Sony Says Tobey Macguire is Still Spider-Man…For Now
Two days ago, we delved into rumors that the next Peter Parker could be played by the Macguire-esque Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous, Wristcutters) or the younger, spunkish Michael Angarano (Sky High). Well, Sony wants to put some Internet skywriting out there and fast. Their message is: “Tobey Macguire, you’re the best, you’re our Spider-Man!…right?” Sony’s head of media relations tells IESB…
“No one is being considered for the role but Tobey. Period.”
IESB adds that numerous inside sources and agencies have confirmed that no actor in Hollywood or Bollywood has been contacted for Peter Parker. Prior to this, CHUD caught word from a producer on Fugit’s latest film who said the rumor was totally bunk. Let’s all electric slide back to square one, okay?
This premature casting drama went supernova because a higher-up at Marvel speculated that Sony will have Spider-Man 4 in theaters in 2010, which supported rumors that Sony wants to shoot Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5 back-to-back. Whatever Sony says, there is movement happening with the franchise, so a little interwebs madness is expected, healthier than eating bacon even.
I don’t think Fugit would be (have been) an unwise choice, he’s talented, but he shares Macguire’s sleepy, melancholy style to a fault. Peter wonders why Shia Labeouf is not in the mix—he’s probably my first choice for Parker, and I really hope they bring in a new director as well. What’s interesting is that the fan outrage at these Macguire replacement rumors is not really there, which is odd. And fanboy hindsight on Spider-Man 3 seems to grow dimmer as time passes. More on the next Spidey flick(s) as it develops.
Patrick Fugit To Be The Next Spider-Man?
Latino Review, the site that got the scoop of Jake Gyllenhaal landing the lead in Prince of Persia, may have another scoop on their hands. This is a major casting scoop if it turns out to be true. Here’s what they had to say :
Laura Ziskin and Grant Curtis are tossing names around. NO OFFERS HAVE BEEN YET. That being said, the name at the top of their list to replace Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spiderman is…
…PATRICK FUGIT.
I have no idea who he is and haven’t seen anything that he has been in, but he has had roles in Almost Famous and The Good Life. He also looks quite like Peter Parker in my opinion.
Latino Review also say that if Fugit doesn’t work out, they will go a bit younger and are looking at Michael Angarano, who stared recently in The Forbidden Kingdom. However, based on looks I prefer Partick Fugit. I haven’t seen any of them act before however I’m sure other people have.
Recent rumours suggest that Sony are planning on filming Spiderman 4 and 5 back to back, and recently Marvel Vice Chairman Peter Cuneo said that Sony had some casting decisions to make, which are looking more like re-casting decisions than anything.
What do you think to these rumours? Would they make good Tobey Maguire replacements?
Who Will Be The Next Spider-Man: Patrick Fugit, Michael Angarano?
In the past few weeks we’ve heard mumblings that Sony had renewed their option to make Spider-Man movies, and internet rumors of preliminary plans to shoot Spider-Man 4 and Spider-Man 5, back-to-back.
Now comes word via LatinoReview that Patrick Fugit is the top name in the running to replace Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. Now of course, no contracts have been signed, and the films have not even been officially greenlit (at least from a public perspective), so in other words - nothing is final. You probably recognize Fugit from his breakout performance in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous, or some of his indie work which has included Saved, Spun, and Wristcutters.
And if Fugit doesn’t work out, Michael Angarano is also said to be on the list of candidates. Angarano was most recently seen in Forbidden Kingdom, 
was in the superhero film Sky High, and even tried out for the now defunct Justice League movie. And while I’m not against the idea of going younger for the role, I just don’t see Angarano as Peter Parker.
I’m kinda surprised Shia LaBeouf’s name isn’t being mentioned. Some of you might also be wondering: if you’re going to go older, why not just go with Jake Gyllenhaal? Unfortunately Jake will be tied up for the foreseeable future with the big screen adaptation of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.
Spider-Man 4 Villains Revealed?
FreezeDriedMovies claims that The Lizard, Carnage, and Black Cat will be featured in the upcoming fourth film. Call me a little skeptical, but I think this is bogus. From what I’ve heard, no development has even begun on the fourth film (even though the studio was in talks with David Koepp to write the script).
But then the question becomes: What Villains could be featured in Spider-Man 4? Unfortunately most of the big names in Spider-Man’s rogue gallery have already been used (and killed, for that matter). Let’s take a look at the current contenders.
LizardDr. Curt Connors was mentioned briefly in the film Spider-Man, and appeared in both of the sequels, where he was played by actor Dylan Baker. So this makes him the perfect choice for one of the upcoming sequels. The Lizard is one of the most interesting of the unused Spidey villains because in his human state he is a friend and ally of Peter Parker, much like Harry Osbourne was. Connors developed an experimental serum taken from reptilian DNA, which he tested on himself and was subsequently transformed into a reptilian humanoid monster. Peter Parker worked as a teaching assistant to Dr. Connors at Empire State University, although Connors had no idea that Peter was actually Spider-Man.
Odds: 95%
Electro
An electrician named Maxwell Dillon was repairing a power line, when a freak lightning accident resulted in a mutagenic change in his nervous system, transforming Dillon into a living electrical capacitor which could generate massive quantities of electricity, theoretically up to approximately one million volts. When his body is charged to such levels, he becomes superhumanly strong and fast. Taking the name Electro, he turned to a life of crime. Electro broke into the Daily Bugle Building and stole from J. Jonah Jameson’s safe right in front of him. Jameson accused Spider-Man of being an alternate identity of Electro. This prompted Spider-Man to prove the publisher wrong. Spider-Man was nearly killed when he touched the electrically charged supervillain. In one story-line, Electro tried to take over New York City’s power supply in an attempt at glory and respect.
Odds: 73%
Hydro-Man
Morris Bench worked on a cargo ship until being knocked overboard while a powerful experimental generator was being tested in the ocean. He was transformed into a being of pigmented water, able to control his own liquid body. Hydro-Man has been a frequent antagonist of Spider-Man since his first appearance in 1981. And while not a big recognizable name, he could be used to create some incredible FX filled action sequences. He is also an occasional ally/enemy of the Sandman (for obvious reasons). So if this character was used, Thomas Haden Church could possibly reprise his role to help Spidey defeat Hydro-Man.
Odds: 68%
Mysterio
A disgraced stunt man and special effects artist named Quentin Beck who donned an extravagant and theatrical costume with a crystal ball like helmet (Amazing Spider-Man #13) and sought to discredit and frame Spider-Man using illusions. He also was able to fog the hero’s Spider-Sense with a special gas and used a a chemical abrasive to dissolve his webbing.
Odds: 64%
Carnage
A combination of Venom symbiote and the serial killer and former cell mate of Eddie Brock, Cletus Kasady. Carnage invades Empire State University and kills a classmate of Peter’s, chip. In the Ultimate universe, Dr. Curt Conners (aka The Lizard) created Carnage using DNA from both himself and Spider-Man. And one must remember that Dr. Connor still has a sample of the Venom symbiote. So it’s very possible that Carnage could be involved in a storyline which also involves The Lizard.
Odds: 46%
Chameleon
The first supervillain Spider-Man ever faced in print (Amazing Spider-Man #1), Dmitri Smerdyakov was a Russian spy and master of disguise. He uses a variety of traditional, high-tech and biologically enhanced ways to change his appearance, believably imitating almost anyone. He also sought to avenge his brother Kraven the Hunter’s death, to become the most powerful crime boss in New York City.
Odds: 61%
Shocker
Herman Schultz developed a pair of gauntlets capable of throwing incredibly powerful vibrational air blasts. His gold and brown quilted costume protects himself from the vibrations. Schultz used the gauntlets to escape from prison and became the mighty supervillain known as The Shocker. He actually defeated Spider-Man in their first confrontation because Spidey had a broken arm from his earlier battle with the Lizard. The character may be perfect as the B villain in a film with The Lizard. Spider-Man has yet to really suffer a defeat on screen, and that could be interesting.
Odds: 42%
Vulture
Also one of Spider-Man’s first villains (The Amazing Spider-Man #2) Adrian Toomes is a former electronics engineer who employs a special harness, a pair of wings worn on his arms, that allows him to fly. The harness also endows him with enhanced strength and somehow increases his lifespan. Other Vultures have included a prison cellmate of Toomes, “Blackie” Drago, and a vengeful university professor who was an expert on bio-mutation named Clifton Shallot. This character could not be the main villain in a future film, possibly a side villain. And I’m pretty sure that an old guy with wings would look ridiculous on the big screen.
Odds: 33%
Hobgoblin
A millionaire fashion designer and criminal named Roderick Kingsley acquired the Green Goblin’s weaponry and used them to further his own ambitions. We’ve already had three films of Goblins, I think this character will be held off until the far future.
Odds: 26%
Rhino
A poor immigrant from Russia named Aleksei Sytsevich participated in a Soviet super soldier program that bonded a super-strong polymer to his skin and gave him enhanced strength, speed, and stamina. He’s a dim-witted criminal and usually robs banks and works as an enforcer for more ambitious criminals. This charact has almost no chance of making it to the big screen. If you thought The Thing from The Fantastic Four movies looked stupid, imagine what a guy in a gray Rhino suit would look like.
Odds: 9%