It’s one of those very odd quirks in comics that there are a lot of Black peoples with electrical powers, especially at DC. It’s up there with Black guys who just happen to be, like, really, really strong for various reasons.
And apparently Sony wants to add another one to the ranks. Namely, Jamie Foxx as Electro.
Variety is reporting Foxx is in early talks with Sony to become one of the dorkier villains Spidey has ever had to face.
It’s actually a good casting choice. Foxx is actually quite a talented actor that Hollywood’s never really quite known what to do with after it gave him an Oscar and he refused to be Cuba Gooding Jr. all over again. And Max Dillon could be a fun character, properly written: He’s a greedy, venal douchebag who never quite gets the respect he deserves.
It’s also likely part of Sony’s push to make the first movie more marketable, you know, because grossing $750 million worldwide is “underperforming”. Foxx is a bona fide movie star, and would probably increase the movie’s sales appeal in some markets.
Or maybe he just thinks this is the closest he’ll ever get to playing Black Lightning. Either way, this is relevant:
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“Delectro. The ‘D’ is silent.”
But will Electro crossdress?
The Amazing Spider-Man 2: Electric Boogaloo
Also, I really really don’t want Electro. I think he’s too ridiculous and too powerful to work well in a movie. But if it is him, I want the Spectacular Spider-Man characterization.
The 80′s/90′s script for Spider-Man with James Cameron had Electro as the villain. It wasn’t that great but I did like the idea of Electro being the richest man in the world because he can control the stock market with his powers. However, he was unable to touch anyone because his powers would kill them. Cameron was trying to go with this whole “He has everything, yet he has nothing” angle. Something I don’t remember the comics ever doing with the character. I’d love to see this done in a movie, but Marvel may feel that the “hero cannot physically touch anyone because it will kill them” angle has already been done with Rogue in the X-Men movies.
Well, he’s like that in the comics right now, so they might go with that.
Every Spidy villain that really packs a punch has kinda been done and then some (Sandman & a lackluster Venom). I wouldn’t mind seeing Electro if they keep the shadowy Norman Osborn in the background pulling the strings. I’d like to see some Spider Slayers as well. That would be new.
Electro does seem ten times more powerful than Spider-Man in every possible depiction. It’s kind of hard to imagine “Spider-Sense” being able to outrun LIGHTNING.
Having said that, I would LOVE to see the moment when Spidey realizes his webs are nonconductive, sprays “boxing gloves” over his fists, and wades in to kick Electro’s ass.
I like Electro as a villain, but not a major villain. This is a guy that regularly ends up in a group with a guy whose power is that he is water and both of these idiots are constantly taking each other out because they’re too stupid to not be on the same team.
At least The Flash’s Rogues are smart enough to TRY not having the ice guy and fire guy anywhere near each other.
It’s funny because it’s true, and the water guy also ends up taking out Sandman half the time as well. And Doctor Octopus laughed. He’s such a trouper.
Hydro-Man is the absolute worse. You just know he was “that guy” that got picked last by the Super Villain teams when they decided who would be in the Masters of Evil and who would be in the Sinister Six.
Hydro-Man is pretty much everybody’s downfall. He shorts out Electro, he and Sandman turn into a sentient mud monster, he almost drowns the Purple Man… he’s like the Don Knotts of supervillains.