Emma Stone (Easy A, Zombieland) snagged the Gwen Stacy role last week in Marc Webb‘s upcoming 3D reboot of Spider-Man. Now, Deadline reporting that Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill, Greenberg) has been offered the villain role in the film. This role was previously debated by Michael Fassbender, who instead went to work with Matthew Vaughn on X-Men: First Class. The specific villain is unknown but rumors of Goblin, Venom and Lizard have been circling. He will battle Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, Never Let Me Go) as our Spidey.
UPDATE: It is officially confirmed by Columbia Pictures that Ifans has the role. Matt Tolmach, president of Columbia Pictures stated the following:
We have been very fortunate to attract some of the best actors working today to play the villains in the Spider-Man movies, and it is exciting to see that trend continue with Rhys Ifans. After seeing his performance in our upcoming film Anonymous, we’re in awe of his talent and think he’s the perfect choice to take on this role.
Director Marc Webb says:
What sets the Spider-Man villains apart is the complexity of their relationships with Peter Parker. Rhys’ incredible ability to embody both warmth and rage makes him the ideal choice for this character.
From a script by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac, The Losers) this film shows the high school years of Spider-Man as he first becomes the superhero. Not many details are known, but the budget won’t be as exorbitant as other Marvel comicbook films. I’ve enjoyed Ifans, most recently in Noah Baumbach‘s Greenberg, and his cavalier personality is initially odd for a villain role, but Webb couldn’t definitely make it work. Ifans also narrated this year’s excellent Exit Through The Gift Shop and can next be seen in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One.
Production starts in December for a July 3rd, 2012 release.
Who would you like to see Ifans play?