MCU: 15 Marvel characters who deserve more screen time

3. Adrian Toomes/Vulture

Michael Keaton’s portrayal of the Spider-Man: Homecoming Big Bad, Adrian Toomes, is an all-too rare breed within the MCU. He’s not a super-solider, nor is he an all-powerful villain determined to destroy the universe with the snap of a finger – he’s just human.

What makes him all the more engaging is that he’s simply a victim of circumstance – a man who found himself becoming increasingly irrelevant in a world populated by Gods and monsters and, for his family’s sake, was willing to do whatever it took to reclaim that relevance. That included salvaging and utilizing alien technology to become the arms-trafficker known as The Vulture.

The Vulture is undoubtedly one of Spider-Man’s most memorable villains and that, coupled with some strong character-building made him a compelling protagonist for Spidey to take on in his debut MCU offering. However, the thing that truly made him stand out was Keaton’s performance.

In a universe overflowing with aliens, robots and everything in between, Keaton’s portrayal of the very human Toomes stands tall as example of well-engineered character development and, quite simply, a damn great antagonist.

As a man desperately trying to support his family, he was both charming and endearing, and yet as a mechanical monster, he was downright terrifying. The veteran performer shone on-screen and, despite his antagonistic role, he made us want to root for him.

With all that in mind, it’s imperative that he return at some point in the future. Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s post-credit scene did tease a redemption of sorts for him and, given that his daughter played a relatively big part in the film too, it would be nice to see the Toomes family make a comeback.

Finally, with the MCU now venturing into uncharted territory in Phase Four, it would certainly work in its favor if they carried over one of their best-developed villains.