This glimpse at 'Spider-Man 4' shows how two famous villains might have looked on the big screen.
Spider-Man 4 looked set to feature two classic villains
Way back in 2007, director Sam Rami's run of Spider-Man films ended with the release of Spider-Man 3. While it might not have been the success that producers and fans were looking forward to, this recently released concept art reveals the direction the creative directors were heading in when it came to how to draw the villains for the fourth installment.
From the archives of illustrator Jeffrey Henderson we can now see how Mysterio and The Vulture could have looked on film. Taken from early storyboard art, these sketches offer a tantalising glimpse into would could've been a return to form for the film franchise.
It's rare for concept art from the films to emerge
For fans of the Spider Man films, these storyboard illustrations are a rare peek into the creative process that goes on behind the scenes. According to Henderson, Rami is incredibly superstitious about releasing storyboard art and they rarely see the light of day.
Director Sam Rmai was keen to use classic villains
Given that Spider-Man is such a huge franchise, it's unsurprising that Henderson often gets asked about his work on the project. While this concept art for the abandoned Spider-Man 4 is only a part of his story, it goes some way to showing how the iconic villains could been realised.
Jeffrey Henderson is still proud of his work on the film
"It would've been one absolutely kick ass movie," says Henderson "Seriously. We were working on some crazy- cool stuff, because everyone, from top to bottom, felt that Spidey 3 was a bit of a 'missed opportunity', and we all really wanted to help Sam take SM4 to another level so he could end the series on a high note."
Will The Vulture make a reappearance in the new Spider-Man films?
If this concept art is anything to go by, the villains would have maintained the trend of subtly updating classic character designs. Mysterio looks largely unchanged from the pages of source material, while The Vulture still retains the distinctive feathers around his neck.
However, with rumours currently going round that The Vulture is set to return in Spider-Man: Homecoming, perhaps this isn't the last we've seen of the character after all.
Dom Carter is a freelance writer who specialises in art and design. Formerly a staff writer for Creative Bloq, his work has also appeared on Creative Boom and in the pages of ImagineFX, Computer Arts, 3D World, and .net. He has been a D&AD New Blood judge, and has a particular interest in picture books.
