With The Amazing Spiderman 2 recently hitting theatres and its strong implications for the future of the franchise I thought it a good time to put together my ideal list of contenders to fill out the villain ensemble. There are some pretty obvious choices in here but I do believe there are a couple of names that have yet to be thrown around. In any case, let’s get started (caution: there are big spoilers for the ASM2 so tread lightly).
The Sinister Six are a band of villains coming together in their disdain of the wallcrawler. The team has had many members over the years but the most familiar cast includes the likes of Doctor Octopus, Vulture, Mysterio, Kraven, Sandman and Electro. However, this is not the team makeup I will be addressing. During the credits of ASM2 there are images hinting at the possible members of the team; Dock Ock, Vulture, Kraven, Goblin, Rhino and either Chameleon or Mysterio. Having already seen Goblin and Rhino in action alongside clear signs of Ock and Vulture it is safe to assume they will all be joining the team. The other two members are still up in the air but let’s go with what we are given.
Green Goblin/Rhino – Dane DeHaan/Paul Giamatti
Let’s start with the characters we know will be on the team. Rhino and Gobby both have their actors in place and I don’t see any reason to recast them. They both brought a unique style to the roles and I think they would make interesting additions to the ensemble. Dane DeHaan proved to be quite the challenge for Spidey in ASM2, maybe not dominant physically but he did bring Parker to his emotional limits. Harry managed to damage Peter in ways his other villains have yet to accomplish, he killed the one person Peter loved the most, Gwen Stacy. Not only did he prove competent in a one on one match but also Dane’s Goblin essentially won the day, causing Spidey to go into hiding for months on end leaving Osborn to his schemes and letting his Oscorp creations run wild.
Paul Giamatti’s turn as the Rhino didn’t leave as big of an impact but he was definitely colorful. Offering quite an over the top take on the character, Paul Giamatti will probably be relegated to comic relief while mixing it up with some action sequences. From what we’ve seen this version of Rhino is nothing more than a dumb thug, leaving him as a support character come time for the Sinister Six. That being said, he did look cool and makes for a different visual than the strictly humanoid villains making up the rest of the team.
Doctor Octopus – Mads Mikkelsen
Moving on to the villains we know will be making an appearance but have yet to be cast. In the role of the mad doctor I would place Mads Mikkelsen. Known for his diabolical villains (James Bond and Hannibal), Mikkelsen would be able to bring a very different Ock than we’ve seen before. Alfred Molina’s turn as the doctor was pretty stellar but so far The Amazing Spiderman franchise has been criticized for going over territory already covered in the not too distant Raimi trilogy. A new, darker Octavius would be a welcome addition to an already eclectic bunch of villains. With Mikkelsen’s ability to bring on the menace I can easily see him barking orders at the Rhino while getting into arguments with DeHaan’s Goblin over leadership, all while coming up with his own sinister plots in the shadows. Mikkelsen could handily take up the mantle, or tentacles in this case, of Doctor Octopus. Shedding the slightly chubbier image of him from the comics and giving him a much more insidious feel. This would make for a nice diversion from the rest of the team as well as steer clear of any familiar territory.
The Vulture – Ian Hanmore
Had he not been cast as Donald Menken I would have put Colm Feore in this spot in a heartbeat. His turn as Laufey may have been short lived but his ability to portray such authority and evil shone through in spades. While Adrian Toomes is not nearly as intimidating in the comics it would be nice to give him a little more edge in this cinematic iteration (plus Feore looks just like the comic book illustrations). Instead I have opted to go with Game of Thrones alumnus Ian Hanmore. His time playing Pryat Pree proved he could manage some out there characters (it doesn’t get much stranger than an old man in a bird costume) along with showing off his ability to turn on the nasty when he needs to. Adrian Toomes was a businessman that was betrayed by his partner and than turned to a life of crime. Hanmore has shown that he can handle both sides of this coin, and add some personality into the mix. Plus, he also looks pretty much identical to the illustrations so you can’t go wrong.
Kraven the Hunter – Javier Bardem
There were a few people that came to mind when trying to cast this role but ultimately my mind kept returning to one individual, Javier Bardem. This man can do it all; romance, villainy, comedy, you name it he can bring it. What really put him at the forefront for this role was his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men. Bardem was oozing brutality and power, two things that I think are essential to the Kraven character. Kraven the Hunter is one of the few villains to actually kill Spidey (not really but I’ll give it to him) so whoever plays him has to be one major bad*ss. Javier Bardem can pull off the physicality of the role and easily convey the focus and persistence Kraven has in his pursuit of the Spider. I can see Kraven being more of a loner on the team, preferring to do things his way and letting his actions do the talking. This would set up some interesting dynamics with the other team members and possibly lead to a solo film adapting his most famous storyline, ‘Kraven’s Last Hunt’ (the story in which he supposedly kills Spiderman). As with the rest of my casting decisions, Bardem shares a remarkable resemblance to the comic book character and I think fans all over could easily get behind this choice. Since he isn’t Russian his background may have to be changed slightly but every things else can stay in tact, just change him to Spanish nobility and everything is A-OK.
Mysterio – Doug Jones
Finally we come to the last member of the team, Mysterio. A former stuntman/special effects master, Mysterio tried to replace Spiderman in a bid for fame and fortune. Unfortunately for him things went sideways and he became a villain hell-bent on getting revenge against Spidey for ruining his dreams. For a character that spends most of his time hiding behind a mask I thought the perfect choice for the role would be none other than Abe Sapien himself, Doug Jones. Known for playing a wide variety of monsters, Jones is very comfortable acting behind heavy layers of makeup and effects. He brings a very unique physicality to his roles, something that is vital for Mysterio. Coming from a stuntman background, Mysterio would presumably be very nimble and athletic. Doug Jones has proven he can handle these things as well as displayed some quality acting chops. While he doesn’t look like his comic book counter part Doug Jones is not known for making any ‘Hot 100’ lists, which actually does align with Mysterio in the books. The combination of his past roles and his level of comfort acting under heavy prosthetics makes him my top choice to play the master of illusions and round out my casting of the Sinister Six.
Well there you have it, all 6 in the flesh. Do you guys agree or disagree? I’m sure there are plenty of opinions out there and I want to hear them! But please be nice.
Sinister Six is set to be directed by Drew Goddard (Cabin in the Woods) and looking at a production start date of January 2015. As always, check back in to OTL News for all the latest!