June 2016 will go down in the superhero movie history books as the month when Spider-Man: Homecoming dominated the casting news. For approximately the last three weeks, the Web-Slinger's solo movie has been adding many recognizable actors from both movies and television, from Donald Glover and Martin Starr to Kenneth Choi and Hannibal Buress. It's hard to imagine even more recognizable faces being packed into this blockbuster, but it's not showing any signs of stopping its talent recruitment. Today brings the news that Better Call Saul star Michael Mando has been added to the cast.
Mando's casting came from The Hollywood Reporter, but as with nearly all of the actor announcements for Spider-Man: Homecoming, no details was provided about how he's involved in the story. The actor joins a star-studded cast that includes Tom Holland, Marisa Tomei, Robert Downey Jr and Michael Keaton. Both Holland's Peter Parker and Tomei's Aunt May were introduced this past May in Captain America: Civil War, and when moviegoers reunite with Spidey next year, they'll see what his life is like in Queen, New York, whether it's attending high school or foiling crime using his special, arachnid-themed abilities.
Without any character information, the options for Michael Mando's Spider-Man: Homecoming character are numerous. He could be a teacher at Peter Parker's school, he could be a neighbor at his apartment building, he could work at The Daily Bugle, the list goes on. However, if he's following a similar path as his Better Call Saul role, maybe he'll be a criminal that Spidey battles. No one as prominent as Michael Keaton's villainous character (who is rumored to be The Vulture), but let's not forget that the majority of Spider-Man's job is dealing with random street crime. Who's to say that the Wall-Crawler doesn't beat up Mando's character and some of his accomplices in the midst of a heist or attack, and for whatever reason, said criminal returns later in the movie, perhaps by aiding the main baddie?
Michael Mando has risen to prominence over the last year starring as the popular Ignacio Varga, better known as Nacho, in Better Call Saul, which concluded its second season in April. He's also known for his recurring role as Vic on Orphan Black, not to mention guest appearances on shows like Psych, The Killing and Rookie Blue. On the video game front, he provided his voice and likeness for Vaas Montenegro in Far Cry 3. Aside from a small role in Elysium, Mando hasn't had a blockbuster presence, but depending on how big his Spider-Man: Homecoming role is, that could change after its release.
Spider-Man: Homecoming kicked off its production earlier this week right as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 ended theirs, and the movie will swing into theaters on July 7, 2017.
