Amazing Spider-man 2 Appearance Speculation

SPOILERS!!!!

Who was the man in the shadows? The next villain.

Sequel speculation

You did stay for the mid-credits sequence, right? Am I right? Even though everyone else in the cinema left, you stayed didn't you?

Well there was a creepy dude in the shadows of Connors' cell who made sure he didn't tell Peter about his parents. But who was he? And who will the next villain be?

Norman Osborn

The obvious choice. He controls Connors and Dr. Ratha and he's revealed to be dying in the film. The Green Goblin in the comics and in Sam Raimi's trilogy.

Likely because he's been mentioned already. He might end up taking some kind of serum, possibly based on the lizard's in a desperate attempt to save his life, thus transforming him into a goblin like creature. Might he be involved in a certain story line involving Gwen and a bridge? *cough *MJ set up *cough*

Unlikely because it's too soon after Sam Raimi's Stormin' Norman. They'll probably go for someone else for movie ASM2, but we'll undoubtedly see him at some stage, probably in ASM3. Also, Rhys Ifans said in an interview that it wasn't Osborn, but of course he could be deliberately throwing us off course.

Dr. Ratha

He was seen as above Connors but still under Norman Osborn's thumb. Irrfan Khan was originally announced as playing Nels Van Adder, a character who in the comics becomes the Proto-Goblin, but shortly after his name was changed to Dr. Ratha. Maybe he's still the same character, but with a different name to throw us off?

Likely because he's established in this movie-verse. He may take a prototype serum, intended to save Osborn's life, but first tested on him, transforming him into a goblin creature. i.e. the Proto-Goblin.

Unlikely because this is a bit too similar to Connors' story of being a test subject of a serum intended to save Osborn's life. Plus Dr. Ratha was a bit boring and hard to make out.

Scorpion or Rhino

Scorpion is Mac Gargan, put into an enhanced scorpion battle suit in order to hunt Spider-man and actually funded by J. Jonah Jameson. Rhino is Aleksei Systevich, put into an ... er.... enhanced rhino battle suit but this time in order to hunt John Jameson (another way of introducing the Jameson clan.)

Likely because there's the whole animal, cross species theme going on. Also, both would allow an introduction to the glory of J. Jonah Jameson, something which is quite likely to happen anyway.

Unlikely because both these characters are in the Amazing Spider-man game. Why does this matter? The game is a sequel to the movie and continues the plot, so I assume if they're in the game and it's canon to the story, then they won't be cropping up in the next movie. Hopefully they don't base the next movie entirely on cross-species again =/

Dr. Octopus or Eddie Brock

Crazy scientist Otto Octavius who ends up welding 4 extra metal arms onto his back and Eddie Brock, wielder of the venom symbiote.

Likely because the game shows that Otto works for Oscorp and as a scientist he'd be fairly easy to introduce into this world. Also, I think they'll have another crack at Venom. Yes, he failed in Spidey 3, but that was because he was a last minute studio head decision. I think someone in this new trilogy could develop the 'black goo' as a way of curing cancer, or Norman Osborn and, like in the Ultimate comics, it may get out of control and become a Topher Grace-less Venom.

Unlikely because both of them were done in Sam Raimi's trilogy, even though they would fit into this new universe, it's just too soon. We all still have fresh nightmares about Topher Grace as Venom.

J. Jonah Jameson

The editor of The Daily Bugle Newspaper and Peter Parker's boss in all other continuities of Spider-man.

Likely because I think we're going to see JJJ in the next film. The fantastic J.K. Simmons who played him in Raimi's trilogy was contacted about making an appearance as him in Amazing Spider-man but was dropped when the film decided to focus on the high school years. Hopefully the sequel will move Peter and Emma Stone out into the real world or work and college, allowing JJJ to make his triumphant return. He also has a shady side, with him helping fund the Scorpion and being a known associate of Norman Osborn and Alystair Smythe (another Spidey evil scientist).

Unlikely because I doubt he would be introduced in the shadows as a manipulative villain, especially if J.K. Simmons is being considered to reprise his role and that definitely wasn't him. If they're really trying to distance the reboot from Raimi's they may even leave out JJJ or recast him as a different age/ethnicity.

Nick Fury

Leader/recruiter of the Avengers. Wears an eye patch but apparently has no relationship to pirates. It's a Marvel movie and ol' Nick Nack tends to appear in them after the credits. Why not?

Likely because.... it's not. I just put him in this for funsies. Disney own rights to the Avengers and Sony owns Spider-man so a crossover isn't on the cards. Plus the dude in the cell wasn't recruiting.... or black lol

Santa?

He's a very fat man who breaks into houses once a year and delivers unknown packages and somehow evades police warrants. And according to some new animated movie trailer (if I remember what it's called I'll update), he's Russian.

Likely because literally no one else on the planet could get past the guards and bars in Curt Connors' cell. And it never specified that it wasn't Christmas Eve....

Stan Lee

Creator of Marvel, Spider-man and all things good in the world.

Likely because the man is everywhere. The cameo king! Can't rule him out.

Unlikely because it clearly isn't.

And will we be seeing Mary-Jane?

I do have a theory about this but feel free to google the comics storyline involving Gwen and Norman Osborn and you can work it out =) And then I'm not responsible for you stumbling upon one of the biggest spoilers in Spider-man history! 

I don't think that was her in the cell, though lol

More chance of seeing Black Cat, I reckon.

Of course I could be totally wrong, (although my money's on Russian Santa) and it could be any one of Spidey's vast rogues gallery, like Vulture, who was rumoured to be in Sam Raimi's Spider-man 4, or even Mysterio, master of illusion. Could there even be a build up for a Sinister 6 story? I mean, the Lizard isn't dead and could easily be recruited into a super-villain team....

Annoyingly we'll have to wait to get our answers. Dammit ASM, you teased so much! Roll on May 2nd 2014!