A hero is usually only as entertaining as his villain. Batman’s nothing without the Joker. Superman pretty much needs Lex Luthor to thrive. And in Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, our web-slinging crimefighter stares down two classic antagonists from his rich history: Electro (Jamie Foxx) and the Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan).
Admittedly, this is a bit of a departure from classic Spider-Man lore, as Gobby – in Webb’s version – will be played by Harry Osborn, and not Harry’s father figure, Norman Osborn. Recently, Sony was nice enough to invite me and my son to New York City to participate in the press junket for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and interview the cast. When we sat across from Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan, I asked DeHaan to address this important change, and to elaborate on the backstory of the characters of Harry Osborn and Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), because it is a relationship that is going to be tested in this movie… and in future movies.
My son, P.J., is a huge Spider-Man fan. He loved the character of Electro – a one-time OsCorp employee who encounters a deadly accident on the job site and now has the ability to absorb and channel raw energy. He asked Jamie Foxx what characteristics from his own personal life he drew on to create the identities of Max Dillon and Electro, and was surprised to hear that Foxx drew inspiration from a four-time Oscar-winning actor, director and silver screen icon:
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 exists on an unusual timeline, where Marc Webb and select members of his cast already know that they are expected back for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and possible spinoff titles like The Sinister Six. But when I asked DeHaan if that knowledge changed the way he approached the role, he surprised me with this confession:
And after grilling them for an interview session P.J. figured he’d get Jamie Foxx and Dane DeHaan out on an easy one. He asked them what scene they most enjoyed filming, and Foxx couldn’t decide on just one, so he shared two hysterical memories from the set.
Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will be out in theaters on May 2. We will have plenty more coverage from the New York press day leading up to the film’s release, so keep it locked to CinemaBlend for all of your Spider-Man news!
