Production is now underway for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and director Marc Webb has released something potentially huge. The director has tweeted an image from the set everyday, but yesterday's has some serious ties to the Ultimate Universe and a fan favorite character.

First and foremost, that locker set-up looks an awful lot like the one where Ultimate Eddie Brock held the Venom suit at the Reed Richards Science Center, doesn't it? Unlike the standard 616 universe, the Ultimate version of the symbiote was man-made (by both of their fathers) in an attempt to cure cancer. Could the scientists at Oscorp be crafting the suit in an effort to heal a dying Norman Osborn now that Dr. Connors'  plan failed?

Here's where it gets particularly interesting, though. As you can see, he also put a "happy birthday" hashtag in the message. As CraveOnline points out, yesterday happened to be Dane DeHaan's birthday -- and he's confirmed as playing Harry Osborn in the sequel (here's a symbiotic gift for your b-day!). Perhaps this is a big leap... but are they taking an element from the Ultimate Spider-Man animated show and having Harry become Venom ? Could this even branch off into the Venom solo movie? If so, that would contradict producer Avi Arad's previous statement that it would be an "Eddie Brock story." Or, as SuperHeroHype states, it could just be saying happy birthday to Venom. Eddie Brock's first full appearance in the symbiote (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #299) is celebrating its 25th anniversary this month. The cover says April, but it really hit the stands two months earlier -- a trait all Marvel comics share.

This is quite a lot of elements for the second movie to potentially tackle and it's certainly aiming big enough already. In addition to Harry, we know the second film will also be adding Electro (Jamie Foxx), Rhino (Paul Giamatti) and Mary Jane Watson (Shailene Woodley). Then again, maybe we'll only get a taste of some of these characters and they'll have the opportunity to flesh them out in later films. I can't help but wonder, though... will we also see 'The Death of Gwen Stacy?' Based on all of this, I'd definitely prefer if they hold that off until the 3rd film -- if they even do it at all. No matter what happens, let's just hope this isn't Spider-Man 3 all over again!

What do you think about the tweet, Viners?

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 will hit theaters May 2, 2014.

Source: CraveOnline, SuperHeroHype

cool

@InnerVenom123 Is going to to have a similar reaction to this...

Ugh Paul Giamatti as Rhino is too awkward. LOL this movie is starting to feel like Ultimate Spider-Man the show. LOL the locker could mean happy birthday to the character & hint at Harry Osborn becoming Venom EVENTUALLY.

Let's see if they don't skimp out on the CGI or just have who ever is playing Brock to keep the Venom face on! Seriously Garfield couldn't keep the Spidey mask on to save his life in that last movie.

Actors: The mask is part of the costume, if you're unhappy that your face doesn't get enough camera time, either don't do the movie or get over your own bloated ego!

to much people in the story

No.

It's early in the game for them to make the mistake of trying to cram two major villains into one film. Just no.

I'm actually starting to like this idea. Maybe Rhino and Electro will just be sub villains who Spidey fights as they're just robbing a bank or something like that. In fact didn't they plan to do something like that in Spider-Man 4?

And why don't they call it Ultimate Spider-Man.

I bet most of it are rumors like how the guy playing Osborn's second in command in the 1st film was supposed to be the Proto-Goblin. I am not saying he wont be, maybe they are setting things up for the future, just like now. Maybe they are setting so many things up for later, The guy could still become the very Proto-Goblin, experimented on, and that locker could still be the venom experiment to cure Osborne of cancer. And maybe Giamatti is playing a guy who will one day become the Rhino. But I hope they keep the stories simple. Too many villains spoil the pot. I just want there to be Peter/Spider-Man, Aunt May, MJ, Gwen, Harry, Flash, and Electro. No Rhino, and no Venom, please. Not yet.

But it does excite me to think that Webb might be setting things up so way in advance that they will pay off many films down the line. Like later on they can say, remember that one locker way back in film 2? Here is how it relates to Spider-Man now, instead of just introducing everything as it happens.

Looks like the doors to the slabs in a morgue to me.

Death of Gwen anyone?

No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

I love Venom, I hated Spiderman 3 because of how shabbily he was done.

No.

That picture looks more like the morgue I work at.. o.O

This is good. This is very good. Venom was so haphazardly crammed into the third act of Spider-Man three it wasn't even funny. I don't think venom should be in this film per say, but it's definitely a step in the right direction to start establishing character concepts and background on him. I say take it slow. Introduce or hint at the origin of suit in this one and how Pete's dad was working on some cure for cancer with Eddie's dad. Maybe just show a few ominous glances of the locker and the container. They, maybe about half way through ASM 3 we can see Pete start sporting the black suit. He doesn't even have to realize how evil it is in that film. Then in 4 or 5 we can see full on Venom. I know thats some long term planning, but I think it's the best way to go about it.

Harry Osborn shouldn't be venom, why take cues from a bad cartoon tv series? I'm not saying Eddie Brock is the one and only because I also love flash thompson as venom. It's just that why in the ASM movies do the villains have to be people who Peter already knows. Harry has a different role in Peters life other than being shoe-horned into venom. Bad choice.

@Illuminatus: lol

Maybe in this movie Peter (if venoms in it) puts on the suit early in the film and ends the movie in it. If they make a Venom movie then it can start off with Peter removing the suit and be an Eddie brock movie telling an origin for Eddie (before he was venom).Of course Andrew Garfield would have to sign on to another movie.

well Electro must be the main villain in the sequel since its Jamie effing Foxx after all.. but lets see

@Ninjablade09 said:

Maybe in this movie Peter (if venoms in it) puts on the suit early in the film and ends the movie in it. If they make a Venom movie then it can start off with Peter removing the suit and be an Eddie brock movie telling an origin for Eddie (before he was venom).Of course Andrew Garfield would have to sign on to another movie.

While not bad, I see it going like this. Amazing Spider-Man 2 starts with Peter meeting up with Eddie, in a similar situation to what happened in the Ultimate Universe. From their Peter gets the symbiote, however it acts exactly like the comic symbiote and not so much like the Ultimate version. Peter likes it, gets used to it, but seeing as how Electro is in the film and the Ultimate version of Venom is vulnerable to electricity then Peter would end up losing the suit in a fight with Electro. He's actually happy about this turn of events as he began to notice it affecting his personality but had no idea to get it off him.

It ends with Eddie Brock in the church, in a much better shot and written version of what happened in Spider-Man 3. From there we get to see Venom come to be.

As for weaknesses I say have all the traditional weaknesses for the symbiote, plus the electrical weakness since that seems like a logical weakness at any rate as well.

I'd say definitely either Venom set-up (which is was it immediately bought to mind) or perhaps the Morgue/Gwen Stacey. Though my money is on the former. I doubt they will include Venom in the next film though, just hint at the possibility/cameo/cliffhanger.

@Smart_Dork_Dude said:

@Ninjablade09 said:

Maybe in this movie Peter (if venoms in it) puts on the suit early in the film and ends the movie in it. If they make a Venom movie then it can start off with Peter removing the suit and be an Eddie brock movie telling an origin for Eddie (before he was venom).Of course Andrew Garfield would have to sign on to another movie.

While not bad, I see it going like this. Amazing Spider-Man 2 starts with Peter meeting up with Eddie, in a similar situation to what happened in the Ultimate Universe. From their Peter gets the symbiote, however it acts exactly like the comic symbiote and not so much like the Ultimate version. Peter likes it, gets used to it, but seeing as how Electro is in the film and the Ultimate version of Venom is vulnerable to electricity then Peter would end up losing the suit in a fight with Electro. He's actually happy about this turn of events as he began to notice it affecting his personality but had no idea to get it off him.

It ends with Eddie Brock in the church, in a much better shot and written version of what happened in Spider-Man 3. From there we get to see Venom come to be.

As for weaknesses I say have all the traditional weaknesses for the symbiote, plus the electrical weakness since that seems like a logical weakness at any rate as well.

Interesting but I think (based on the synopsis) Harry will introduce Pete to the symbiote

Perhaps this is a big leap... but are they taking an element from the Ultimate Spider-Man animated show and having Harry become Venom ?

Honestly, I'd like this.

Making Harry into Venom is actually a really good idea.

USM butchered it, but that's USM for you.

Because we all know how well it went went they tried to shoehorn Venom into a movie the last time.

...

Adding Rhino Electro Venom...

Sinister Six movie?

Even though Spider-Man is my favorite comic book character I didn't care for the Raimi films and I really thought that Amazing Spider-Man was just "meh" overall. I really couldn't care less about these films now and I have the lowest expectations possible. If Marc Webb actually makes a great movie, fantastic, but I don't expect anything better than the last mediocre outing.

I would be happy if they just added Eddie Brock in this film. Don't go all out and turn him into venom but make it like ultimate and establish the relationship between him and peter. Maybe eddie can tell peter vaguely what their fathers were working on in the movie and at the end show Eddie at the lab and the venom symbiote in the beaker. Also use other things as slight hints, like again in the ultimate comics when Gwen tells Peter that Eddie is a bad guy deep down.

I would like to see Venom and Rhino but done well

Awesome but too soon!!

I dont care how we get there, just give me my damn Venom movie! Personally i think a Venom movie with Flash Thompson would be much more interesting than an Eddie Brock one, think of it like a James Bond with symbiote armor type thing. Of course either way, as long as they treat Venom better than Spiderman 3 did ill be pleased.

I love Ultimate Venom. But...

Ugh..

Kewl.

Electro? Rhino? AND VENOM?

Yeah, you got a disaster on your hands.

Oh, and it could be a morgue. Dead Gwen.

Am I the only one who doesn't like Venom? Or Carnage?

Incredibly interested, BUT! I really hope they do Venom right this time... come on, the notion of Harry being Venom makes me sick to my stomach. Eddie NEEDS to be Venom and he needs to be brought into the movie right. Please no Topher look alike. This needs to be some beefed up actor in my view.

Seriously Harry Osborn as Venom didnt they already ruin Venom enough why cant they get it right.

Marc Webb clearly knows what he's doing as evidenced by the Amazing Spider-man which I think is miles ahead of the original franchise for the most part. So I'm not worried at all. I would however, love to see Mysterio.....

Wonder what 14 stands for

If Venom is in the movie I hope it is Flash.

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!

NNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

i really hope so :)

I hope they do Venom better than last time.

Here's what I hope for: the next film will focus on Peter in the black suit. When he ditches it, Eddie will find it after the credits. He'll then spend the third movie stalking Spidey and the two have several epic, city-wide fights.

The number 14 on the locker could be a sign of the Goblin serum. In Amazing Spider-Man 14, we saw the first appearance of the Green Goblin.

Can't wait to see them ruin his design somehow.

That picture could mean a lot of things, but I definitely didn't get "Venom" from it at all. Even after reading the hypothesis it strikes me as a kind of baseless speculation. And as some have pointed out, it looks more like a morgue locker than anything else. Obviously we'll see, but...I don't expect it to come out being in any way related.

Is Rhino confirmed? I only wanted two villians, though... Electro and Norman (Not as green goblin, they could use this movie to start bulding the norman/peter relationship... Well that sounded awkward.). And Rhino has already been used in the game, c'mon!

Anyway, Harry as Venom? Interesting. But... I wasn't thinking of Venom, maybe the GG formula inside there? Or anything that can orign a spider-man villian, lol.

I really hope they don't go the symbiote route yet.

@spinningbirdcake said:

Am I the only one who doesn't like Venom? Or Carnage?

Nope

for the love a god i hope not if venom is going to be in the new spiderman movies then he has to be the only villian in it we dont need another spiderman 3 style story with venom and if they go off the ulitamte spiderman tv show and have harry be the host for the symbiote and not eddie................ i think ill stop here

@AllStarSuperman:Oh good. He just seems like what a 14 year old perceives as "cool."

@spinningbirdcake: yup pretty much. i like spiderman and Ben Reilly but I don't like the other Spiderman family or related people.

it could possibly lead into the third movie. wait, if they're man making venom, then i guess that mean Gwens death could potentially be by Carnage & not Green Goblin in #3. just a thought