THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: Rhys Ifans Reveals New Details About The Lizard

In the latest issue of Empire Magazine, Rhys Ifans has talked more about his role in The Amazing Spider-Man. Below is an excerpt from the Q&A, but be sure to pick up the issue when it goes on sale this Thursday for more.

Like many Spider-Man villains, The Lizard isn't necessarily evil, just misunderstood...

That's certainly the case here. Curt is a force for good throughout his life. He's a geneticist who wants to help people, like him, who are limbless. In his eagerness to advance that science, he makes a mistake and that's an occurrence we've seen throughout time, sometimes to our benefit, sometimes to our detriment.

Did you base him on any scientist in particular?

No, not in particular. I had vague memories of the Open University but I wouldn't say I looked like any of those guys. He is a broken man who wants to fix himself. The Lizard almost becomes a drug for him, an alter-ego like Jekyll and Hyde, if you like. He's strong and brave and agile in a way that he can't be in his own life.

Will we see Connors flit back and forth, or is this a gradual transformation?

I don't know if I can say. You'll see transformations of all kinds.

And you actually play The Lizard via mo-cap, don't you?

Yeah, the advancements in that are quite [frick]in' breathtaking. Each of your facial movements are repeatable, but then you add the face of a lizard. I was, disturbingly, able to recognise some of my facial tics. In terms of the physicality, I had a particular way I wanted The Lizard to move. I didn't have lots of CGI downtime.

How did you manage to suggest having a tail?

You just have to imagine yourself with a longer spine. Some days I'd be standing on set like one of those 'Golf Sale' people with the pole stuck down the back of my tracksuit, and on top would be the Lizard head. It was quite comical in comparison to the end result.

A couple of comments stand out as being particularly interesting here. Firstly, the fact that, "The Lizard almost becomes a drug for him," seems to indicate that Connors will indeed have some control over this persona. Secondly, despite the fact that every single piece of Lizard related merchandise has so far featured a design more akin to that of Steve Ditko's than the monstrous version made famous in the likes of Todd McFarlane's "Torment"; Ifans' claim that we'll, "see transformations of all kinds," is worth thinking about - you may just get that snout after all! Be sure to sound off with your thoughts below.

STARRING:

Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans as Curt Connors/The Lizard
Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben
Sally Fields as Aunt May
Denis Leary as George Stacy

RELEASE DATE: July 3rd, 2012.