For over a decade, fans have wondered what Spider-Man 4 might have looked like under Sam Raimi’s vision — until now. Newly surfaced photographs from 2009 reveal the original Vulture costume design intended for John Malkovich’s portrayal of Adrian Toomes, offering the first concrete look at the organic, feathered wings that would have replaced the sleek tech-suit version later seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The images, taken by comic book creator Ken Penders during a visit to Sony Pictures Entertainment’s Culver City offices, were kept private for fifteen years before surfacing in 2016 — and they’re a revelation.

The Design That Almost Was

The Vulture’s wings in Raimi’s version weren’t mechanical. They weren’t sleek. They weren’t even remotely futuristic. Instead, they were terrifyingly biological — a grotesque, feathered exoskeleton stitched from what looked like stolen bird plumage and reinforced with bone-like struts. It wasn’t a suit. It was a monster. As concept artist James Cameron Henderson explained to iO9, the team deliberately avoided the obvious. "Everyone was going to laugh at the Vulture," he said. "So we made him the most terrifying thing Spider-Man had ever faced." The design paid direct homage to Marvel Comics’ original 1960s look by Steve Ditko, where Toomes was a desperate, aging criminal clinging to a crude flying device. Raimi’s team didn’t want spectacle — they wanted pathos. A man who’d been discarded by society, now literally stitched together with the wings of birds he’d hunted. It was horror dressed as superhero cinema.

Who Was Going to Be in It?

John Malkovich — Oscar-nominated, fiercely intelligent, and rarely seen in comic book roles — was cast as Adrian Toomes. His casting alone suggests Raimi was aiming for something darker, more psychologically layered than the typical villain arc. Bruce Campbell, Raimi’s longtime collaborator from the Evil Dead films, was set to play Mysterio, a role that would’ve been both comedic and chilling — a man who weaponizes illusion against a hero already drowning in doubt.

Black Cat, Felicia Hardy, was also in development, though no actress was officially attached. Rumors swirled that the film would’ve introduced a more grounded, noir-tinged version of her — less seductress, more thief with a moral code. And the plot? According to leaked treatment documents referenced on SuperHeroHype.com, Spider-Man 4 would’ve explored Peter Parker’s moral collapse after the events of Spider-Man 3, with Toomes serving as a dark mirror: a man who, like Peter, was abandoned by the system — but chose vengeance over redemption.

Why Was It Cancelled?

Production halted in January 2010, just months before filming was set to begin. Sony cited "creative differences" — a polite way of saying they’d lost faith. After Spider-Man 3 received mixed reviews for its overstuffed plot and questionable tone, the studio panicked. Instead of doubling down on Raimi’s gritty, character-driven approach, they opted for a clean reboot: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), starring Andrew Garfield, with a new director and a new tone.

What’s more, Sony’s relationship with Marvel Studios was crumbling. The idea of Spider-Man joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe hadn’t yet taken root. By the time the two companies struck their landmark 2015 deal — allowing Spider-Man to appear in Captain America: Civil War — Raimi’s version was already dust.

The Ghost in the Multiverse

Here’s the twist: Sam Raimi didn’t disappear from Marvel. He returned in 2022 to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And if you watch closely, you’ll spot echoes of Spider-Man 4’s abandoned aesthetic. The Vulture-like creature in the film’s opening? Its wings look suspiciously like Henderson’s designs — feathered, asymmetrical, almost alive. The multiverse gave Raimi a backdoor. Was that a nod? A homage? Or something more?

It’s tempting to believe that the Vulture Raimi wanted to make — flawed, tragic, terrifying — still lives on. Not in a sequel, but in the cracks between realities. In the multiverse, nothing is ever truly gone. Just waiting for the right moment to return.

What Happened to the Original Designs?

Most of Henderson’s concept art remains locked in Sony’s archives. A few sketches were leaked online in 2016, but the full portfolio has never been officially released. Ken Penders, who shared the photos publicly, says he still has a handful of behind-the-scenes shots — including one of Malkovich in early costume tests, looking at his reflection in a mirror, expression unreadable. "He didn’t smile," Penders recalled. "He looked like he was already haunted." The irony? The MCU’s Vulture, played by Michael Keaton, became one of the most beloved Spider-Man villains — not because it was faithful to the comics, but because it was human. Raimi’s version would’ve gone further. It would’ve made you feel the weight of every feather. And maybe, just maybe, that’s why fans still talk about Spider-Man 4.