Jamie Foxx Returning To Play Electro In 'Spider-Man 3?'

The release of Marvel Cinematic Universe films has been on hold due to the pandemic’s effect on the film industry. The last MCU film that we saw in the theater was Spider-Man: Far From Home. Since then, fans have been wondering what is next for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, now that his identity has been revealed and he has been framed for a murder. The threequel is currently scheduled to be released on November 5, 2021, though it would not at all be surprising if there were to be another release date change. Whenever it comes out, it seems that we may be in for a surprise in the form of a familiar face.

The Hollywood Reporter broke exclusive news about Jamie Foxx returning to play Electro in the next Spider-Man film. Some viewers may recall that he portrayed the character in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which is set in a different universe and starred Andrew Garfield in the titular role. Jamie Foxx’s Max Dillon was a scientist who, after being helped by Spider-Man, became a fanboy of the hero, but then turned against him after his transformation into Electro, feeling upset that Spider-Man had forgotten about him. As far as the fate of Electro is concerned within that film, he seems to die toward the end.

This film got much negative reception and did not perform as well at the box office as Sony had hoped, causing them to cancel future projects such as The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and 4 and a Sinister Six spin-off set within that world. Sony eventually decided to collaborate with Marvel Studios, which is how we got the Tom Holland Spider-Man introduced in Captain America: Civil War. Since then, Holland has appeared in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Spider-Man: Far From Home. Some viewers have praised Holland’s take of the character, while others feel that his Spidey is too reliant on other Marvel characters such as Iron Man.

So how would Jamie Foxx’s return as Electro play out? Ever since (and probably prior to, come to think of it) the release of the hit animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, there have been fans hoping for the return of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in their Spider-Man roles via a multiverse type of event. With one of the upcoming MCU films being Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, this idea does not seem too far outside the realm of possibility. Electro seemed to die in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but could he be brought back and into the more recent onscreen universe?

Then again, the Electro that Jamie Foxx plays in the MCU could just be that universe’s own version of the character. At the end of Far From Home, we saw J.K. Simmons reprise his role as what is clearly a different yet similar version of the J. Jonah Jameson that he portrayed in the Tobey Maguire films. This could just be another case of a familiar actor playing a different version of the character.

I personally believe that Jamie Foxx is a great actor and that the script that he was given was not good enough, with its cringeworthy dialogue and all. I would enjoy seeing him get another shot at the character as long as he is allowed to portray Electro differently. I would be fine with the look being similar, though it is possible that he could be given the more classic green and yellow suit. In any case, I just do not want to cringe at the lines that he is given. Bring him back as Electro, but give him a better characterization. Just my two cents.

Written By Steven Shinder

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