Lin-Manuel Miranda, the acclaimed creator of the Broadway musical Hamilton, has shared that he was offered the role of the Vulture in Marvel Studios' Spider-Man: Homecoming. Miranda revealed in a recent appearance on the Happy Sad Confused podcast that he turned down the part, which ultimately went to Michael Keaton.
Miranda explained that Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige personally detailed the film's plot to him over the phone. He recalled his surprised reaction to a specific plot point, which Feige later cited as a key moment in confirming the story's potential success. Despite being impressed by the narrative, Miranda stated that the timing of the production directly conflicted with his commitments to Hamilton. The film began shooting immediately after his nearly 18-month run in the musical concluded, a period during which he felt he desperately needed a break.
"I went, 'I would really like this, I really like these movies, but I would like to stay married, so I cannot do this,'" Miranda stated, reflecting on the decision. He also expressed that he believes Michael Keaton was the ideal choice for the character, acknowledging, "Michael Keaton was perfect, they found exactly who they needed. And I'm very glad. I have no regrets, I needed a vacation so badly, and I think I would have been deeply miscast."
Spider-Man: Homecoming, released in 2017, marked the first solo film for Tom Holland's iteration of Spider-Man and was a significant box office success for Marvel. The franchise continues with new installments, and recent speculation suggests an extensive roster of Marvel characters may appear in upcoming films. Regarding his future involvement with Marvel or Disney projects, Miranda indicated he currently has no other commitments but expressed interest in developing a stage version of Pixar's Encanto when time allows.