It seems that every day since it was announced, Marc Webb‘s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” has walked a line between misdirection and simple confusion as to which elements to keep. The excision of Shailene Woodley‘s Mary Jane Watson character was just the latest example, and while Felicity Jones faced rumors that she’s playing the Black Cat, it turns out it might be Lily Hollister/Menace instead. But today, another actress has in fact clarified her role in the film, and Webb has hinted at a notorious group’s presence in future installments.
Discussion around actress Sarah Gadon struck up last month for her casting so near to Woodley’s departure—would she replace the “Divergent” actress as Mary Jane, or portray someone else? Well, after Twitter confirmation that she was not playing the redhead, Gadon has revealed a bit more about her role in a Toronto Life interview (via Comic Book Movie). “My character is an artificial intelligence officer… She represents the convergence of humanity and technology — it’s very Cronenberg.”
Webb previously described the character as making “a number of appearances in the film, in a Hal 9000 way.” So, will Cronenberg and Kubrick influences abound? Perhaps the director has been talking to James Mangold for comics-to-film reference points. Nevertheless, now that Woodley’s role remains vacant for the immediate sequel, chances of the actress’ return in “The Amazing Spider-Man 3” are unknown, especially to the director. “I don’t know, she has a lot on her plate,” he recently said at Comic-Con. “We haven’t really crossed that bridge yet.”
However, one thing Webb is clearer on is the potential for antagonists in upcoming sequels: rumblings of The Sinister Six have circled for a while, but recently Webb teased the future involvement of a key member of that group. “What about The Gentleman?” he delicately asked to Coming Soon. “I’m just saying…. Think about The Gentleman.”
A villain of the novel “Spider-Man: The Gathering of the Sinister Six,” The Gentleman forms the Sinister Six—existing in a number of configurations in the comics—as a method of revenge for his brother’s death, in which Peter Parker’s parents were complicit. So do you think Webb will pull the trigger on The Gentleman, in addition to the cluster of characters already hinted at? Or will he leave him as just a clever ruse?
Leave your thoughts below, and meanwhile “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” opens May 2, 2014. [ET Canada/Comic Book Movie]