Just how many villains will ol’ webhead face in the upcoming “Amazing Spider-Man 2”?
In addition to Electro (Jamie Foxx), Rhino (Paul Giamatti), and Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan), it now appears that “The Office” star B.J. Novak’s role is also of a nefarious nature.
Tucked into a jokey Tweet about wanting to shoot “ASM2” in black and white, director Marc Webb revealed that Novak’s character is one “A. Smythe,” a name which might ring a bell for fans of Spidey comics.
In Marvel lore, Allistair Smythe was the wheelchair-bound son of Spencer Smythe, creator of the fearsome Spider-Slayer robots. Over time, Allistair transformed himself into the villainous Ultimate Spider-Slayer using an armored exoskeleton.
Although Novak’s role is probably not much more than a cameo in “2,” it’s possible that Smythe could re-appear to terrorize the superhero in subsequent sequels and spin-offs, which will reportedly focus on villains such as the Sinister Six and Venom.
“ASM2” also stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field and Chris Cooper.
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” opens May 2.