Remember Spike in the Julia Roberts-Hugh Grant starrer Notting Hill? Yes, Hugh Grant's room mate. Rhys Ifans (Enduring Love,Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows), the actor who played Spike in Notting Hill, will soon take on another unforgettable character, The Lizard, in the Spider-man reboot!

The Lizard is Peter Parker's science teacher Dr. Curt Connors who turned into the reptilian nemesis by injecting an expiremental serum based on reptilian DNA to grow back his arms that was amputated during his service in the army.

Ifans, as Dr. Curt Connors, will join a continually growing cast including Andrew Garfield (The Social Network, Never Let Me Go) as Peter Parker and Emma Stone (Easy A) as Gwen Stacy.

Ifans replaces Dylan Baker who had previously played the scientist (but without ever appearing on screen as The Lizard) in Sam Raimi-directed adaptations, with Tobey McGuirre as Spider-man and Kristen Dunst as Mary Jane. Baker has been rumoured set to play The Lizard in the cancelled fourth adaptation by Sam Raimi, but the movie never pushed through.