At this point it goes without saying that comic book movies are no longer considered “slumming it” in Hollywood, but with Jamie Foxx on the verge of signing for a major role in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, somehow it seems like a strangely significant moment. Not that Jamie Foxx hasn’t delved into genre fare in the past, but ever since he won the Oscar for Ray back in 2005, he has been taking his acting career even more seriously than usual. The fact that he is now ready to don a pair of tights to play a Spider-Man villain is pretty surprising, even more so because the character he might play is not an African-American in the comics. A couple of years ago, it seemed that the world was not ready to embrace a black Spider-Man… but can they handle a black Electro?

Variety reports that Jamie Foxx is in “early talks” to play the villain in the sequel to Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, and that the villain is indeed going to be Electro. This confirms earlier rumours that Electro would appear in the film, stemming from a post-credit scene at the end of the first film featuring a flash of lightning. Foxx seemingly verified the news with a tweet that stated, “Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night. Costume fits well.”

If he does finalize the deal, Foxx would join Shailene Woodley, who recently signed on to play the new Mary Jane Watson. The newly rebooted franchise has mostly relied on a younger, more inexpensive cast, and it seems a safe bet that Foxx would come with a much higher price tag than the rest. It could pay off for Sony, however, particularly if Django Unchained turns out to be a hit. What do you think, could Jamie Foxx be an inspired addition to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 or does this make you less interested in the sequel?

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