Spider-man: Homecoming — Jon Watts wanted Vulture to be 'regular guy who becomes a supervillain'

The announcement of Michael Keaton as the villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming came as a surprise to many, since Keaton had played Batman in 1989. Keaton dropped out of the Batman franchise after that and 28 years later, we see him as Vulture — the villain who lures Spider-Man to the dark side. Speaking to DNA , the director Jon Watts reveals what made him zero-in on Keaton for the role.

The director says that just like Peter Parker was a regular kid and suddenly endowed with super-powers, he thought that he should have a villainous counterpart who was also a regular person.

The Vulture is an alias used by Adrian Toomes, who turns to the path of crime after being unable to provide for his family. Therefore, behind the evil, there is a simple man who’s just beaten down by unfortunate circumstances, which is why the makers wanted a villain who could carry the weight of being a nemesis while maintaining the relatability factor with the audiences.

Watts also commented on the relationship between Spider-Man (Tom Holland) and Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.), which had been defined in Captain America: Civil War.

On being asked whether their previous association made working with Tom Holland easier, he replied, “It was the tone of his performance and his relationship with Tony Stark had already been established. I was there when they were shooting that and it was great to see it,” in the same DNA interview.