If Sony Pictures’ The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had been the success the studio had hoped for, the landscape of superhero movies would look very different right now. Eyeing the success of the MCU, they planned to make their very own Spider-Man cinematic universe, teasing solo films for various side characters, many of which were glimpsed in sequel hooks in the finished movie. But the pic underperformed and those plans were shelved. Until now, that is.
One of the most prominent projects cancelled was Drew Goddard’s Sinister Six, though it might soon be returning from beyond the grave. The news comes from a Vanity Fair interview with Sony Pictures producer Amy Pascal, who was quizzed about the status of the movie and said:
“I’m just waiting for Drew to be ready to direct it. I would do anything with Drew Goddard. I’m just waiting for him to tell me he wants to.”
Based on comments Goddard made back in October, it sounds like he’d love to return and direct it, too.
“It was really fun [developing Sinister Six]. I wouldn’t have done it had I not thought there was a real opportunity to do something different and exciting and just flat-out bananas. It was very much me and — a much more commercial version of — the Cabin [in the Woods] mentality. The punk rock mentality that led to Cabin is very much at the core of Sinister Six. That’s a fun one. Who knows, it could see the light of day. It’s funny, I’ve been through a lot of volatility at a lot of different studios. Between MGM and Sony and Fox. At a certain point, you start to realize, ‘Oh, this is just a volatile business’ and you try to stay afloat as the boat rocks back and forth.”
With the success of Venom, it stands to reason that Sony might indeed resurrect the project. It could well be their Suicide Squad, which didn’t review particularly well, but sure made a whole bunch of money at the box office.
I noted back in October that it’s also questionable which characters they could use, though. The original roster is Vulture, Electro, Mysterio, Kraven the Hunter, Sandman and Doctor Octopus. Currently, Marvel Studios are utilizing both Vulture and Mysterio (and has asked Sony not to use the Green Goblin), but it seems that Venom would be a safe bet, plus whichever of their Sony Universe of Marvel Characters properties do the best.
But could they even do battle with Spider-Man in the film? That, for now, remains to be seen, but we’ll be bringing you more on Sinister Six as it develops.