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'Spider-Man 4' appears to be a lock, but key questions remain
BY JEFF PIZEK
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, May 03, 2007
You don't need spider-sense to foresee this weekend's box office hero.
"Spider-Man 3," the summer's first blockbuster, stands poised to leap into millions of eyeballs. According to Variety, the movie already set records in each of the eight Asian territories in which it debuted on Tuesday. Today, it opens in 4,253 U.S. theaters, the widest North American opening of all time.
Add to this an avalanche of advertising and merchandising, and Spidey's web is hard to escape, at least until Shrek's own second sequel hits screens in two weeks. There's no question that "Spider-Man 3" will make some serious coin. It does raise another question, though.
What will "Spider-Man 4" be like?
It's definitely happening. As early as last summer, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige told MTV that after number three, "There will be many more Spider-Man films to come." In January, the Web site Superhero Hype! claimed David Koepp, screenwriter for the first Spidey film, was "in talks" to write the fourth. Last month, Entertainment Weekly quoted Sony Pictures' President of Production Matt Tolmach: "We're making 'Spider-Man 4.' Our hope, dream and intention is to do it with (director) Sam (Raimi)."
The biggest mystery at this point is the identity of returning personnel. Raimi helmed all three Spider-Man adventures, but according to the EW piece, he's interested in directing "The Hobbit," which would be in production around the same time as "Spider-Man 4." On Monday, star Tobey Maguire told NBC's "Today Show" that he'd consider a fourth if Raimi directs, this after much public ambivalence about coming back to the franchise. Co-star Kirsten Dunst has said in numerous places that she'd only think about returning if Raimi and Maguire are on board.
Keith Anderson, proprietor of Keith's Komix in Schaumburg, believes the movies could survive with a different guy in the Spider-Man suit, "but I think losing Raimi would hurt a lot because he's really in touch with Spider-Man." Anderson compares a Raimi-free "Spider-Man 4" to "X-Men: The Last Stand," which saw director Bryan Singer leaving that series. "The movie was still good, it still did huge box office, but it didn't have the same feel."
Max Phillips of The comics Revolution at Mount Prospect's Randhurst Mall thinks a change of director "might be OK, but if they get the wrong guy, like what happened to 'Batman and Robin,' that might be kind of tough to pull off. As much as I love Sam Raimi's directing, I can see someone else doing a good job with that, and if they get a good actor that could step into Tobey's shoes, it could work."
W. Dal Bush, store manager at Naperville's Graham Crackers Comics, says the franchise doesn't depend on one person. "Over the years, in the comics, there have been a lot of creators involved, and I don't think it comes down to one specific person beyond (creators) Stan Lee or Steve Ditko."
Then there are the villains, a crucial part of any superhero film. As Bush notes, "The character who becomes the Lizard (Dr. Curt Connors) has shown up in a few films." Last month, Cinemablend.com posted a rumor that Morlun, a more recent supernatural foe from the comics, is under consideration.
As a fan, Anderson would like to see The Rhino, Mysterio or The Black Cat, a sexy anti-heroine who was originally created as a foil for Marvel character Spider-Woman. "They could always spawn Carnage if Venom's as big a hit as I think he's going to be," he speculates, referring to the maniacal comics villain created when the black alien symbiote seen in "Spider-Man 3" bonds with a serial killer.
"If they hadn't blown The Kingpin in 'Daredevil,' he would be a really good villain," says Anderson. "I hope it's not, like, The Vulture or something, especially after this movie. Electro you could possibly do, but then, how threatening is a guy who throws electrical bolts compared to what they've been doing?"
Bush wants a distinguishable villain with a less complicated back-story. "Something like The Lizard or The Scorpion have the advantage of being able to get into it quickly and having a very cool look," he says. "When you see a guy in a green suit with a giant green tail, that's The Scorpion. You get who he is. That stuff is always fun, and it allows more of an emphasis on Spider-Man, rather than spending the whole movie finding out who the villain is and why he's doing what he's doing."
Like Anderson, Phillips wishes for a longer continuation of the Venom storyline. "I'd like to see Spider-Man teaming up with someone to fight Venom. A Black Cat appearance would be neat, or at least Felicia Hardy (Black Cat's alter-ego) showing up somewhere." For those already anticipating "Spider-Man 4," the best way to get more web-slinging action is to go back to the books. Tomorrow, thousands of comic book shops participate in Free Comic Book Day. Hardcore fans and the comic-curious alike can check out their local store and walk away with free issues of select comics, including Marvel's "The Amazing Spider-Man: Swing Shift" by Dan Slott, Phil Jimenez and Andy Lanning. To locate a participating shop near you, visit freecomicbookday.com.
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