Rhys Ifans Cast as Villain in New "Spider-Man"

LOS ANGELES (CBS/AP) Rhys Ifans is playing the bad guy in the next "Spider-Man." But the filmmakers aren't saying yet which character he'll be.

Sony Pictures announced Monday that Ifans, widely known as a comic actor in such films as Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant's "Notting Hill," will co-star as the villain in the superhero adventure due out July 3, 2012.

Pictures: The New "Spider-Man"

The studio's announcement notes that the "filmmakers prefer to not reveal which character Ifans will be playing."

Andrew Garfield ("The Social Network") will play Peter Parker/Spider-Man, while Emma Stone ("Easy A") has been tapped to play his first love interest, Gwen Stacy.

The 43-year-old Ifans played Grant's offbeat roommate in 1999's "Notting Hill." He co-starred in this year's "Nanny McPhee Returns" and Ben Stiller's comic drama "Greenberg," along with 2009's disc jockey romp "Pirate Radio." He also co-stars in next month's "Harry Potter" film as the quirky Xenophilius Lovegood.