Ramrod Actor Reveals How Much of His ‘Spider-Man: Brand New’ Day Role Got Cut
Marvel’s rogues gallery has always had room for the obscure and the offbeat, and ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is proving that once again. Director Destin Daniel Cretton has leaned into deep cuts from the comics for this film, giving longtime readers a few surprises tucked between the bigger names on the poster.
One of those surprises is Ramrod, a cyborg villain who barely registers as a household name even among devoted Marvel fans. In the comics, Ramrod is a construction foreman turned supervillain whose cybernetic enhancements give him superhuman strength, speed, and invulnerability, along with a hardened head built for ramming his enemies. It is a strange, almost pulpy origin, which makes his live action debut all the more unexpected.
That debut belongs to actor Billy Clements, who fans will recognize from a very different corner of the Marvel universe. Clements, who previously played The Russian in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’, takes on the role of Ramrod in ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’, and he recently shared a wave of behind the scenes photos and concept art pulling back the curtain on the character’s full look. The images trace back to a real piece of Marvel history too, since the sequence draws from Amazing Spider-Man #221, the issue that pit Spidey against Ramrod on its cover.
The catch, according to Clements himself, is that most of what he filmed never made it to theaters. He revealed that a lot of Ramrod’s material was cut, though he noted that even more recognizable actors ended up losing their scenes entirely once the runtime needed trimming. It is unclear exactly who he meant, but the comment has already fueled speculation about just how much was left on the cutting room floor.
Clements did not sound bitter about the trims. He called it amazing to play another Marvel comic book character, adding how much he loves owning a comic where he appears on the cover. He also said he wanted to represent Ramrod as accurately as possible, so he studied the character’s comic appearances and trained two hours a day to prepare.
There is reason to believe a bigger battle once existed. Cretton has mentioned that a larger fight scene involving multiple villains was cut from the film, and fans have connected that detail to Ramrod’s missing footage. Reports suggest Ramrod appears as part of a fast paced opening montage covering the four years since ‘No Way Home’, alongside brief nods to other lower profile villains like Boomerang and Tarantula, each staged as a visual homage to their own comic covers.
Ramrod’s on screen time may be brief, but the reveal has still sparked plenty of chatter among fans who love spotting these kinds of comic accurate references. ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is set to hit theaters on July 31, and between Ramrod, Boomerang, and Tarantula, it seems Peter Parker has had a busier few years than anyone realized. With Clements confirming there was even more footage of villains that never made the cut, do you think Marvel should release an extended version showing the full fight with Ramrod and the rest of his rogues gallery cameo?
