Producers say Spider-man spin-offs will be challenging yet character-driven

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

If you are anxious about the announced villain spin-offs from THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 including a VENOM and SINISTER SIX film, you are not alone. Without many other heroes to their Marvel mythos, Sony is doing everything they can to maximize what they can get out of Peter Parker and the rogue’s gallery that populates his universe. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is beginning by planting the seed of not one or two bad guys but a whole slate of them. The trailers have teased Electro, Rhino, Green Goblin, Vulture, and Doctor Octopus while not ruling out the still surviving Lizard from the first film.

Producer Matt Tolmach is on the same side as fans and knows that there are a lot of risks with what Sony is undertaking. He spoke to SFX and shared the approach they are taking.

“It’s a challenge in every sense.  Obviously questions of traditional hero/villain dynamics have to be looked at. At the same time it’s an awesome challenge, because some of the greatest characters are in fact villains, and how you construct that is so much fun. People love those bad characters if they’re good bad characters, and love to watch them.”

It is very true that Spider-man has one of the deepest rosters of villains of any comic book out there, all of whom are very cinematic.  But, bringing them to the screen may be difficult.  The SINISTER SIX movie idea is intriguing, but if you aren’t putting Spider-man at the forefront, who will provide the antagonist for the villains at the center of the film?  Producer Avi Arad referenced that the Marvel villains, specifically Spider-man’s foes, are all victims of circumstance which makes them much more character-driven.  This helps when translating for the big screen.

Arad even offered some insight as to how writer-director Drew Goddard can use that to his advantage with the impending VENOM movie.

“Venom hated only one guy – Spider-Man. He wasn’t innately bad, he was a shortcut guy, not really into fighting hard for achievement. That’s the Venom story. Can he also be a good guy? As you know, Venom was also called ‘lethal defender of the innocent’. We had a great history with him, especially caring for the homeless, which is a very sensitive issue and something that many of us are very concerned with. Our villains all represent a different side of the misunderstood, and some of them unfortunately turned to the dark side. Venom happened to be a phenomenal character. With Eddie Brock, or if you do Flash Thompson, it doesn’t matter who is going to be inside the suit – what’s important is that a man like him is going to realise there comes a time when you wake up in the morning and say ‘How did I get here? There must be a better way.’”

Unlike what Fox has with X-MEN and THE FANTASTIC FOUR or Disney with everything else, Sony has a very unique situation with such a large number of bad guys and limited heroes.  Can they pull it off successfully?  Time will tell, but you have to give them credit for trying something unique.

THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 opens in theaters on May 2, 2014.