Exclusive: Steven Yeun Eyed For Main Villain In Spider-Man 4
Thanks to some work from a trusted and proven inside source for Giant Freakin Robot, we can report that Sony and Marvel are eyeing Steven Yeun for the role of a major villain in Spider-Man-4.
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How is Marvel ever going to follow up a hit like No Way Home? They’ll have to try. And they’ll have to go big. While Marvel and Sony were inistent that they weren’t making too many plans for what comes next before No Way Home released, it’s now time for them to get cracking. We’re hearing they’re doing just that. Thanks to some work from a trusted and proven inside source for Giant Freakin Robot, we can report that Sony and Marvel are eyeing Steven Yeun for the role of Mister Negative in Spider-Man-4.
This tells us a lot about the next Spider-Man movie. This information lines up a major villain from the comics and video games for the franchise. It also gives us a look at who they want to cast, and while that may not work out, it tells us some about their thinking. At this time, our source confirmed that both Marvel boss Kevin Feige and the team at Sony think that Steven Yeun of The Walking Dead fame would be a great fit for the role.
With both of those sides on board, it sounds like they should be able to take the next steps toward casting. Keep in mind though that this information only means that is what they’re thinking right now. New plans could come up. Will Steven Yeun want to be in the Marvel movie? Will he want to play Mister Negative? We don’t know, and it may be that he will need to think about that and decide for himself once they enter talks. This is early stages yet, but it’s certainly exciting.
Compared to Spider-Man himself, Mister Negative hasn’t been around all that long in the comics. However, he has made quite a splash, and would be a big character for Steven Yeun to take on, should he decide to do so. The character is named Mr. Negative not because he’s a downer, although that may be true in his role as a villain. He got the name because when he takes on his powerful alter ego, he appears like a photo negative. This makes him easily recognizable, and a character with a lot of room for an actor to play with as his dual physical and emotional sides are explored.
Steven Yeun is perhaps most well known for his work as Glenn in The Walking Dead, but he’s been in plenty of other roles since his character’s tragic end. A lot of those parts have been for television, but they’re heavily centered in sci-fi, horror, and fantasy.
It would seem likely that a Marvel role would be of interest to Yeun, though it’s hard to say. Some actors like to avoid major franchises. One reason for that is the time commitment. If Mister Negative hits with Marvel Cinematic Universe audiences the way he has for video games and comics, he could have a long future ahead of him. Actors become concerned that they won’t be able to take on new parts if they’re under contract for one role for a decade or more. While Mister Negative is known to go after Spider-Man, he’s also known for facing off with Punisher. When Jon Bernthal finally makes his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut, perhaps Steven Yeun will appear as Mister Negative in a new Punisher series as well? One can hope.
