What's going on with the Sinister Six film?

[colossus34]

I disagree with it being franchise fatigue.

X-Men just had its highest grossing film, and that series has been running longer and releasing just about as frequently as Spider-man has. The script was pretty much the big failing in both ASM films. That's not a knock on the dialogue but more so the story events and progression and pacing of said events.

X-men is totally different property with a HUGE ensemble of characters that are constantly revolving around and its a lot harder to get sick of it for the casual fan when you see new characters introduced and the universe expanded upon with prequels like first class etc.

Spidey is totally different and has had 5 films revolving around him and his modern day adventures all within a span of around 10 years. That's roughly a film every 2 years give or take a year. Is there really anything new or different in every film the average viewer hasn't been wowed with by before? Fans are fans and will come no matter but for casuals its a lot harder to wow them every time. What the franchise is in major need of being placed on ice.

[Mister Mets]

That's an odd decision.

Garfield got good reviews and the only concern about him is his age.

Sony was put in a difficult spot because they had made promises to a respected Director and to a few major stars, but I think they're making the wrong move here. They're opting for a spinoff of the underperforming Spider-Man movie rather than another film in their top franchise. Bad bad Sony.

[Dog]

Holy crap, now contemplating a Sinister Six ongoing book. YESPLEASETHANKYOU

[bagocats]

So what you're really saying is ... it's only a bad thing when you declare it to be so.

How? If Marvel falls apart that would be because of time, they can afford to release summer blockbusters outside of summer. Marvel isn't relying on just ONE franchise to stay successful. If Sony's plan was to release a Spidey film in May THEN release the Sinister Six Film later in the year (which is something Marvel has been known to do) then that would be a different story. But they are relying on just this one character, I also see it as them accepting an early defeat to Batman v Superman and Captain America and just taking the safest slot for them to release the movie.

Some might say "but Star Wars is being released in December?" Yeah but that's Star Wars, say what you want about the prequels but the idea of a director like Abrams being behind this and there being about a 10 year gap between movies adds more hype behind this (FYI, ROTS made about $850 million and Phantom Menace made close to a billion). After ASM2 it's going to be hard for Sony to build up enough hype to get this franchise fully healthy

[megaharrison]

ASM2 under-performed, and Sony doesn't know what to do beyond "DON'T GIVE IT BACK TO DISNEY! IT'S OUR...OUR....PRECIOUSSSSSS!"

[Aruran.]

ASM2 under-performed, and Sony doesn't know what to do beyond "DON'T GIVE IT BACK TO DISNEY! IT'S OUR...OUR....PRECIOUSSSSSS!"

This.

Sony is struggling across the board, so really for them to make a dumb idea isn't surprising.

But this seeming a lot like what happened at the end of Spider-Man 3. There were talks for a 4 movie, which ended up being the reboot.
It wouldn't be surprising if Sony pushes the date another year and makes it another rebooted series having both Gwen and Mary Jane.

[Kevinroc]

The only possible benefit I could see to this move is it doesn't overload ASM 3 with too many characters. They really wrote themselves into a corner with the ending to ASM 2 and this could hopefully free them from that.

[Darthfury78]

No, I don't think so. You can use the Sinister Six as protagonists for their own movie by placing them up against an antagonist that's worse than them.


The question is, who's worse than the Sinister Six in the Spider-Man universe that they can actually use as a legitimate antagonist?

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Hydra, and Omega Flight...

[Darthfury78]

ASM2 under-performed, and Sony doesn't know what to do beyond "DON'T GIVE IT BACK TO DISNEY! IT'S OUR...OUR....PRECIOUSSSSSS!"

Sony should not have given back the animated rights to Marvel. Otherwise, Spectacular Spider-Man might have been the crown jewel of their animated portfolio. As for the movie, too many villains, as well as killing off Gwen way too soon...

[The Overlord]

The Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, Hydra, and Omega Flight...

None of those are characters Sony has the rights to, Marvel/Disney has the rights to Hydra and Omega Flight, Fox has the rights to the Brotherhood. Sony only has the rights to Spidey, his supporting cast and his rogues gallery, no one else. So keeping that in mind, of the characters Sony has the rights to, which villains could make for an effective antagonist in a Sinister Six movie?

[normanosborn]

They can simply come up with a new, non-superpowered, suit wearing (as in, formal suit) villain, like comic book movies and James Bond films tend to do.

I don't particularly want an ASM 3 so it's nice to hear that the Sinister Six film is actually happening soon instead.

[Keeper of the Crows]

How many people read the Amazing-Spider Man Annual #1 and said, “You know, that issue was great, except for that Spider-Man character?”

At this point, I think there are way too many unanswered questions for me to judge the film prematurely.

Is it possible to make Sinister Six a good film? With good writing, casting, and directing—sure. But for me, the film has a number of disadvantages going in.

1) No one seems to know what’s going on, including Sony. Every source/article I read seems to say different things. Is it a Spider-Man film featuring the Sinister Six as antagonists? Is it a Sinister Six film featuring Spider-Man as the antagonist? Does Spider-Man appear at all, or Peter Parker, or members of his supporting cast?

2) Wrapping up the Sinister Six threads from TASM2 (like the Gentleman) and relating to TASM3/the franchise in general.

3) Introducing the new members of the team in a way that does service to each character and doesn’t short-change them. We don’t have to see the origin stories for all of them, but we need to know who they are and what motivates them. If they go with those hinted at the end of TASM2 (a big if), we still have several members (Otto, Mysterio/Chameleon, potentially Kraven, Vulture). Also, I enjoyed TASM2, but think Electro would have to be fleshed out better than he was in the film.

4) As others have said, a credible antagonist.

Honestly, I admire the passion some fans seem to have for this film, especially considering we know so little about it, and it’s still being written. A poster earlier had some ideas that I think could be neat, if the studio put them into practice. But especially if these characters are the protagonists, it will require a level of skill and craftsmanship in writing and directing that I’m not sure we can expect from Sony at this point. I would love to be proven wrong, though!

One last point. It occurs to me that if this is an attempt to setup the Sinister Six first so that they can face Spider-Man in TASM3, it seems like a shortcut so that they can play with these villains without having to introduce them in said film. I’m not sure I want to see a movie where the entire reason for the film’s existence is to setup another film—though I would totally see the heck out of that TASM3!

[normanosborn]

Honestly, I admire the passion some fans seem to have for this film, especially considering we know so little about it, and it’s still being written. A poster earlier had some ideas that I think could be neat, if the studio put them into practice. But especially if these characters are the protagonists, it will require a level of skill and craftsmanship in writing and directing that I’m not sure we can expect from Sony at this point. I would love to be proven wrong, though!

I think the different creative team might really turn this into a better film than ASM2. After all that should not be a difficult task, har har har.

I'm just digging the fact that they are courageously trying to expand into uncertain directions, using characters that have not been proven to be really great protagonists, despite not enjoying ASM2 a lot.

[exile001]

Not sure if this was mentioned here yet, but CBR posted early today that ASM3 has been moved back to 2018, with Sinister Six taking the 2016 spot.

My opinion? They should be ditching the Sinister Six movie and focusing 100% on ASM3. Especially after ASM2.

I mean, where's the benefit to even making Sinister Six if they still can't put out a Spidey related film a year as was obviously the overall plan?

[normanosborn]

Not sure if this was mentioned here yet, but CBR posted early today that ASM3 has been moved back to 2018, with Sinister Six taking the 2016 spot.

My opinion? They should be ditching the Sinister Six movie and focusing 100% on ASM3. Especially after ASM2.

I mean, where's the benefit to even making Sinister Six if they still can't put out a Spidey related film a year as was obviously the overall plan?

It really seems the overall plan was introduced way too late in the development of this Spidey movie universe. They should have had a clear game plan before the first ASM, and yeah, I am slightly sad that we aren't getting a Marvel Studios level film once in a year like we could.