Spider-Man 4...and maybe 5...News

[TGC]

Another day, another Spider-Man 4 casting rumor … Last week it was confirmed that Sony Pictures has renewed its film rights to the Spider-Man franchise, which may account for the latest rounds of gossip about who may play Peter Parker.

Latino Review reports that, although no offers have been made, Patrick Fugit (Saved!, Almost Famous) is the top pick of producers Laura Ziskin and Grant Curtis to replace Tobey Maguire.

If Fugit doesn’t pan out, the website says Michael Angarano (The Forbidden Kingdom, Sky High) is another favorite.

Maguire, whose interest in a fourth installment waxes and wanes, said last year that if director Sam Raimi were to return, he might consider playing Peter Parker again. However, Raimi’s involvement remains uncertain.

Credit blog@newsarama

I have heard that the scripts for Spidey 4 and 5 are what convinced Sony to renew the rights to the franchise. They say that it is very possible that the films will be filmed back to back, as they are really one story broken into two films. You know, kinda like how they should have handled Venom? Personally I think a new director and a new Peter are needed to refresh the franchise after the oh so lackluster third movie that simply didn't work overall. And if you replace Peter and the Raimi, you need a new MJ too. That and Kirsten Dunst sucks.

[Captain Kirk]

Dunst is the one person in the Spiderman trilogy I really can't stand. Changing the leads would be a good idea as it will just get more stale with the same cast and director I think.

[GA!]

I will only watch Spiderman 4 if they totally change the director and stars, so this is promising.

[Gene Kiniski]

I will only watch if they DON'T change cast.

[GA!]

I will only watch if they DON'T change cast.

After the speculation that came after Spiderman 2 where Dunst and Maguire weren't going to do a third installment unless they got more money, I thought I wouldn't watch it without them in. Spiderman 3 totally changed my mind. I found the performances to be naff and their chemistry together too cheesy. I don't know much about the Spiderman comics, but I hope they move away from the Mary Jane love interest to another one Peter Parker had because they wore the Parker/Mary Jane relationship thin in their attempts to make the third installment more than just a superhero film. Obviously this is also the fault of Sam Raimi, the writer and whoever else thought of the story too for thinking they needed to change the film after a fantastic second film into a bloated, soap-opera style mess.

So yes, change everything! Rah rah and all that...

[Michael]

For me, it completely cheapens the franchise if you change the leads.

[Summers]

Kill off MJ, bring in Gwen.

[METALMAN]

Speaking of Dunst, she's checked into rehab or something hasn't she? For "depression" I think.

[TGC]

Kill off MJ, bring in Gwen.

They did in SM3 and wasted her totally. Like most everything else in SM3.

[brenchill]

They could always leave it a few years and by then everyone would of forgotten about nipples on the Spidey suit.

[LexChaney]

I'm all for them getting rid of Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. They were both good in the first film but after that like it has been said their performances were not up to scratch.

The only person I want them to keep around would have to be Defoe, thats if he is going to make a return like in the comics. I liked Spiderman 3 a lot better than Spiderman 2, but they don't hold a candle on the first film.

Also if Raimi is out that means Bruce Campbell won't be appearing in little points of humor in the films.

[Summers]

Kill off MJ, bring in Gwen.

They did in SM3 and wasted her totally. Like most everything else in SM3.

I avoided it. How did they ruin her?

[Maxx]

Yeah, I think we've crossed the threshold of Toby Maguire being able to play a 20 something. He looked absolutely ridiculous in most of SP3, especially during his emo phase. He's 33 now, he's lost and gained weight way too much so he can't show anguish without looking like his skin is melting off.

Spider Man is supposed to be like eternally youthful, Marvel's been going to great lengths to remind people of that. Older Spider Man has failed miserably twice in the comics, going in that direction in films won't help either, especially after the Spider Man 3 disaster. I'm not even sure if they should be making these movies at all the last one was so bad.

Spidey is supposed to somewhere between 16 and 25 in my mind and Maguire just can't hit that anymore. Fugit's a nice choice as a replacement, but seriously they're just going to have to ignore the third one entirely while making 4 and 5.

Anyone think they'll shove Spider Man into the Avengers? I know there's production company issues with it, but I can't see Marvel pitching the idea of a team comprised of their greatest heroes without something bringing up Spidey, especially since he's their super money character. Plus he's in the avengers now anyways, and Ultimate Nick Fury, who is clearly the one we're dealing with, reminds Ultimate Spider-Man he'll be joining The Ultimates one day all the time.

EDIT:

How can anyone like Spider Man 3 over Spider Man 2, which in my mind is the best entry in the series. Spider Man 3 is up there with The Hulk and X-Men 3 in terms of terrible super hero movies. And X-Men 3 was much better.

Edited May 29, 2008 by Maxx

[TGC]

In SM3 Gwen had no role other than to

Spoiler: Click here to view

be a foil to keep Peter and MJ apart for some of the movie. Rather than being his greatest first love, as in the comics, he used her totally. Gwen was it in Peter's eyes until her death, at which point MJ became more. I realize this is comics vs. movies, but Gwen was the sweet, wholesome, beautiful, blonde haired young woman that Peter had no business being with, and yet he was. In SM3 she was just another girl.

Also I see no way Spidey can be used in The Avengers seeing as sony has the film rights. Just not going to happen.

[Gabriel]

With them seriously considering new leads, I'm actually surprised that Marvel didn't just take the rights to Spider-Man back. That is, unless there was a stipulation in Sony's contract that allowed them the choice of renewing it regardless of what Marvel had to say.

Either way... Fugit is good. I really enjoy him, and his work in Wristcutters makes me feel like he could pull of Peter Parker.

[OGpistolpete]

I really hope they don't change leads. I really liked Spiderman 3, and I don't want this series to be the next Batman series where every new movie they would change the lead actor. A new director I really wouldn't mind, but perhaps they could add a second love interest into the mix.

But the only thing I didn't like in 3 was there were too many storylines. You had his fighting with the Sandman, then the whole thing with Harry Osborn, and then there was Mary Jane, and then Venom. I hope 4 focuses on Spiderman and Venom, cause I don't know if they fight or not in the books, I am not a Spiderman expert, but that's what I think everybody wants to see. I fact, I think 3 should have been all about the coming of Venom, and that Sandman was really not needed.

[Gabriel]

So you want them to complicate things further by adding another love interest storyline, even though you think there were too many stories going on in the 3rd one?

They need to change the leads. All the major parts should be signed to 3 picture deals. If MacGuire or Dunst won't do it, then replace them.

Batman didn't work because the movies sucked. Not because the actors kept changing.

Venom was rushed a bit, but without the Sandman there, it would have been a movie about Peter and Mary Jane having couple problems, until Brock found the symbiote. They're already way too focused on the personal aspects of Spider-Man, and I think it's making them forget that these are supposed to be Superhero movies. Yes, add depth to them, but they should still feel like a comic.

[Laice07]

I really hope they don't change leads. I really liked Spiderman 3, and I don't want this series to be the next Batman series where every new movie they would change the lead actor. A new director I really wouldn't mind, but perhaps they could add a second love interest into the mix.

But the only thing I didn't like in 3 was there were too many storylines. You had his fighting with the Sandman, then the whole thing with Harry Osborn, and then there was Mary Jane, and then Venom. I hope 4 focuses on Spiderman and Venom, cause I don't know if they fight or not in the books, I am not a Spiderman expert, but that's what I think everybody wants to see. I fact, I think 3 should have been all about the coming of Venom, and that Sandman was really not needed.

I personally thought 3 should have focused only on Harry and Sandman. They should have kept the black suit in it, and then introduce Venom right 'till the end....making Spidey 4 a film about Venom and possibly The Lizard (since Connors was in both the second and the third). But alas a shitstorm brew instead. And to think Spiderman 2 was one of the best superhero films of all time(along with X2, Batman Begins and SUperman) and yet spiderman 3 (with everyone still intact) was a disaster is kind of surprising.

[Evafreak]

One of the few things I like in Spidey3 was that I thought anyway Topher Grace pulled out a great Brock in his own right but not being as huge a fan of Venom as I am is there any chance the Symbiote could regenerate as cheesy an excuse as that may seem?

[TGC]

I agree that SM3 should have been about the black suit, Sandman, and Harry. Peter ditches the suit, Brock gets it, and we end 3 with a teaser image of Venom. SM4 should have been Spidey vs. venom, the one enemy his spider sense doesn't register, the one enemy who knows Peter better than anyone because of the symbiote, and the one enemy that Spidey can't beat. Of course the black suit should have made Peter darker and more violent, not emo and even less of a man.

And yes, if they wanted to bring Venom back it would be totally possible if we go off of comic book lore and continuity. Of course I'm still not sure exactly what happened at the end of 3 when the symbiote and Eddie just sort of...vanished.

I could see 4 and/or 5 featuring The Lizard, but I don't see that villain needing two movies. In fact, outside of The Sinister Six I don't know what villain other than Venom could need two movies. Unless of course we get Carnage, which yeah, might need two movies.