Sony reportedly casts major movie star as the next Spider-Man’s villain

If you call Spider-Man one of the most popular superheroes of all time, you'd probably be told that you're understating things. That's how much of an icon Marvel's wallcrawler has become. He's been a staple of Marvel Comics for over half a century, headlined three separate movie franchises, a live-action TV show, multiple video games, animated movies and countless animated shows.

The people just love Spidey, and that's not even taking Sony's franchise of Spider-Man characters, in which his villains and supporting characters run wild. And speaking of Sony and Spider-Man, the studio is finally moving ahead with that much-anticipated live-action Spider-Man Noir series, starring Nicolas Cage as the webslinging detective.

A lot remains unknown about the series, but a new report has suggested that the villain could be played by a familiar face.

Brendan Gleeson has reportedly been cast as a villain in Spider-Man Noir

According to Marvel insider Daniel Richtman, Brendan Gleeson has been cast as a villain in the Spider-Man Noir series. The report also claims that he will be portraying a character codenamed "The Monster".

No other information has been revealed about the character, and it's probably best to wait for Gleeson or Sony to confirm this rumor before preparing to see him appear in the show, but Richtman has proven to be a reliable source when it comes to insider information over the years, so there is a good chance that this "Monster" character will indeed be a part of the series.

Gleeson is a veteran of Hollywood with a long line of major roles to his name, as he has appeared in the likes of Braveheart, Gangs of New York, multiple Harry Potter movies, In Bruges, Paddington 2, and The Banshees of Inisherin - the latter of which earned him an Oscar nomination. He's known for his larger-than-life and charismatic performances, so it goes without saying that playing a Marvel villain in a Spider-Man series is something that he will have no problem doing. The thought of seeing him share the screen with Nicolas Cage alone is reason enough to check the upcoming series out.

The Spider-Man Noir series, potentially titled Noir, focuses on an aging down-on-his-luck private investigator who must grapple with his former life as New York City's only superhero. It will no doubt be a tale of redemption for the character, and Nicolas Cage is undoubtedly going to deliver a captivating performance as the hero.

It's important to note that this show is not set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tom Holland will continue to play Peter Parker / Spider-Man in those movies, with both Sony and Marvel Studios currently collaborating on bringing the fourth installment to life.

Noir is just an example of how expansive the Spider-Verse is, and the Sony Pictures Universe of Spider-Man Characters continues to prove that. There is a lot of intrigue surrounding it, and with names like Cage and potentially Gleeson attached to it, that intrigue has just increased.