Jamie Foxx circling role of major villain for 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2'

Image Credit: Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic.com

In a conceivably shocking development*, Jamie Foxx is in preliminary negotiations to take on the role of the villain Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, EW has confirmed. “Dressed up as Electro for Halloween last night,” Foxx tweeted out this afternoon. “Costume fits well.” (*Apologies for the pun.) Variety first broke the news.
In the Marvel comics, Maxwell “Max” Dillon is an engineer who gains the ability to control electricity after he’s struck by lightning, and becomes the supervillain Electro. The character hasn’t traditionally been African American, though snagging the Oscar-winning Foxx for the role would be in keeping with other recent color-blind casting for super hero films, like Laurence Fishburne as Perry White in Man of Steel, and Idris Elba as Heimdall in Thor. (In Marvel’s alternate “Ultimate” universe, Spidey himself is now a mixed-race kid named Miles Morales.)
Foxx would face off against Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, who are returning to the second film along with director Marc Webb. Shailene Woodley still in talks to join the franchise as Peter Parker’s love interest Mary Jane Watson. The film is set to swing into theaters on May 2, 2014.