Sony and Marc Webbs The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has now landed in UK cinemas, with the US release coming on May 2nd, and though it is deeply flawed in places (the pacing, the silliness and the inevitable accusations of too many villains being the chief issues), its merits and redeeming elements are enough to confirm it as an entertaining, emotionally-stuffed yarn that is both satisfying and an improvement on its predecessor. Given that Sony have keenly spoken of their intention to expand the Spider-Man universe further with sequels and spin-offs, in the hope of capturing the same coherent spirit that underpins the Marvel Cinematic Universe (and stopping the rights reverting back to Marvel) it was inevitable that the sequel would be as much a seeding ground for future story arcs and characters as a single stand-alone story. So while we saw the genesis of Electro and Green Goblin, and the rather distasteful reduction of Rhino into a oafish clown - we were also being lead to the next steps in the Sony Spider-Man story, leading not only to the announced Sinister Six and Venom spin-offs but also other possible sequels. Some of those hints came in the form of unresolved narrative details, as well as in the many Easter Eggs and source references that we have already comprehensively catalogued, but all were geared towards establishing that Sony have the confidence to continue this Spider-Man universe, and that the seeds we've seen planted will lead to important elements in future sequels and spin-offs. None of the hints were accidental, and it seems fairly obvious that Sony already have a plan for how their universe will pan out...
Please note: this article contains spoilers for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. If you dont want to know what happens in the Spideys newest adventure, do abandon ship.