If you thought that Electro was going to be the only notable comic book villain present in Marc Webb's upcoming Amazing Spider-Man sequel, then it turns out you were just a little bit misguided. But what will really surprise you is the Oscar nominated star the production is talking to now about playing the part.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Paul Giamatti is now in negotiations to take on the role of The Rhino in the yet-to-be-titled Amazing Spider-Man 2. What's more, Felicity Jones, who earned a good deal of praise for her performance in the 2011 romance Like Crazy, is also in talks, though her part is unspecified. Should the two stars sign on they will join other newcomers to the franchise including Jamie Foxx (as the aforementioned Electro), Shailene Woodley (as Mary Jane Watson) and Dane DeHaan (as Harry Osborne). Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone will both be reprising their roles as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy, respectively.
For those unfamiliar with the character, The Rhino was one of Spider-Man's earliest foes - first introduced in 1966 - and, as his name implies, he has many of the characteristics of a rhinoceros, including incredible strength and speed as well as a huge horn on his head (though he's also not very bright). The character was born as Aleksei Mikhailovich Sytsevich, and while some versions of his origin have him being a part of secret medical experiments, the Ultimate Marvel Universe (which Amazing Spider-Man actually borrowed a lot from) featured him in a suit of armor stolen from the military.
Adding a wrinkle to this whole story is that Giamatti has expressed interest in playing The Rhino before. Check out this video of him on Conan from a few years back:
Do you like this idea? Do you think that Rhino is a good fit for the world created in The Amazing Spider-Man? Do you think Paul Giamatti is the right actor for the park? Who do you think Felicity Jones will play? Let us know in the comments below!
