he turned it down to do Adaptation, which landed him an Oscar nod. And as with Dafoe and Malko, there's a Shadow of the Vampire connection - he didn't appear in it, but produced it.

Actually, John Malkovich did co-star in Shadow of the Vampire with Willem Dafoe.

Cage didn't appear in Shadow of a Vampire. But yes, he did produce it.

... Catherine McCormack as Black Cat? Anyone?

 

[JacksonArcher]

Isn't that the point? Malkovich rejected out of hand doing a supervillain pre-Spider-Man.

Post-Dark Knight and Heath Ledger, Malkovich is doing a supervillain. Somewhere in the middle he was in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Beowulf, which while not comic book films they weren't high art either.

I was just talking as I was thinking. I understand that was the point.

Cage didn't appear in Shadow of a Vampire. But yes, he did produce it.

Yeah, again, another case of [not thinking] when I'm typing.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I could see Malkovich as Adrien Toombs/The Vulture...and yeah i agree that using Anne Hathaway as Felica Hardy but becoming THE VULTRESS? WTF? The last I heard was that Hathaway and Rachel McAdams were both being considered for The Black Cat. Personally I think they should use Felica properly and cast Eliza Dushku like they were thinking of doing for Spider-Man 2. As much as I would accept Malkovich as Vulture I would have preferred to see Sir Ben Kinsley...

 

[JacksonArcher]

Merrick over at AintItCool suggests that the reason why The Lizard isn't in the mix is because the studio can't accept a villain without a face. I can see why. The Lizard, after he is transformed that way, is a pretty one-note villain. Unless Connors changes back and forth between himself and The Lizard, you'll basically have a rampaging monster and that sort of limits what you can do dramatically. Perhaps having him as a second tier villain might work, though.

 

[Myasishchev]

Merrick over at AintItCool suggests that the reason why The Lizard isn't in the mix is because the studio can't accept a villain without a face. I can see why. The Lizard, after he is transformed that way, is a pretty one-note villain. Unless Connors changes back and forth between himself and The Lizard, you'll basically have a rampaging monster and that sort of limits what you can do dramatically. Perhaps having him as a second tier villain might work, though.

Two words for the studio then: Darth Vader.

Of course, the Lizard qua Lizard kind of sucks. It's Doc Connors that makes the character worthwile.

Anyway, I'm actually trying to think of any other worthwile Spider-Man villains, and none are really coming to mind. I guess all he has left is the Vulture after all. (And the Vultress.)

I mean, there's Carnage, I guess. Which would be cool, especially after (no offense to Topher, who was good as Brock) they somewhat botched Venom. However, I'm not sure a Spider-Man 4 where the main villain's motivation is simply to see what people look like on the inside would fly.

Who else is left, anyway? Sin Eater? Kingpin (technically)? It feels like there's some big Spider-villain that I'm missing.

Edit: oh shit, Electro! He's actually kind of cool, at least his powers are. And Kraven! Why the Christ are they going to use the Vulture when Kraven hasn't been utilized yet?