Gotta wonder if Sony is regretting hiring the star of Soul Man right about now. Even though it's been rumored for awhile, actor C. Thomas Howell has now confirmed that the villain played by Rhys Ifans in The Amazing Spider-Man is indeed the Lizard

Movieweb points out that Howell recently guested on The Retroradio , where he spilled a fewbeans about the upcoming reboot and his role in it. Read on if you dare."I play a construction worker who's [sic] son is caught in the middle of a battle between the Lizard and Spider-Man on the Manhattan bridge. Spider-Man helps me get my son back from this perilous situation," said Howell.He continued, "There is some payback there at the end of the movie. Spider-Man is kind of hurting. I help him when all of the other people won't. Part of the story is, the nation thinks he might be a bad guy. They don't know what to think. Because of my experience on the bridge with my kid, I know he is a good guy. I pitch in and help out at the end. That is the best way." Dylan Baker played Lizard's alter ego, Dr. Curt Connors, in the first three Spidey films directed by Sam Raimi. Like Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent, the actor never did get the chance to play the character's evil side in a sequel.The 3D Spidey reboot opens July 3, 2012.