Who was that in the mid-credits scene of
The Amazing Spider-Man? Well, in case you didn't recognise the voice or checked out the cast list on IMDb immediately after seeing the film, it was actually actor Michael Massee (credited only as "Man in the Shadows"). He's best known for playing small screen baddies in the likes of
24,
Flashforward and
Supernatural. He even has prior experience with the Marvel Universe, having voicied Bruce Banner in both
Ultimate Avengers animated movies. Most of you will have probably seen the film by now, but here's a reminder of how the mid-credits scene plays out. As Curt Connors is led into a jail cell, lightening strikes and a mysterious figure appears...
Man in the Shadows: Hello doctor. Did you tell the boy?
Curt Connors: Tell him what?
Man in the Shadows: Did you tell the boy about his father?
Curt Connors: No.
Man in the Shadows: Well, that's very good, so we'll let him be...for now.
Curt Connors: You should leave him alone!
With another flash of lightening, he's gone. So, just who the heck was it?! There are a few possibilities. The first is perhaps the most obvious: Norman Osborn. Mentioned a few times throughout the film, it definitely seems as if Oscorp has SOMETHING to do with the death of Peter's parents. Of course, this scene (which arguably feels a little disjointed and out of place) would have made a lot more sense had the scenes from the trailers and TV spots in which both Connors and Ratha tell Peter things like, "Do you have any idea what you really are?" and "You're part of a bigger plan" been included in the final cut. Were those earlier rumours that Peter's father played around with his genes - perhaps explaining why he gains powers from the spider bite and is able to control them - true? On the other hand, it could just be as simple as whether or not Connors told Peter that it was Osborn who had his father killed.
Another indication that this mysterious figure was Norman Osborn is the fact that he was holding a hat. Say wha-?! Well, fans of the original Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
Amazing Spider-Man comic books will remember that this is how the Green Goblin's identity was occasionally hidden from readers. This may have been a nod to that from comic book fan and director Marc Webb. However, that doesn't explain how he somehow appeared and then vanished wthout a trace. This leads us to the next theory. The "Man in the Shadows" was actually nothing more than a figment of Curt Connors' imagination. Was he simply hallucinating the presence of Osborn? The Lizard serum certainly left him mentally unbalanced. However, the camera made a point of focusing on his neck (still partially covered in scales) so perhaps that was an indication that it was the Lizard part of his personality speaking to him...seems unlikely though. After all, why would he appear in human form?
Here's where we get a little silly. Perhaps his vanishing act was due to him being none other than Quentin Beck, a.k.a. Mysterio! Marc Webb has revealed in the past that he is one of his favourite villains, so perhaps this was his way of introducing him in preparation for the next movie (as an Oscorp heavy rather than a failed stuntman). Hell, if we put the fact he disappeared down to a bit of creative filmmaking on Marc Webb's part, it could have been anyone from Mac Gargan to the Chameleon, or pretty much any other classic Spider-Man villain you can imagine! Nah. Common sense says that this was the introduction of Norman Osborn. Whether he will be played by Massee in the planned sequel remains unknown, but between the mentions of Osborn throughout the film and that broken promise at the end (there's no way that is going to end well for Peter...) this seems like the most obvious direction for the follow-up. He'll take a serum which turns him into the Green Goblin, resulting in the villain coming to blows with Peter Parker over the mystery behind the death of his parents.
Well, those are a few theories anyway! Some people are even speculating that the scene had something to do with Sony's planned
Venom spin-off. Sound off with your thoughts on all this and your own ideas in the usual place. Check out my interview with Marc Webb
HERE and be sure to click
HERE to read my 4* review of the film.
The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
STARRING:
Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy
Rhys Ifans as Curt Connors/The Lizard
Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben
Sally Fields as Aunt May
Denis Leary as George Stacy
RELEASE DATE: July 3rd, 2012.