11 Spider-Man Villains For Rhys Ifans

Lizard

Backstory: The Lizard, AKA Dr Curt Connors, has been troubling Spider-Man in comic form since 1963. Connors was a gifted army surgeon who became obsessed with harnessing the power of reptilian limb regeneration after his own arm was injured (and subsequently amputated) in a blast.

After extracting some DNA and experimenting on a rabbit, Connors foolishly tested the compound on himself, and was transformed into a hulking reptile-man. Peter Parker did help to find a cure, but various triggers brought out the return of The Lizard over the years.

If Ifans Played Him: Curt Connors would likely be as slippery and sinister as his (probably CGI) cold-blooded alter ego.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? This has got to be one of the most likely routes that the reboot'll go down. Ifans would be well-suited to the charismatic doc and The Lizard would be a great physical match for Spidey.

Throw in the fact that Connors was tipped to be the villain in Sam Raimi's abandoned Spider-Man 4 (Dylan Baker played the Connors in parts 2 and 3 ), and you've got yourself a favourite: he could easily be retooled as a teacher in the high school setting.

Key Scene: Parker, seeking advice on his new arachnid predicament, approaches Connors in the school laboratory after hours, only to witness the horrifying transformation. The pair struggle to control their new powers in a lab-bound smackdown: expect more than just a few test tubes to get smashed…

Vulture

Backstory: The most well-known Spidey rogue to take on the Vulture persona is Adrain Toomes. An electronics engineer, he invented a harness that enabled him to fly, as well as endowing him with superhuman strength.

The sleek mecha-suit has some stylish flourishes, like wings that double as projectile blades. Don't be put off by Toomes' advancing years: the harness means he more than a match for a high-schooler.

If Ifans Played Him: They'd have to make the character a bit younger than in the comics, or else cake him in age make-up.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? Ifans has a suitably lanky posture, so he'd be a good fit for the eccentric character, even if he is a bit young. Vulture was another rumoured villain for Raimi's Spider-Man 4 , so perhaps Sony are keen to get the character on the big screen. Could be difficult to shoehorn him into the school setting, though.

Key Scene: Peter Parker is doing a human interest story for his school paper, so pops round to the home of mysterious local inventor Toomes. Ringing the doorbell gets no response, so Parker sneaks round the back in a slow-burn scene that adds the tension necessitated by the diminished budget.

Electro

Backstory: Electro began life as Maxwell Dillon. Awkward and unhappy as a child, Dillon got a job for an electrical company as an adult.

While working on a power line that was struck by lightning, his body underwent a mutation that allowed him to control and generate electricity, which he soon put to effective use in criminal endeavours.

If Ifans Played Him: He be perfect as both the slovenly underachiever and the superpowered livewire, although he would have to play it charm-free, channelling the intensity he brought to Enduring Love .

Spidey-Sense Tingling? Not only is the character a great fit for Ifans, the character would provide director Marc Webb with the opportunity for some amazing visuals and action set-pieces, distinctly different to anything in the Raimi trilogy.

Key Scene: Peter Parker is setting up a science experiment in Aunt May and Uncle Ben's basement, and accidentally shorts the entire neighbourhood's electricity.

Parker watches from his bedroom window as Dillon is struck down during the repair, leaving him feeling guilty, and desperate to help reform Electro… while still ensuring he finishes his project in time for science fair.

Carnage

Backstory: Basically a meaner, nastier Venom.

Cletus Kasady had a troubled upbringing: he killed his grandmother by shoving her down the stairs, and later his father killed his mother (as she tried to murder Cletus). Seemingly for the fun of it, Cletus then testified against his father to ensure he was sentenced to death.

Cletus (perhaps unsurprisingly) became a serial killer in later life and came into contact with the Venom symbiote whilst in prison. The monstrous form destabilises his personality even further, as he continues his killing spree.

If Ifans Played Him: He'd be a great physical match: as he's not big enough to convince as Venom, he'd be perfect Carnage (and psychotic, ginger-haired yokel Cletus).

Spidey-Sense Tingling? He is a fan favourite, and, much like Venom, he has the in-built appeal of basically being an evil Spider-Man. But the character's murderous rampages would probably have to be toned down considerably for the family-friendly franchise, which raises the question: why bother?

Key Scene(s): A series of flashbacks that gradually reveal Cletus' brutal upbringing.

Jackal

Backstory: Miles Warren was a biology professor at Empire State University. He developed feelings for Peter Parker's ladyfriend Gwen Stacy (set to be played by Emma Stone in the reboot) and was devastated after her death.

After accidentally killing his lab assistant, Warren took on alter ego The Jackal, designing a goblin-esque green suit for himself (with electro-prod claws) and training to the peak of physical fitness. Believing Spider-Man was responsible for Gwen's death, The Jackal holds a personal vendetta against the web-slinger.

If Ifans Played Him: He'd play the sleazy professor with gusto, and he also seems well-suited to the cackling Jackal. He's probably about the right age to make the relationship between Warren, Stacy and Parker work, too.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? Warren could easily be adapted to become a high school teacher (his brother taught Parker in the comics), and the love-triangle could make an interesting hero-villain dynamic.

It would be a good use of the Gwen Stacy character, but could The Jackal end up feeling too similar to the much-maligned Green Goblin of Raimi's movies? And would Webb really do a Dark Knight and kill off his leading lady?

Key Scene: Warren finds an excuse to invite a nervous Stacy into his office to discuss her academic achievements. Sweaty, stifling, and more than a little creepy.

Morbius, the Living Vampire

Backstory: Michael Morbius started out innocently enough as a Nobel prize-winning biochemist. Something of a tragic figure, he was stricken with a rare blood disease, and sought the means to cure himself by experimenting with vampire bats and electroshock treatment.

Through his scientific experiments, he ended up becoming a vampire: bright light was a no-no, he needed to consume blood to survive, he developed superstrength and the power of flight, and gradually his appearance changed.

Later on in comic lore, a reformed Morbius could be seen fighting for good.

If Ifans Played Him: His pallid Welsh complexion would be a valuable asset, and he'd probably bring some charm along with the sinister…

Spidey-Sense Tingling? Morb might be a bit too dark for the reboot. Vampires are big business at the moment, but the mainstream audience might not want one in a Spidey flick. It might also be difficult to incorporate Morbius into the high school setting.

Key Scene: Spider-Man is just getting himself acquainted with his swinging skills and giving his new suit a test run, when he's preyed upon by a flying Morbius.

Scorpion

Backstory: Mac Gargan entered the Spider-verse as a private investigator. He was hired by J. Jonah Jameson to find out how young Peter Parker was consistently able to get high-quality photos of Spider-Man, though Parker's active spider-sense meant he could easily evade the lousy PI.

Fed up with the poor results, Jameson paid Gargan to undergo a medical process that would give him the characteristics of a scorpion. Gargan gets some Spidey-equalling superpowers, but ends up with the unfortunate side effect of insanity.

If Ifans Played Him: He'd inject a nice amount of humour into the efforts of the bumbling private dick.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? The character has enjoyed a long run in the comics (he later became one of the Venom incarnations), so he could have franchise-building potential.

Key Scene: In order to make it work in the high-school setting, we'd make Gargan a caretaker who gets suspicious of Peter Parker's erratic behaviour.

Marc (500) Days of Summer Webb should be able to come up with a pretty decent sequence in which the hapless caretaker follows a newly-empowered Parker around the school, struggling to keep an eye on him while making it look like he's carrying out odd jobs...

Mysterio

Backstory: Quentin Beck was a talented special effects artist and stuntman in Hollywood, who turned his back on that career when he felt he wasn't getting the kudos he deserved for his work.

He used his technical know-how (and physical prowess) to his own villainous ends, attempting to frame Spider-Man and then reap the rewards when he is captured.

If Ifans Played Him: He could capture Beck's nervy idiosyncrasies, and it'd be interesting to see his take on a villain who uses brains (and technology) in place of superpowers.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? SFX whizz Mysterio would be ideal for the big screen, and we reckon Webb could make him a frustrated film teacher to fit the character into the context of the reboot.

Key Scene: While Beck is lecturing his bored class, showing them an old-timey VFX montage, we see jaw-dropping clips of Spider-Man swinging through the city with adolescent glee (don't forget, the reboot's coming in 3D…)

Shocker

Backstory: Herman Schultz is a renowned burglar. Despite having an immense aptitude for inventions and engineering, he dropped out of high school and entered a life of crime.

He builds himself a supersuit, that not only protects him, but also comes equipped with gauntlets that can fire high-frequency air blasts (which is a better piece of weaponry than it sounds).

If Ifans Played Him: Sadly Ifans is a bit too old to play Schultz as a high-schooler, but he could no doubt nail the brilliant-but-lazy side of the character. He'd ideally need to bulk up to bring a decent amount of menace when suited up, though.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? The fact that Schultz is a high school dropout make him an interesting reboot proposition, but is he, well, 'super' enough to get the crowds excited?

Key Scene: Disgruntled by the lack of career advice he was given while in full-time education, Schultz turns up at his former high school's science fair to show off his latest invention. There'll be papier mache volcanoes and homemade electromagnets everywhere…

Kraven the Hunter

Backstory: Kraven (real name Sergei Kravinoff) is a big game hunter, who wants to prove that he is the world's best by putting Spider-Man's head on his mantlepiece.

This badass likes to take down deadly animals with his bare hands, and he's been known to increase his (already considerable) natural strength with the use of a mystical serum.

If Ifans Played Him: He'd probably struggle to convince. Ifans is hardly known for playing characters endowed with pure brute force, so he'd need to put in some serious hours at the gym.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? This seems unlikely, as the character is a pretty poor fit for Ifans' qualities, and there's something about the bare-handed hunter (who wears a lion's head as a waistcoat) that feels a little too ridiculous, even for a comic book movie.

Key Scene: After returning from a successful expedition, Kraven is invited to give a special assembly at Peter Parker's high-school.

As Kraven strides up and down the school hall, imparting tales of his hunting prowess and describing his intention to bring down Spidey, the camera slowly zooms in on Andrew Garfield's nervous face until he swallows a terrified gulp.

Scarecrow

Backstory: Yes, Marvel had a Scarecrow too, and he crossed paths with Captain America, Ghost Rider and Iron Man as well as Spidey.

Born Ebenezer Laughton, The Scarecrow escaped his abusive mother by running away and joining the circus as a contortionist. He later became a thief, working with his trained flock of killer crows.

If Ifans Played Him: He'd have the creep factor down pat, and he's got the perfect posture to play the lithe, wiry contortionist.

Spidey-Sense Tingling? We're not sure that Sony would want to ride quite so closely on the Batman Begins reboot's coat tails… They've already done a villainous scarecrow, and he'd be pretty darn hard to beat.

Key Scene: When the circus and funfair roll into town, Peter takes Gwen there on a sorta date. He struggles to keep up with the cool kids, but he has bigger fish to fry when The Scarecrow cuts loose and goes on a rampage, forcing him to don his makeshift spider-suit.