This is the big one. If anyone completely got the shaft with a character, it was Dylan Baker as Dr. Curt Connors in Sam Raimis Spider-Man films. He bided his time for years, and just when youd think it was his moment to shine, it all came crumbling down. As a refresher, Connors was Peter Parkers physics professor in the second and third films. This was a shift from his profession as a biologist in the comics, where his research into lizards led to him creating a serum that regrew his arm, but turned him into the monstrous humanoid reptile. Its a small setback not having that biology background in the movies, but it could have been worked around. Connors didnt have much to do in these movies other than chiding Peter for not doing his homework and briefly analysing the alien symbiote that Peter acquires. Despite the criticism the third film earned, there were plans to continue the franchise. Baker and director Sam Raimi expressed interest in having Connors turn into The Lizard into the fourth film, but that idea was passed over in favour of John Malkovich playing The Vulture. However, after multiple disagreements between Raimi and Sony Pictures, Raimi left the project and the Spider-Man films were rebooted. We finally got to see The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man, but to many fans, he was a huge disappointment, with many feeling Rhys Ifans's performance was uninspiring and rather dull. It wasnt a horrible performance, to be sure, but was lacklustre and frankly unmemorable. Many were also upset with The Lizards design, as they hoped to see something more reptilian rather than what simply looked like a human that turned green and grew a tail. While The Amazing Spider-Man wasnt the worst film in the series, the overall consensus was that Connors certainly didnt add anything special to the story. Baker is an excellent actor, and if production on Spider-Man 4 had continued, it would have been great to see him finally make that transformation. Alas, Bakers legacy in the Spider-Man films will just be as Peters physics professor who is inexplicably missing an arm.
Adam Holmes is a writer who loves a good story whether it's fact or fiction. When he's not day-dreaming about time travel, he's usually immersing himself in all things film, television and comic books. He hopes to one day break into the entertainment journalism industry. Yes, he is aware of his resemblance to Clark Kent and McLovin. Keep up on the latest geek news by following his articles at Unleash The Fanboy: http://www.unleashthefanboy.com/author/adam-holmes
