Spider-Man 4's Cancellation Killed Sam Raimi's Plans For A Huge Marvel Villain

Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 4" will go down in history as a fascinating case of what could have been. While some of the stories surrounding the movie can be chalked up to rumor and speculation, other details about the creative plans for the unrealized blockbuster have been confirmed. For example, actor Dylan Baker shared that he was supposed to play the Lizard in the fourth installment, only to be left heartbroken when the project fell apart. 

"It was just letting the Lizard come out and see the world, and it just killed me," Baker told ComicBook. "I would have loved to have done that. Luckily, Rhys Ifans was fantastic, and I got to go, 'Very well done,' while wishing I could have done it," referencing Ifans' portrayal of the villain in "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Spider-Man: No Way Home." 

For those familiar with Spider-Man comic book lore, Lizard's entry into the fray probably seemed inevitable. After all, Baker was cast as Dr. Curt Connors in "Spider-Man 2" and "Spider-Man 3," setting the stage for the character's transformation into his villainous alter ego in a later installment. That said, will he get to play the character again at a later date?

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" opens up the Multiverse, allowing baddies from Sam Raimi's franchise to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Willem Dafoe returned as Green Goblin, Alfred Molina reprised Doctor Octopus, and Thomas Haden Church resurrected Sandman for the occasion, so there is no reason why Dylan Baker's Lizard can't sneak into a future movie. Unfortunately, the chances of that happening seem slim.

Sam Raimi is open to making Spider-Man 4 with Tobey Maguire, but the director isn't actively working on the project at the moment. For now, the Web-Head's future live-action adventures will reportedly continue to center around Tom Holland's iteration of the character, but Marvel and Sony are reportedly fighting over the creative direction of the MCU's "Spider-Man 4," with one party seemingly keen to keep bringing back characters from the past. If that happens, a Lizard appearance isn't out of the realm of possibility, but only time will tell if that ship has sailed.