Lin-Manuel Miranda reveals high profile Marvel role he turned down to 'save his marriage'
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man
Phoebe Tonks
Featured Image Credit: John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images
Topics: Film and TV, Celebrity, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man
Lin-Manuel Miranda has sent comic book fans reeling after revealing the massive Marvel Cinematic Universe villain role he actively turned down in order to protect his marriage.
The multi-award-winning Hamilton creator has officially broken his silence on one of the biggest 'what-if' casting mysteries in modern cinematic history.
Speaking to host Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, the 46-year-old musical genius confessed that he was the absolute first choice to play the terrifying villain Adrian Toomes—better known as Vulture—in the 2017 blockbuster Spider-Man: Homecoming.
According to Miranda, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige personally reached out and called him over the phone to pitch the entire storyline for Tom Holland's first solo outing.
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While the talented composer was initially incredibly excited by the comic book pitch, things took a dramatic turn when he asked about the intense filming schedule.
Feige revealed that production on the high-stakes blockbuster was set to kick off the exact moment Miranda stepped off stage from his legendary, grueling 18-month Broadway run as Alexander Hamilton in 2016.
Realizing that jumping straight into a massive Marvel shoot would leave him with absolutely zero downtime to spend with his family, the star made a swift, executive decision to prioritize his personal life and politely declined the offer, despite knowing it could be a career defining role.
"I went, 'Well, I would really like to—I love these movies, but I would really like to stay married, so I cannot do this,'" Miranda laughed, recalling his blunt rejection to the head of Marvel.
"God, that would have been terrible. I would have been so miscast."
The pivotal role ultimately went to Hollywood icon Michael Keaton, whose grounded, menacing portrayal of the working-class salvage worker turned arms dealer was widely praised by critics and fans alike as one of the single greatest villain performances in modern MCU history.
Looking back on the crazy situation a decade later, Miranda insisted he harbors absolutely no regrets about throwing away his big Marvel shot, heavily praising the final casting choice.
"Michael Keaton was perfect," Miranda admitted. "They found exactly who they needed. I have no regrets. I needed a vacation so badly."
Despite passing on the iconic wingsuit, Miranda noted he still left a tiny, historic footnote on the production.
He revealed that Feige told him his ecstatic, fanboy reaction during their initial phone call gave the studio executives the ultimate confidence that the script was actually going to work beautifully for global audiences.