More MCU Phase 4 news, as Jamie Foxx is confirmed to return as Electro in Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 (2021). Does this mean that a live-action Spider-Verse is finally coming? Read the article to find out. The implications are much more complex than you might think… Spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Jamie Foxx first portrayed Electro, a.k.a. Max Dillion, in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2
We finally know who the villain of the newest installment of Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man series, set to release in 2021, will be. Instead of introducing a new villain such as Kraven the Hunter or Scorpion as fans have long speculated, the film will see the return of a familiar character. Yesterday, news broke that Jamie Foxx, Academy Award-winning actor who portrayed Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), will reprise the role in Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man 3.
Electro was the antagonist of a previous Spider-Man film, which existed in a cinematic universe separate from the MCU
This brings up several questions for the Spider-Man sequel, the biggest of which is how is it possible for Foxx’s Electro, who belongs to a different cinematic universe as the MCU, to appear in the new MCU film. In The Amazing Spider-Man series, Spider-Man was portrayed by Andrew Garfield, not Tom Holland. The series was canceled after Sony, who owns the film rights to Spider-Man, decided to co-produce Holland’s reboot series, set in the MCU, with Marvel Studios.
J.K. Simmons reprised his iconic role as J. Jonah Jameson, who originally appeared in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, in Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019). However, this version of Jameson is different from the Raimi version, despite both being portrayed by Simmons
This is not the first time that a character from previous Spider-Man films has returned to the reboot series. J.K. Simmons reprised his iconic role as J. Jonah Jameson in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, albeit just a few seconds in the mid-credits scene. Jameson first appeared in director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, set outside the MCU. The MCU version is a seemingly different person from the Raimi version (or is he?) Just because Foxx is returning as Electro doesn’t mean that he will necessarily portray the same version of the character from The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Marvel could completely change his backstory and fit him into the MCU, just like they did with Jameson.
Electro, unlike Jameson, will be a major character in the new film
However, Electro’s situation is a bit different from that of Jameson’s. Simmons’ return was more of a tribute than a significant appearance (Jameson only had a cameo role in the movie), so it doesn’t matter too much that Jameson was portrayed by the same actor in two different cinematic universes. Electro, on the other hand, will likely be the main antagonist of Spider-Man 3. Some may be concerned that this could disrupt the story’s consistency and make audiences confused. Given how air-tight the MCU continuity is, why did Marvel decide to have Foxx return as Electro?
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 ended on a cliffhanger that was never resolved due to the sequels being canceled
Let’s first take a look at where The Amazing Spider-Man 2 left off. Unlike the Raimi series, The Amazing Spider-Man series ended on a cliffhanger rather than a resolution due to its sequels being canceled. For years, fans of the series have pleaded for Sony to continue the story with a potential The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Additionally, at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, we were not explicitly told if Electro was dead or not, setting up possibilities for the character’s return.
A live-action Spider-Verse is possible with characters from different universes crossing over to the MCU
Due to the success of 2018’s Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, fans and industry insiders have speculated that Sony will eventually bring the Spider-Verse to the live-action Spider-Man series while having previous Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their respective roles. With the return of Foxx as Electro, it seems that this ambitious crossover is becoming more likely.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 could begin at the cliffhanger of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 while introducing a dimension rift that brings Foxx’s Electro, as well as Maguire and Garfield’s Spider-Mans, into the MCU. This would not only give fans the crossover that they’ve dreamed of but could also serve as a nice continuation of the Raimi and The Amazing Spider-Man series.
Sony teased the Sinister Six all the way back in The Amazing Spider-Man 2
This can provide a lot of exciting storytelling opportunities for Sony. Sony has long planned to introduce the Sinister Six, a group of Spider-Man villains consisting of Vulture, Mysterio, Electro, Sandman, Kraven, and Doctor Octopus, into the Spider-Man films. The MCU already has Vulture and Mysterio, and Electro’s appearance would complete half of the roster. If Foxx can return as Electro, maybe Sony can also reintroduce Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus from Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman from Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 (2007) into the MCU. Given Sony’s announcement of a Kraven the Hunter movie, the Sinister Six may come sooner than we expect.
More importantly for Sony, this opportunity to cross-over Spider-Man characters into the MCU opens up an array of possibilities, including introducing Tom Hardy’s Venom from Venom (2018) and Jared Leto’s Morbius from Morbius (2021) into the MCU. Sony’s new Spider-Woman film, written and directed by Olivia Wilde, will also be reportedly produced by Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios. Likely, the two companies have already reached a deal to combine their characters into a single, coherent story.
This also makes sense for MCU Phase 4, as WandaVision (2020) and Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (2022) will explore multiverses and alternate realities
This is also an exciting next step for MCU Phase 4, as Marvel will most likely explore multiverses and alternate realities with movies and TV shows like WandaVision (2020) and Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness (2022). Both could provide explanations for how Electro enters the MCU. Reports came out earlier that Marvel is considering casting Tom Cruise as an alternate version of Iron Man (the actor was considered for the character before Robert Downey Jr. was cast in 2008’s Iron Man) for Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness. Similarly, Evan Peters is reportedly reprising his role as Quicksilver, who originally appeared in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), in Wandavision. Having Electro and potentially Quicksilver and other characters from alternate cinematic universes joining the MCU could give us another ambitious cinematic crossover event like Avengers: Endgame (2019). This would also serve as Marvel’s answer to DC’s The Flash (2022), which will see characters from different realities, such as Michael Keaton’s Batman from Batman (1989) and Ben Affleck’s Batman from Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016) appearing in the same film.
Recent Comments