So if you were watching closely then you probably noticed the metallic tentacles of Doctor Octopus and the wings of the Vulture in the background at OsCorp, clearly setting the characters up to appear later. But was that always the case? Marc Webb tells Grantland he kind of had to double-check...
Webb: "I had to talk to Drew Goddard and make sure these things were going to be played out in the future universe. There are some very specific plans, for example, for [Doc] Ock and for Vulture. Or the man in the hat at the end of the first movie. All those things emerge with varying degrees of emphasis."
That man who turned up at the end is The Gentleman, a character Webb hinted strongly last year would turn up in the film. In the series of graphic novels penned by Adam-Troy Castro it's The Gentleman who brings the Sinister Six together, just as he's doing in the movie with the help of Dane DeHaan's Harry Osborn. And who is likely to be joining the Green Goblin as part of the team? If Webb has his way it will be classic Spidey villain, Kraven the Hunter. He tells Comicbook.com...
Webb: “Kraven. I like the idea of Kraven. The Vulture. Ock. I always thought the idea of Mysterio was interesting. Maybe Scorpion. But really, Kraven I think is kind of interesting.”
Kraven is a Russian big game hunter who teams with his half-brother the Chameleon to take down Spider-Man, considering him the ultimate prey. Later on after repeated failures, Kraven decides to take one more shot at Spider-Man before ending his own life, and actually emerges victorious for a time. He's also one of the founding members of the Sinister Six, at least the one put together by Doctor Octopus in the comics. The Amazing Spider-Man 2's credits tease seems to hint that Kraven and possibly Chameleon will be a part of the collection of villains, but there's some dispute whether that's true.Lastly, Webb had to speak out about the decision to kill off Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy, the character dying in the battle with Green Goblin. In the comics there is some question about the circumstances of her death, such as whether her neck was broken by the Goblin or if Spidey's webs snapped her spine, but in the movie there's no doubt about it. And the impact of her death obviously has a huge impact on Peter Parker that will last through the next film. Webb didn't end things on a gloomy note, however, choosing to give Peter a ray of sunshine and a means of bouncing back at the end. He tells Movies.com...
Webb: "To me, I knew, even before the first movie, to the point that my involvement was predicated on the idea that we get to address this part of the comics. It was fascinating and what was daring and interesting about this comic. So I wanted to confront the death of Gwen Stacy. And I knew, and I believe, that you have to find meaning in that. That's the job, especially when you're dealing with kids, which is a huge part of the Spider-Man audience and was me, reading those comics. It was important to find meaning in loss and find meaning in that tragic event. And that required a dénouement. It's what Aunt May provided for Peter Parker that gives the whole meaning."
And of course, that leaves the door open for Peter to find somebody new in The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Maybe we'll finally see Mary Jane Watson? Or perhaps Felicity Jones' Felicia Hardy will finally get something to do?
Webb: "Will Peter Parker love again? When [relationships] end, it's very difficult to imagine emerging from that. I think that’s, emotionally, where he's going to start off in the next movie."
The Amazing Spider-Man 3 opens June 10th 2016.
