Spider-Man movie (casting, rumors, pix till release)

[Admiral_Young]

Why does everyone think they're doing an origin story again? I don't get this logic, same with Superman. Fans have to keep remembering that these movies while crafted for us are also written for a general audience who may know nothing about the comic (granted that's stretching it when it concerns Spidey) and so an origin story is at least justified if overdone. Besides we know next to nothing about the plot yet except what has been "reported" on the internet and even that isn't clear. So until we're told we're getting an origin story I suggest the origin story haters simmer down a bit.

Since no one seems to have used it, my title suggestion is "Ultimate Spider-Man"

 

[Captaindemotion]

Okay, sorry, he looks like he's 30 instead. They still cast way too old and deciding to do Origin Redux with this movie is a major mistake. Why the hell can't he just be Spider-Man from the start of the film? Why are they wasting time with another origin story?

Have you read the script or something? How do you know this will be an origin story? How do you know Uncle Ben won't just appear in flashback?

 

[Whofan]

I'm curious about the costume. I think it'll probably be somewhat different than the Raimi/Macquire version, but not by too much. Probably a few tweaks here and there, but nothing radically different. Personally, if they are going to change it a lot, make it something like the Ben Reilly or House of M versions, which update the classic but not too by too much.

One thing I would like to see is Spider-man crack more jokes, it's very much part of the character but something that was mostly missing from the Tobey movies.

 

[DigificWriter]

Okay, sorry, he looks like he's 30 instead. They still cast way too old and deciding to do Origin Redux with this movie is a major mistake. Why the hell can't he just be Spider-Man from the start of the film? Why are they wasting time with another origin story?

Have you read the script or something? How do you know this will be an origin story? How do you know Uncle Ben won't just appear in flashback?

If you're only going to do the origin in flashback, you don't hire somebody of Martin Sheen's caliber to play the role of Ben Parker. Sheen is as much of a 'name' actor as guys like Willem Dafoe, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman. If any of the characters those other actors played weren't going to have been significantly integral parts of the movies in which they appeared (Raimi's first Spider-Man movie and Batman Begins, respectively), said actors would not have been cast in said roles. You don't hire 'name' actors to play roles that don't have some significance or substance to them, and 'name' actors generally won't take 'bit parts' unless they don't care about the material and are simply looking for a paycheck. This scenario doesn't apply to any of the names I mentioned, so the casting of as big a 'name' actor as Martin Sheen is a pretty good indicator that they're going to be doing the origin in some type of linear - or semi-linear - fashion.

 

[DonIago]

Integral like Michael Caine's ten seconds or so in Inception?

In any case, just because it's a flashback doesn't mean it's short. Just ask anyone who watched Lost.

 

[DigificWriter]

^ I haven't seen Inception, but if the role is that minor, then you have to look at the track record of the actor in question and whether or not there are extenuating circumstances; given that Caine has pretty much become one of a stable of actors that Nolan likes to work with, it doesn't surprise me that he would have taken a role in Inception regardless of the size of said role. I really don't believe that Caine would take a 'bit part' role in a movie that wasn't directed by Nolan, although I could be wrong.

 

[Admiral_Young]

I have a feeling that the costume is going to be based on Peter's USM costume in order to distinguish it from the Rami costume.

 

[Captaindemotion]

Okay, sorry, he looks like he's 30 instead. They still cast way too old and deciding to do Origin Redux with this movie is a major mistake. Why the hell can't he just be Spider-Man from the start of the film? Why are they wasting time with another origin story?

Have you read the script or something? How do you know this will be an origin story? How do you know Uncle Ben won't just appear in flashback?

If you're only going to do the origin in flashback, you don't hire somebody of Martin Sheen's caliber to play the role of Ben Parker. Sheen is as much of a 'name' actor as guys like Willem Dafoe, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, and Gary Oldman. If any of the characters those other actors played weren't going to have been significantly integral parts of the movies in which they appeared (Raimi's first Spider-Man movie and Batman Begins, respectively), said actors would not have been cast in said roles. You don't hire 'name' actors to play roles that don't have some significance or substance to them, and 'name' actors generally won't take 'bit parts' unless they don't care about the material and are simply looking for a paycheck. This scenario doesn't apply to any of the names I mentioned, so the casting of as big a 'name' actor as Martin Sheen is a pretty good indicator that they're going to be doing the origin in some type of linear - or semi-linear - fashion.

But Ben's role is integral and significant, regardless of the size of it. Besides, given that Sheen appeared in Spawn, he can't be too fussy about what he agrees to appear in.

While I would put him in the calibre of Neeson, Oldman, Dafoe, etc in terms of talent, the reality is that he's not a big box office draw and frequently does small movies. The West Wing may have raised his profile and reminded us all of his huge talent but the parts he played in the likes of The Departed or Catch Me While You Can were very much supporting ones.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Just because he is a big name actor doesn't mean that he wouldn't sign onto the movie to play a role that might be reduced than everyone else's role. Michael Cain in "Inception" is a good example of this. This is a silly argument anyway since again we know next to nothing about the plot yet and this is a knee jerk reaction from fans who do not want to see another origin story. I realize that having Ben involved would incite some to speculate that this is an origin story...but a character can still be involved in a flash back sequence over several periods and still have impact.

 

[Captaindemotion]

This might shed some light on Uncle Ben's role in the movie - some might consider this a spoiler, though I think it's a mild one.

http://www.whatsplaying.com.au/2010/11/hollywood-insider-spider-man-ages-peter-parker/

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

^ I haven't seen Inception, but if the role is that minor, then you have to look at the track record of the actor in question and whether or not there are extenuating circumstances; given that Caine has pretty much become one of a stable of actors that Nolan likes to work with, it doesn't surprise me that he would have taken a role in Inception regardless of the size of said role. I really don't believe that Caine would take a 'bit part' role in a movie that wasn't directed by Nolan, although I could be wrong.

This is Michael Caine we're talking about! I doubt the man has ever turned down a single paycheck in his entire career!

But that really has nothing to do with Spider-Man.

Something that is about Spider-Man: MovieWeb is reporting that Zooey Deschanel is being offered the role of Betty Brandt. It seems the Deschanel women keep playing Spidey secretaries. Zooey's older sister Emily played the bored secretary at the end of the pizza delivery sequence at the beginning of Spider-Man 2. http://www.movieweb.com/news/NEAT905pcAuWDF

 

[Admiral_Young]

Plus Zooey of course was the lead in "500 Days of Summer" previously directed by Mark Webb. I'll be thrilled if she accepts the part, she'll be following in Elizabeth Banks's footsteps.

 

[JacksonArcher]

I think Zooey Deschanel in just about anything is good news, and on the plus side I think she suits Betty Brant very well.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Indeed, Betty's always been a few years older than Pete and the gang anyways.

 

[Captaindemotion]

I assume that this means Betty will (rightly) get a larger role in these movies. The always excellent Banks was somewhat under-used in the last series, IMHO.

 

[Admiral_Young]

Yes, I agree with that. I don't think that Zooey would accept if it weren't a juicy role. I wonder if Betty will be more like her 616 counterpart or her less likeable Ultimate one?

 

[Aragorn]

Latest rumor is that Denis Leary is in negotiations to play Police Captain George Stacy.

 

[Captaindemotion]

^ James Cromwell to Denis Leary - has to be the biggest change in casting ever?!

 

[Whofan]

Cromwell fits the original Stacy, but not really the "ultimate" version which they seem to be drawing from.


As for Brant, she was Spider-Man's first girlfriend in the old comics (and they briefly rekindled things here and there in the 70s), but never quite got the iconic status Mary Jane and Gwen did. The closest they got was Peter flirting with her in his evil persona in the third film.


She was also somewhat integral to the Hobgoblin storyline in the 80s, as her husband was originally believed to be the Goblin, but this was retconned in the 90s.

 

[Captain Craig]

^^
For what it's worth that Hobgoblin is back, working for Kingpin now after about a decade+ away from the Spidey books.