There is no doubt that rebooting any series can be a hard task and even harder if you take into account the popularity of Spider-Man, the most recognized hero in the world. Marc Webb (pictured left), best known for directing 500 Days of Summer, was not only tasked with such a monumental project, but had to do it with the consideration that Spider-Man was only brought to the big screen 10 years ago, with the most recent installment  having been outed in 2007 by the talented Sam Raimi. With nearly two weeks having elapsed since the release of The Amazing Spider-Man, the superhero reboot has already cashed in $530 million at the worldwide box office with $210 million coming from the US alone. Though the movie has yet to do the business of the previous three Spider-Man movies which were released under different circumstances which included far less superhero flicks, all eyes are now on Sony with their next plan for what was supposed to be the beginning of a new and revitalized franchise.

When speaking to THR, Doug Belgrad, chief of Columbia Pictures revealed that the indie director (Marc Webb) might not be back for the next installment of Spidy.

 The section where Rhys Ifans’ character turns irrevocably into the Lizard. It took several months to figure out, and the filmmakers cut a bunch of scenes. In software parlance, it required a patch. 

In his statement, Belgrad was referencing problems they had with the production, which included the untold story of Spider-Man and his parents which despite being alluded to in trailers, never made it into the film. Many fans and reviewers were also quick to point out that while over all a fine film, Webb seemed more interested in Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), thus such high praise for his chemistry with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) rather than Spider-Man. The director at times also seemed uncomfortable with large action scenes and took solace into the smaller, more personal scenarios throughout the film.

When asked directly whether Webb would return on The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Belgard replied:

 We’d really like him back, but there are obstacles. He has an obligation to Fox. [Webb owes Fox a post-(500) Days of Summer film.] 

At this point, its impossible to look too much into such statements as Sony Pictures could easily negotiate a time table for the movie to work with Webb’s schedule while all this could also be a negotiation ploy on both sides as it often happens in Hollywood. Then again, could Sony Pictures be truly unhappy with what Webb produced and be looking for a different director?

Discuss:

Would you like to see Marc Webb return for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 or would you prefer a different director?