Concept art from Spider-Man: No Way Home reveals that Vulture (Michael Keaton) was supposed to appear alongside the other villains. The Vulture first appears in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Spider-Man: Homecoming after Peter Parker (Tom Holland) tries to date the Vulture’s daughter. The villain makes himself memorable by discovering Peter’s secret identity and threatening the hero while driving him to a dance. While Spider-Man: Homecoming concludes with the Vulture in prison and trying to protect Peter’s identity, a subsequent appearance in Sony’s Morbius makes the character’s future questionable, especially given that the film was the subject of serious ridicule.
Yet the original plan was that the Vulture would reappear before the release of Morbius. With so many old Spider-Man villains reappearing from both the Amazing Spider-Man universe and Saim Raimi’s Spider-Man universe, Vulture was supposed to join in on the fun as the MCU continues to set up the multiverse. Phil Langone, an MCU storyboard artist, shared on Instagram previously unseen Spider-Man: No Way Home concept art that features Sandman, Doc Ock, and the Vulture getting ready to face off against Norman Osborn after his inevitable betrayal. Check out Langone’s post below:
Will The Vulture Appear Again In The MCU?
Unfortunately, the Vulture changed universes after Spider-Man: No Way Home, which means that the MCU would need to find a new explanation to drag the villain back. The Vulture remains in the Sony Spider-Man villain universe, alongside Morbius, Kraven the Hunter, and Venom. It could mean problems for Marvel Studios, as they would need to consult with Sony about their plans for the character before even hoping to bring him back to the MCU, unless they want to use a Vulture variant in place of the character’s 616 version.
Since Marvel is already playing with the multiverse concept, it may be trivial to bring the Vulture back. If the story needs him, Marvel Studios can always bring the character back to 616 before sending him back to the Sony universe. Featuring the Vulture allows Marvel to rescue another wasted Spider-Man villain, Scorpion (Michael Mando). Since the end-credit scene of Spider-Man: Homecoming hinted at the creation of the Sinister Six, the Vulture can bring together a team to take down Peter. He is likely the only person on Earth-616 to remember Peter’s identity since he avoided the Spider-Man: No Way Home crisis by moving to the Sony universe.
Where Will Spider-Man Show Up Next?
With no word on when Spider-Man 4 will be announced since Spider-Man: No Way Home’s release, the web-slinger’s future remains in question. With Marvel’s Fantastic Four on the way, there could be an opportunity for Peter to meet a team that he often interacts with in the comics, having been a member before. Peter could also appear in Ironheart as a fellow young hero with a love for technology. If he doesn’t feature there, the upcoming Avengers blockbuster crossovers, The Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars, are other possibilities. It’s too early to introduce Miles to the MCU, so Peter should still have some time to star as the MCU’s main spiderling.
Source: Phil Langone/Instagram