Spider-Man: Homecoming -- Michael Keaton Confirmed as Bad Guy

Following earlier reports, Marvel boss Kevin Feige has now confirmed that Oscar-nominated actor Michael Keaton will play the villainous Vulture in 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming. Feige mentioned this in an interview with the Toronto Sun, responding to a question about what evil characters fans can expect from upcoming Marvel movies.

"We've had a wish list and most of them in the near-term are coming together. Cate Blanchett is playing Hela in Thor: Ragnarok. Michael Keaton's Vulture in Spider-Man is something. And of course, finally, we're showcasing Josh Brolin's Thanos (in Avengers: Infinity War). We're looking forward to that very much."

Confirmation that Keaton will play Vulture comes after a report from May claimed that the actor was in "final negotiations" to play the character. Earlier discussions reportedly stalled.

Homecoming is not Keaton's first superhero movie, as he starred in Tim Burton's Batman films as the Caped Crusader. He also poked fun at the superhero genre in the Best Picture-winning movie Birdman.

Homecoming is set for release on July 7, 2017. It's directed by Jon Watts (Cop Car) and stars Tom Holland as the wise-cracking wallcrawler. Holland already played Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War.

The first standalone Spidey movie from Marvel Studios, Homecoming also stars Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr, Donald Glover, Tony Revolori, and Tyne Daly. In other news, it's been confirmed that the game's score will be composed by Michael Giacchino, who wrote the music for Star Wars: Rogue One and won an Oscar for Up. He also did the music for the first Call of Duty game.

In Spider-Man gaming news, Ratchet & Clank developer Insomniac is making a Spider-Man game for PlayStation 4, though it remains to be seen if it will be released alongside the movie next year.