6. Will Alistair Smythe Become The Ultimate Spider Slayer?
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is heavily stuffed with fan-baiting Spider-Man universe references, from the throw-away Easter Eggs to more significant hints at what will happen next in Webb's world, and that includes character nods to the likes of Felicia Hardy, Dr Kafka and Alistair Smythe, all of whom are more significant in the comics than they were in the sequel. Both Hardy and Kafka could be involved significantly in the next film (more of which later) and you have to wonder about the decision to include infamous super-villain Smythe, who went on to become the Ultimate Spider-Slayer with an army of spider slaying robots in his control. So is that where the films are headed too? Viral marketing has set up the storyline, with Smythe having taken over his father's position in robotics at Oscorp, and BJ Novak's slimy performance suggested that he could be being set up as an ongoing presence too.