Last December, Paramount Pictures announced the development of a shared cinematic universe based on their Hasbro properties – including G.I. Joe, M.A.S.K. (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand), Micronauts, Visionairies, and ROM – similar to the one they are currently working on for their extremely lucrative Transformers franchise. The next logical step was to assemble a team of creative samurai to help them foster Hollywood’s latest attempt to one-up Marvel to the silver screen.

The studio just announced that they have put together a jaw-dropping writers’ room that includes Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon (The Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Wonder Boys) and Eisner Award-winning comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Saga).

For months it has been rumored, semi-confirmed, and joked about on the junket circuit and late night talk show circuit, but now it is official: Robert Downey Jr. has signed on to co-star in Spider-Man: Homecoming!

Naturally he’ll be returning to play Tony Stark in the Sony Pictures/Marvel Studios production which Jon Watts (Cop Car) is directing from a screenplay by John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein (Horrible Bosses), with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige producing alongside Amy Pascal. Tom Holland, the latest actor to play Spider-Man, will make his first appearance as the superhero in next month’s Captain America: Civil War. The events of that film are expected to pay off in Homecoming.

Last night at CinemaCon it was confirmed that the upcoming Spider-Man reboot being produced by Sony Pictures in conjunction with Marvel Studios would indeed be titled Spider-Man: Homecoming as previously suggested. Now it appears that the production is close to adding another high-profile actor to the cast.

Justin Kroll at Variety is reporting that none other than Michael Keaton is in early talks to play the film’s mystery villain, which could possibly turn out to be the winged supercriminal the Vulture if the rumors are true.

Spider-Man is coming home in a very big way. He won’t be doing any webslinging on his own until 2017, but he will make his Marvel Cinematic debut in Captain America: Civil War. However, the problem with having a second reboot in nearly ten years, is the notion that they will have to repeat the same origins story all over again. Of course, that can get tiresome, and would probably turn audiences away from seeing the solo feature. However, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein have confirmed that their script won’t have Peter Parker go through the same motions to become Spider-Man. In fact, the two reveal that their Spider-Man is an already established hero.

More on the story below.

Vacation
Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Writers: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Cast: Ed Helms, Christina Applegate, Leslie Mann, Chris Hemsworth, Beverly D’Angelo, Chevy Chase, Skyler Gisondo, Steele Stebbins, Charlie Day
Warner Bros. Pictures
Rated R | 99 Minutes
Release Date: July 29, 2015

“I just thought we could sing Seal together, like normal families do.”

Following in the footsteps of his father Clark (Chevy Chase), a grown-up Rusty Griswold (Ed Helms) surprises his wife, Debbie (Christina Applegate), and their kids, Kevin (Steele Stebbins) and James (Skyler Gisondo), with a cross-country trek to America’s favorite family fun park: Walley World. As you might imagine, everything that can go wrong, does.

Written and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (Horrible Bosses), Vacation is the fifth theatrical installment in the National Lampoon’s Vacation series. Believe it or not, the character of Rusty Griswold has been played by six different actors: Anthony Michael Hall, Jason Lively, Johnny Galecki, Ethan Embry, Travis Greer and Ed Helms.