Michael Keaton No Longer In Talks For Spider-Man: Homecoming

Michael Keaton's talks with Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios to play a villain in Spider-Man: Homecoming have ended, multiple Hollywood trades reported Thursday. The actor, who has been in both one of the most highly regarded comicbook movies with Batman and had his own life and experiences with that used as a bit of parody for Birdman, was only ever in early talks, and didn't go past an initial offer, apparently.

That news, however, is fairly outweighed by the news that Robert Downey, Jr. will reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron man in Homecoming, marking the first Marvel Cinematic Universe star to cross into Sony's playground.

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios announced a rights-sharing deal for Spider-Man in 2015, wherein he can appear in Marvel Studios movies, and his films produced by Sony would include creative input from Marvel and take place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The search for the villain, rumored to be The Vulture, continues.

Spider-Man: Homecoming is in pre-production now for a June 2016 principal photography start and a July 7, 2017 release.