10 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About The '90s Spider-Man Cartoon
8. James Cameron's Cancelled Spidey Film Prevented Sandman From Appearing
Throughout its run, the cartoon showcased nearly every Spider-Man villain you could think of. Green Goblin. Carnage. Doc Ock. It even had Big Wheel (despite no one in the world asking for him.)
And yet one of Spidey's most famous foes, Sandman, never made a single appearance. Considering Webhead has been battling the silicon-controlling supervillain since Amazing Spider-Man #4 in 1963, it seems pretty weird that he's absent from the show. Because of the nature of his powers, some fans assumed it was simply too difficult to animate him.
But the real reason why Sandman never appeared can be summarised in two words - James Cameron.
Cameron tried to make a Spider-Man film during the 1990s with Leonardo DiCaprio playing the lead role. At one point, he strongly considered having Sandman and Electro as the main villains.
Marvel decided not to use these characters in the show in case their portrayal clashed with the film’s depiction. By the time Cameron's project was cancelled, the series was in its final season. Sandman didn't get a chance to appear and Electro showed up in one episode near the end of the series' run.