The battle against Loki’s Chitauri army in and above New York City at the climax of The Avengers has had an impact all over the MCU. We’ve seen characters seeking revenge for family members crushed by rubble in Jessica Jones and Hell’s Kitchen struggling to recover and rebuild in Daredevil, not to mention the psychological consequences for Tony Stark in Iron Man 3. Now, it seems that the consequences of this battle will continue to hit home in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In the clip above, we see Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes dealing with the ongoing cleanup operation, specifically salvaging the alien technology and shipping it off to Stark Industries for study. As we hear on the TV, experts estimate there are over 1500 tonnes of “exotic material” scattered across the city. And, as ominous music swells underneath him, Toomes makes the fateful decision to keep it, as “it’s time to change” and become the villainous Vulture.
And you know what? I think he’s got a pretty damn good point. What gives Tony Stark the right to collect up all this stuff that’s rocketed into the homes of working men and women and use it to further enrich himself. Toomes is especially peeved at this because it was none than Stark Industries that drove his own company out of business. And given how many people there are with funky costumes and crazy powers about, why can’t a regular guy strap on a bird themed suit and level the playing field a little bit?
The Marvel films have always had a minor villain problem, with their baddies never approaching the lauded heights of Heath Ledger’s Joker or Michael Shannon’s Zod. But with Michael Keaton (who, let’s not forget has previous Birdman experience) they look like they’re onto a winner.
Spider-Man: Homecoming swings into cinemas on July 7th.
