Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker in SPIDER-MAN 3 (2007).
© Columbia Pictures

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Top Maniacal Rumors: Spidey Madness & Arrow Enemies

It’s time for another edition of Mania’s Most Maniacal Rumors, where we blow the lid off the week’s juiciest gossip and hush-hush industry whispers. If you have a rumor you want to contribute, we’re all ears. Just send it to jarrod@mania.com.

Spider-Man 4 & 5 Shot Back-to-Back?

Rumor: After a year of silence in which the only thing we’ve heard is that Sam Raimi is stepping aside the director’s chair, opting to only go as producer, a new rumor has popped up that screenwriter James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) has completed a script that will cover the next two movies.

Mania Verdict: MAYBE---While we have no reason to doubt that Vanderbilt has completed a script for the next two films, it seems unlikely that Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst and Raimi will all come to the table anytime soon. We can see the franchise sitting in development hell for the near future unless the roles are recast soon.

Soundwave Appearing in Transformers Sequel?

Rumor: The classic character was axed from the screenplay of the original adaptation last summer for logistical reasons but the latest on the rumor vine suggests that he might be appearing in the 2009 sequel.

Mania Verdict: TRUE---Screenwriter Roberto Orci has confirmed that he will do his best to insert the robot into the sequel.

"We had to get Soundwave in there," Orci said. "You know, we had Ravage in an early draft of the first movie and Soundwave, and we couldn't do it right and I think this time hopefully we'll have the ability to do it."

Robert De Niro Appearing in Matthew Vaughn’s Kick Ass?

Rumor: Even though the Mark Millar comic is still relatively new, it’s already getting prepped for the big screen with director Matthew Vaughn (Stardust) set to lead. The latest rumor is from Millar hinting that a “very famous film star of Italian-American extraction” will also star in it. From previous hints, it’s believed to be Robert De Niro, who also co-starred in Vaughn’s Stardust.

Source: The Herald Magazine

Mania Verdict: TRUE---While the rumor seems wild, this rumor has been going on for a while straight from Mark Millar’s own words at his official website. It fits with De Niro also leading a previous Vaughn-directed film.

Batman & Superman Villains Appearing in Green Arrow’s Supermax?

Rumor: In what can only be described as wild spoilerish speculative territory, El Mayimbe has posted a script review of the upcoming Green Arrow adaptation Supermax, which is getting produced by David Goyer (Dark Knight) and penned by Justin Marks.

Source: Latino Review

Mania Verdict: TRUE---Script reviews can be very misleading because they’re always changing in development phases but David Goyer was involved in the script and development of Batman Begins so we can see him trying to bring over a villain or two from that mythology. The question is, can he pull this off?

Director Jon Favreau Not Coming Back for Iron Man Sequels?

Rumor: Director Jon Favreau has appeared on the Howard Stern show, stating that he was not signed on for more Iron Man films, even if his leading stars (Downey, Howard & Paltrow) have been.

Source: Howard Stern Show

Mania Verdict: FALSE---While it’s true that the director was signed on for the first film only, Mania is sure that he will be back for the sequel. Iron Man has grossed 436.1 mil worldwide, a clear sign that Paramount doesn’t want to “rock the boat” with their potential franchise.