Andrew Garfield and Rhys Ifans at Comic-Con International (Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times)
Rhys Ifans is now allowed to say what most fans already knew — he will be portraying the Lizard in next year’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” from Sony.
“I’m out of the reptilian closet,” Ifans said Friday afternoon while smoking a cigarette on a balcony at the Hilton Bayfront at the Comic-Con convention in San Diego. “I’m the Lizard.”
Ifans was getting ready for the film’s big preview panel at Comic-Con but, after director Marc Webb alluded to the Lizard in a press conference, Ifans knew it was time to let the gecko out of the bag. The 43-year-old Welsh actor (“Notting Hill”) said his role as a one-armed scientist named Dr. Connors is “a dream come true.”
The character dates back to the 1960s in Marvel Comics, and (like so many Marvel heroes and villains) there are tragic shadings to his origin tale: His desire to regain his lost limb leads to his reckless decision to inject himself with a regenerative serum that has bio-medical roots in the reptile kingdom.
“He’s not a bad man; far from it, he’s a great man who makes one bad decision,” Ifans says. “One ethical and moral decision leads to terrible things. The science isn’t evil and the man isn’t evil. It’s one bad decision.”
Ifans said addiction is among the colors his performance — the serum delivers a swooning power, and Connors finds himself pulled toward a dark place. “That gave me a lot to work with,” Ifans said.
– Geoff Boucher
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HE WILL ALWAYS BE SPIKE TO ME <3 LOL
I'm sorry, but Spike was played by James Marsters not Rhys Ifans. Rhys played Nigel the kicker, in the movie "The Replacements" with Keanu Reeves.
you sure about that…? check your facts mate
um yeah he actually is right, James Marsters played Spike, then he was in that horrible Dragon Ball movie.
Rhys Ifans was Nigel "the Kicker" and Adrian in Little Nicky.
No, James Marsters played Spike in BUFFY. Rhys Ifans played Spike, Hugh Grant's character's roommate in the movie Notting Hill. Better READ the article more carefully next time and then you'd see that they are talking about the movie 'Notting Hill' and NOT Buffy.
James Marsters was Spike in BUFFY… NOT the movie 'Notting Hill'. Rhys Ifans played the roommated named Spike in the movie 'Notting Hill', as they said. Better READ more carefully next time!
most unneccessary remake ever-the trailer looks awful-same movie from 9 years ago
I agree. Trailer looked awful. Did nothing for me. Marvel made a big mistake going backward in the Spider-man storyline.
The thing is that they are shifting all their productions to a more "Ultimate" style storyline rather than storylines based in the original comics. So it makes sense to bring their flagship title to the "correct" universe as well.
Thats funny because it looks a lot less "Ultimate" and a lot more Twilight.
I agree. Remake looks weak and is a lazy way out! They should have used Craven the Hunter as well for the foe. The whole envirnmental thing and storyline would have took on a series of it's own. This "actor" playing spidey looks EMO and that is not what the REAL fans are going like.
lets not judge this film before its even come out, and until more material comes out
Actually, I think the choice of Andrew Garfield has been excellent, since his appearance reminds me so much of the Pete I saw in my first Spiderman comic, back in 93.
It's not a bad idea to remake it all. Think about it: 20th Century Fox screwed the whole Marvel universe up. The X-Men trilogy was SOOOO wishy-washy and Toby's Parker was a bad mix-up of a junky and a pussy. Andrew's appearance alone gives you the idea that Peter Parker is going to look like a geek, which he originally is. People told me I was an idiot thinking Evans could portray Cpt. excellently, and look at him now. I hope I'm as "wrong" about Andrew as I was about Chris.
I could see moving forward in the Spidey story (glad this will feature the Lizard), but jeez, no, not a remake or remake elements….the origin story's been done, and done fabulously…to rehash that whole part of it is just wasted film…
You people realize that this is a SONY movie and not a "Marvel Studios" movie right?
I believe it comes down to Legal Rights to the character (correct me if I'm wrong).
If SONY didn't make this movie they would have come close to losing the rights to the Spiderman Movie Franchise and having the rights revert back to "Marvel Studios".
So yes, in a sense it is a money grab so that Sony could keep the rights.
we needed a reboot… raimi got rid of the best villans in one fell swoop.. yes there is carnage and absorbing man, kingpen. etc.. but both the goblins, doc ock, sand man and venom just like that? i like that peter parker is a geek.. and that he will rely on the web shooters. rather than the freudian impotent raimi inspired web shooter failure..
i'm looking forward to this new series.. least its not burton at the helm
The freudian impotent raimi web shooter….Was Cameron's idea from his script but raimi kept it :-/