Jamie Foxx played the villainous Electro in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but the Oscar-winner's performance didn't receive the warmest of responses. It didn't help that he had such terrible material to work with, of course, while his blue appearance ended up being ridiculed for the most part.
Now, the Soul star is getting a second chance when he reprises the role of Electro in Spider-Man 3.
How his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut is handled remains to be seen; the actor has confirmed he won't have blue skin and teased a "Spider-Verse" storyline in a since-deleted Instagram post, so we're not sure what to think! During a recent interview with Cinema Blend, Foxx chose his words carefully when asked about playing Electro again, finding a perfect way to tease comic book fans.
"You’re absolutely right, I can’t speak on it," the actor said. "But if I’m in it, I’ll be so happy." He then followed up by sharing a knowing look at the camera so, yeah, he's in Spider-Man 3!
It was previously reported that we'd get some sort of first look at the threequel before 2021 is over, so here's hoping that will shed some light on the direction Marvel Studios is taking this adventure in.
In the meantime, be sure to check out our spoiler-free review of Soul right here!
Click on the "Next" button below for 10 things you
need to know about this possible Spider-Verse movie!
10. Sony's Original Plans To "Transition" Spidey Out Of The MCU
Not too long ago, it appeared as if Tom Holland's Spider-Man was set to leave the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Sony Pictures would have been back in charge creatively, while Peter Parker would no longer be part of a world also inhabited by other superheroes (at least not Earth's Mightiest).
In an interview from back in February, Holland said: "[The] future for Spider-Man was still very bright with Sony and we had a really, really wonderful idea how we could sort of transition into a Spider-Man without the MCU and Tom Rothman and Amy Pascal were really confidant that they were gonna do justice and make a film of the calibre that Spider-Man requires."
This indicates that Spidey wasn't simply going to just exist in a different world, and that there was going to be some sort of explanation. Could that still factor into Spider-Man 3? It would certainly explain why the movie appears to be heading down the route of parallel Earths and realities...
9. J. Jonah Jameson May Take A More Active Role In Targeting Spider-Man
At the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, J.K. Simmons return as J. Jonah Jameson and outed the web-slinger's identity to the world. Recently, a report from Murphy's Multiverse claimed that Dr. Spencer Smythe and the Spider-Slayers are expected to be part of the upcoming Spider-Man 3.
As we pointed out, J. Jonah Jameson was the one who commissioned the creation of those robots in the comic books. Given his return at the end of the 2019 movie, it would certainly make sense for Jonah to be the one who attempts to bring Peter Parker to justice in the threequel. It's also worth remembering that B.J. Novak played Alistair Smythe, Spencer's son, in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
There's no word on whether he'll return, but that would be another link to that 2014 sequel.
8. Some Familiar Faces Will Return
Zendaya (MJ) and Jacob Batalon (Ned Leeds) were recently spotted on the New York City set of Spider-Man 3, and if you follow the latter on social media, you'll know he's dropped a tonne of weight.
That could see him take on a more active role in the threequel, while Marisa Tomei has teased plans for May Parker too. "Well, I've had her - [director] Jon Watts and I always talked about her being a community organizer," she told Screen Rant earlier this year when asked what fans can expect. "And hopefully that track will expand and be part of this one, as well."
She's bound to have something to say about her nephew being framed for murder - and outed as a superhero - as is Flash Thompson (Deadline confirmed Tony Revolori's return a while back).
7. Will The Scorpion Also Return?
Mid-credits scenes in the Marvel Cinematic Universe often mean something, so it's legitimately really strange that Spider-Man: Homecoming's - which saw Mac Gargan attempt to extract the web-slinger's secret identity from Adrian Toomes - has never really been addressed in any way.
Toomes was spotted in the Morbius trailer, of course, so the plot has definitely thickened when it comes to what that means (has he somehow found his way to another reality between movies?).
You have to believe Mac Gargan will have something to say now it's been outed to the world. During a Reddit AMA, actor Michael Mando was asked about the possibility of appearing in Spider-Man 3, and said: "I love [Spider-Man] and I love that whole team," he responded. "Who knows, I keep hearing things but I can't confirm or deny anything...yet. Stay tuned."
6. No, It's Probably Not Called "Spider-Man: Homesick"
Spider-Man: Homesick was reported to be the title for Spider-Man 3 over the summer thanks to information shared by Maxim and Esquire. However, a staff writer from the former confirmed that the title was not based on any sort of inside information. Instead, it was based on speculation and rumours they had seen online in recent months (the same was the case for Esquire).
As we know that Spider-Man 3 will again use "Home" in the title, it's no wonder this was so easily believed, but an official reveal is unlikely to come our way from Marvel Studios for a while.
However, with the recent reveal that some sort of first look is heading our way before the year is over, a title reveal isn't outside the realm of possibility, and could generate a lot of chatter online.
5. Doctor Strange Will Be Peter Parker's New Mentor
It's been confirmed that before he starts working on Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Benedict Cumberbatch will reprise the role of the Sorcerer Supreme in Spider-Man 3.
It's been reported that he will serve as Peter Parker's mentor, a decision which has led to many fans pointing out that after Iron Man and Mysterio, the web-slinger really doesn't need another father figure. That could be a misdirect, of course, especially if he's going to guide the webbed wonder to different worlds (potentially in a bid to clear his name or hide his secret identity from the world).
Either way, with Sam Raimi at the helm of the Doctor Strange sequel, it definitely feels like something bigger is happening, especially when you take this next piece of news into account...
4. Jamie Foxx Is Returning As Electro
Bringing J.K. Simmons back as J. Jonah Jameson made perfect sense, especially as it's hard to imagine anyone else being able to play that same role so perfectly. Could you really say the same thing about Jamie Foxx's Electro? His performance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was panned by fans and critics!
Despite that, Foxx is set to reprise the role in Spider-Man 3, though it's unclear whether it's the same version of the character or a new one. In a now deleted Instagram post, the Oscar-winner confirmed that he won't be blue, so it seems likely he's going to play a whole new take on the electrically charged baddie.
However, that doesn't exactly fit in with the "Spider-Verse" theory, and the fact Foxx also shared some fan-art showing Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire standing side-by-side is what led to everyone assuming that the MCU's web-slinger is about to head to a number of alternate worlds!
3. Tom Hardy's Venom Might Also Appear
It's no secret that Tom Holland and Tom Hardy are keen for a Spider-Man/Venom crossover, while you have to believe Sony Pictures would love to make it happen too (even with bad reviews, a movie like that would be a huge box office hit for a studio relying heavily on the web-slinger).
This month, The Direct has shared a rumour suggesting that there's "general interest" from both Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures to have Tom Hardy's Venom appear in Spider-Man 3. There are no real talks yet, though, and it sounds like this would be no more than just a minor cameo appearance.
However, if it were to open the door for that crossover, that would be a big win for Sony Pictures. Whether Kevin Feige wants to dirty his hands with a character from a movie that boasts 30% on Rotten Tomatoes. We don't know what he made of the box office hit, however, so it's hard to say for sure.
2. The Movie Remains On Track For Its 2021 Release
It's been said that Sony Pictures is going to avoid releasing blockbusters during the COVID-19 pandemic, hence why they've pushed the likes of Morbius and Venom: Let There Be Carnage into 2021.
Current world events mean that Spider-Man 3 has already slipped from July to November to December, but Executive Marketing Director of Sony Pictures Entertainment in Brazil, Camila Pacheco, recently appeared at ExpoCine and provided a big update on the Marvel Studios threequel. She confirmed that cameras are now rolling on Spider-Man 3, and that the web-slinger's next adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is sticking to its December 2021 release.
That's definitely good news, but we still need to keep everything crossed for a vaccine by then.
1. Spider-Men
Here's where sh*t gets crazy.
While this hasn't been reported by reliable sources, it's said that Marvel Studios has signed both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire up to reprise their respective roles as Peter Parker in Spider-Man 3. Interestingly, a Sony rep recently responded to those claims, saying only: "Those rumored castings are not confirmed." That's not exactly a full-blown denial now, is it?
It's since been claimed that there are also plans in place for MIles Morales, while Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson) and Dane DeHaan's (Harry Osborn/Green Goblin) names have also been mentioned.
Needless to say, if none of that happens, some "scoopers" will have some explaining to do...