The Kidd here...
Lost in all of the talk yesterday about Dane DeHaan becoming Harry Osborn for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is further confirmation that Jamie Foxx is indeed on-board for Marc Webb's Spidey follow-up to play one of the film's villains (you never know... there could be more in the plans with the Osborn family factoring in more prominently as the series progresses). There had been word about a month ago that Foxx was in talks to give fans their first glimpse at Electro on the big screen, and indeed that looks to be the case with Foxx's name quietly popping up on the press release announcing DeHaan's casting.
Just his inclusion in the press release would have been enough to put two and two together with that prior knowledge, but Foxx went above and beyond by confirming to Entertainment Tonight that Electro is all his for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2, offering up some small tidbits of how he'll come into play for the next Spidey chapter.
"Electro is a great character. I met with the director, Mark Webb, I met with Andrew Garfield, and we talked. I think Electro will be an exciting character to play because he's a … genius electrician-type person, and he gets the short end of the stick from the whole world, and the next thing you know he turns it on."
Back in the comics, Max Dillon was an electrical engineer repairing a power line when he was struck by lightning, giving him the power to manipulate electrical currents. He then used his abilities to become a criminal after killing off a thug who came looking to collect on a loan that was past due.
I can easily see this backstory coming to life in cinematic form, and I am curious to see Foxx's take on the villain - one of the few things that might actually grab my interest in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 - but I hope they're not going to try to wedge Dillon's predicament into some type of personal connection with Peter Parker... like he's Aunt May's electrician or something, taking Peter on as some sort of apprentice while he looks for more information about his parents. One of my biggest problems with the first firlm - outside of how untrue to Spidey it was - was how small it made that world feel by jamming all of these characters forcefully together into one arc.
-Billy Donnelly
"The Infamous Billy The Kidd"
Follow me on Twitter.
Like me on Facebook.
