Is THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2's Director Marc Webb Mapping Out A Massive Spider-Verse?

Andrew Garfield (Spider-Man/Peter Parker), Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Sally Field (Aunt May), Martin Sheen (Uncle Ben) and Rhys Ifans(Lizard/Curt Connors) are been joined by Jamie Foxx (Electro/Max Dillon), Dane DeHaan (Harry Osborn), Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane Watson), Paul Giamatti (Rhino), Colm Feore and possibly Felicity Jones in an undisclosed role. That's a crowded lot of talent that Marc Webb is cramming it up for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 here.

So what if the reason behind the casting of all these actors is that Marc Webb has been given the mandate of building the Spider-World very similar to what was done with the Marvel Movieverse with the PHASE ONE movies? What if THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 is not only a sequel for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN's first film, but the start of what could lead Sony to build their own version of the Spider-Man universe, not much different of what we've seen Marvel Films pulling it off?

“Please don’t tell me we’re in for another Spider-Man 3.”

I read your mind. That’s the thought that popped into most of your heads when you read how Marc Webb might want Paul Giamatti to play The Rhino in his planned sequel to The Amazing Spider-Man. Please don’t tell me that we’re lining up for an overstuffed, undercooked Spider-Man movie with too many villains and too little attention paid to vital characters in Peter Parker’s universe.

Let’s take a quick head count. Webb’s movie already snared Jamie Foxx to play Electro, whom most of us believed would be Spidey’s chief nemesis. Supporting roles have been carved out for Dane Dehaan (Harry Osborn) and Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane Watson). The THR story about Giamatti also mentioned a possible role for Like Crazy beauty Felicity Jones. And we haven’t even mentioned Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Martin Sheen or Sally Field … all holdovers from Webb’s original movie.

Instead of falling on the Spider-Man 3 sword and fearing the worst, though, I’ve allowed the news to settle, contemplated a few crucial puzzle pieces, read a lot of analysis and reached a different conclusion. Marc Webb isn’t making Spider-Man 3 … he’s reaching for the stars and casting his version of The Avengers.

It goes without saying that Joss Whedon’s behemoth of a blockbuster forever altered the way studios view superhero properties. To quote Heath Ledger’s Joker in another genre game-changer, “I know the truth: there's no going back. You've changed things ... forever.” No longer should comic-book characters be limited to one movie and possibly a sequel. To survive and thrive, studios need to expand their universe and create worlds where heroes and villains can come and go, interact and interchange. Webb seems to be casting for the long term. He appears to be stock-piling his Spider-Man universe.

Think bigger... twitter.com/Sean_OConnell/…

— Marc Webb (@MarcW) January 30, 2013

In The Amazing Spider-Man™ 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough. Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away – but that’s a promise he just can’t keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.

The film is directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci & Jeff Pinkner, with a previous draft by James Vanderbilt, and based on the Marvel Comic Book by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach are the producers.

The film’s key behind-the-scenes team includes director of photography Dan Mindel, production designer Mark Friedberg, editors Pietro Scalia and Elliot Graham, and costume designer Deborah L. Scott.

The latest chapter in the Spider-Man story is set for release in 3D on May 2, 2014.