PoP! Top 6-Pack: PoP! Casts the Sinister Six
The PoP! Stars narrow it down to the cream of the crop in categories ranging from (but not limited to) Comics, Movies, Toys and Geek Culture in general. This is the PoP! Top 6-Pack.
Spider-Man 4 has been canned! They’re relaunching the franchise! What does this mean for the wallcrawler!? I’ll tell you what it means – a fresh take! But how? I say bring in the Sinister Six. Screw overly elaborate character development for the villains. Spidey’s history has been filled with barely-motivated-slugfests with boobs in animal-themed costumes, or… sometimes just boobs in animal-themed costumes. Embrace it, and make the new Spider-Man film a fun-filled romp.
Christopher Walken as Mysterio
Mysterio is our principle villain here. Washed up special effects coordinator Quentin Beck has come upon a scheme… he’s found himself a group of n’er-do-wells each augmented with some sort of super powers, and he’s united them with the common goal of taking New York for all it’s worth. Whether Spider-Man is new to the scene, or an established hero in this story is irrelevant. Beck thinks he’s got the brains and the tricks to take on anyone. Walken gives us an appropriately creepy take on the master of illusion, and adds humor to the film with a somewhat over-the top portrayal of a VERY over the top criminal.
Jennifer Love Hewitt as Black Cat
Felicia Hardy is something of Beck’s second in command. While the ideas are his, she’s the one to whip the boys into shape in the field. Unfortunately, she also falls for their number one adversary, complicating the kid’s life as he’ll already be pining for MJ in his civilian guise, but will now have a super villain sexpot on his mind and on his tail whenever he dons the webs. A good turn could easily setup an ongoing love triangle for future installments, and the now-a-little-older Love can reap the rewards of the fantastic scene in Ultimate Spider-Man where Black Cat realizes she was making out with a teenager. Aside from Beck’s, Hardy’s is the only back story we’d really bother to get into.
Brock Lesnar as Rhino
Lesnar doesn’t have to act to be Rhino, he just has to be there and be tough. As part of Mysterio’s hired muscle, Rhino’s role in the movie will be minor, except to show off some fantastic CGI fight scenes. He’ll likely also offer some good comic relief as the “big dumb oaf” of the group. One request: no signature moves a la The Rock, okay?
Woody Harrelson as Scorpion
With little character development in this film, Harrelson’s Scorpion need only show up as another super-powered henchman and – if he plays his cards right – play the role well enough to prove his worth for a return engagement somewhere down the line. Like the rest of the “hired help,” Scorpion’s purpose here is to bust heads, eat scenery, and get verbally dressed down by our friendly neighborhood protagonist. But Pete… just don’t call him stupid!
Steve Buscemi as Electro
Max Dillon is the third member of our semi-anonymous quartet, but another actor with the chops to earn a recurring role in the franchise. While here he’ll be little more than a fancy light show, Buscemi could bring the gravitas to the role that would lend itself to a lead villain turn in a third film wherein Max really turns the dial up to eleven.
Gerard Butler as Kraven
Finally, Sergei Kravinoff would be perhaps the most developed of the four “hired guns” and would certainly be prepping himself for a return appearance in the fourth or fifth film in the franchise, which would then focus on Kraven’s last hunt. More than just a super-powered thug, Kraven’s honor would be on showcase here, creating arguably the most complex character in the film.
So there it is… an ensemble cast to beat the band and set the stage for a franchise to follow. Who will wear the webs? Who knows!? But as long as he’s not completely incompetent, this cast of cads should be more than enough to carry him through a movie or two. Or three or four. Or six.
Filed Under: Columns • PoP! Top 6-Pack
Very nice but would you have them go all CG like they did with Sand Man and Venom or go more realistic?
I fully endorse Butler as Kraven. I will say, though, that just dumping costumes into a movie like this little-to-no back story might not sit well with folks.
I like all the castings, but I say less will have to be more for the first film in the reboot.
@ Matt: I’d go for as much along the lines of practical effects as possible. If we can put Lesnar IN a Rhino suit that looks decent, DO IT. Scorpion’s obviously going to need some CGI on his tail, but after seeing the trailer to Clash of the Titans last night, I’m hopeful for the future of special effects.
@ Lee: This is where the writer, director, and cast have to walk a very dangerously thin line. Harrelson, Buscemi, and Butler have to give us enough of their character to want to see more, to want to find out the story, but not sell the whole thing right then and there. I’m sick of the “done-in-one” feel of the comic movies and want more of a contiguous universe. In this movie, we get Mysterio’s story, we get Black Cat’s story. We get that in a world where they exist, there are other super powered beings. We see a couple of them here, and it’s clear that they’re not “masterminds.” That’s all anyone should need for the first appearance. Then you develop them further later on.
Look at it like this… watch the Rock. There’s a group of bad guys that took over Alcatraz. We know their motivation, but we don’t know shit about each guy’s back story, and it doesn’t matter. People need to stop thinking of super hero movies AS super hero movies and use the logic they would if they were just filming a regular movie with more extravagant costumes.
@ Ben: That will likely be the case, but honestly… MORE should be more. I’d even go so far as to, at the end of the first movie, introduce Peter to Kurt Connors and his college student lab assistant Eddie Brock. You need to layer as much as possible, without throwing too much at the audience at once. The Sinister Six here would be just a gang, not too different from 5 thugs and a ring leader, except they’ve all got powers. Like I said to Lee, people only shy away from it because it’s a super hero movie. Putting Sandman, Venom, and the new Goblin together in one movie was more overkill than putting these six together would be, as long as each part was handled right.
The second movie should be about Eddie resenting Kurt taking Peter in and favoring the puny high school student. Connors is doing it mostly because it’s Peter’s father’s research that Connors is working on. Venom gets a taste of Peter’s blood somehow and bonds with Brock, rips Connors arm off in a rage, and runs off. Connors turns to another serum he’d been working on, and gets Lizarded. Peter knows nothing of Venom’s existence, and when tracking the Lizard thinks he’s after the guy who raided Connors’ lab. While trying to bring in the Lizard, he discovers it’s Connors, just in time to be confronted by Venom. That battle ends with Venom disappearing, CLEARLY at large.
If one of the dudes in the Rock was wearing a scorpion costume, I’d expect to find out what his story was in the movie, lemme tell you.
If they do this movie like they did Spectacular Spider-Man, i’ll be a happy camper.
But THAT was different. They were common thugs in a common world. Here, you’re talking about supers in a super world. You really DON’T have to flesh each guy out. HELL, you could do a scene in the No Name Bar where Mysterio shows up and is SURROUNDED by costumes, and picks his crew. I don’t think that would play really well, but my point is, you’re accepting that as part of the story here. In fact, if one member of the crew WAS just a dude in a ski mask, he’s the one I’d feel needed the most back story. What are YOU doing in this mess?
I suddenly really wish Mac Gargan was in the Rock.
That WOULD be pretty sweet.
Jennifer Love Hewitt, man she’s awesome and has the right…build, for Black Cat. Good picks guys!!!!!
Now who plays Peter?
Peter has to be young, I don’t know the young actors that well, but he’s got to be about 14 passed off as 16 so we can get three or four movies of him in high school, then move him on to college for a couple.
Osborn will come in later. He should be mentioned in the first film, featured as an unscrupulous business man in the second, and then become a full fledged villain by the third, buying freedom for some of the incarcerated members of the Sinister Six, all for a Xanatos like plot where they attack Oscorp and steal something for him.
Might I suggest a new Norman Osborn as the teams money???
I like all but Hewitt as BC and Walken as Mysterio. I mind, though, seeing him in another role.
I’m not sure if I like Harrelson as Scorpion.
Really? I think he’s one of my favorites on the list, personally. Just a hapless idiot in a scorpion suit. I LOVE it. If anything, I’d swap out Anthony Stewart Head as Mysterio
Yeah, like have absolutely no mention of Osborn until the very end, and all we see is the Brillo Pad in a suite from the back or something, after he has seen what peter can do or have him have surveillance on spidey and he sees him take of the mask the a total Lost cut to black.
lol
So who’s our Norman? I vote, honestly, for Bradley Cooper. I know he mostly does comedy, and I know he’s usually a “good guy,” but I think he could really handle both Norman’s deviousness and his insanity
Obviously Harry will be in this new franchise, and Cooper is still too young and wanted in Hollywood to play the father of a teenager.
Good call Tomer. I thought of that this morning, actually. It’s too bad, cause I think he could do ole Norman justice. Ooh! OOH! Dr. Doom!!! The guy who played him!!! The one from Nip/Tuck! He’d make a PHENOMENAL Norman Osborn!!!
Julian McMahon is not a bad choice at all. But would they cast him as Doom again in the FF reboot, that may be to much comic book movie work than he’s willing to do.
No. Julian McMahon as Osborn. Jeremy Irons as Doom. Case closed.
Oh, AND… I understand this will NEVER happen, but… Marvel needs to ink a deal with Sony regarding the new Spider-Man film, ESPECIALLY if they’re going teen Peter route –
One scene with Samuel L Jackson as Nick Fury attempting to recruit Peter, and Peter freaks out and takes off. I don’t care what clauses you have to write to ensure nothing gets effed up as a result. Marvel’s not getting some extra slice for Sony using Jackson as Fury, but Sony’s only going to get the use of Jackson as Fury that once. Peter gets on a bus or something, and he’s the only one on the bus, and the bus goes to the next stop, and then you see him sitting there, and a figure is moving towards him on the bus, but you only see the man’s body from the chest down.
“Is this seat taken?” the man asks
Peter looks around to see all the empty seats, then looks up into the face of Nick Fury
“We need to talk about how you’ve been spending your nights, Mr. Parker”
Exterior shot of the bus pulling away from the bus stop, the sign changes to “off duty”. Cut to a villain scene. When you cut back to them, Fury’s saying something like
“So, can we count on you to do the right thing?”
“Look, Mr… Fury? is it? Of course, why wouldn’t your name be Fury. Or Rage. Or Wrath. Look, I AM doing the right thing. I’m trying to make this city a better place. But… I’m just a kid. You can see that, right? I’m a kid. This was an accident, and I’m a kid. I’m doing what I’m doing, but I’m not… I’m not signing on for whatever the hell it is YOU’RE doing. I’m a kid. I’m just a…”
“Two years.”
“What?”
“Two years. Two years, one month, 17 days to be exact. Then you turn 18. Then you’re old enough to draft. Then you ARE signing up for “whatever it is I’m doing.” Until then, if you need me, call. I probably won’t answer, but it’ll be good to know that there’s some kind of crap going on I may end up having to clean up.”
Blank stare from Peter as the bus comes to a halt.
“I think we’re at your stop Peter. It was nice to meet you.”