The black (?) suit

This picture has been all over the internets on Friday. Flipper was the first to alert me to it and I forgot to check it out until last night. Several websites are claiming that this is NOT a black and white image but is actual confirmation that Spidey will be wearing a different colored costume in S3.

As DG and I explained in exhaustive detail at lunch on Friday, if Spidey puts on a black suit it indicates that Sam Raimi (S3 director) is proceeding with the Venom storyline. I say if, however, because this is NOT at all the black Venom suit.

(If you don't know the Venom/Spiderman story, come by my cube sometime and I'll fill you in. If you don't have that kind of time and are interested in more thorough information, you can always read this.

As you can see, when Spiderman utilized a black costume (that eventually became Venom) he didn't just wear a darker version of Spidey's red & blue costume. The black suit is completely different in design.

So, what does this mean?

Personally, I'm hoping that this is just internet manipulation, intentional misinformation put out by Sam Raimi and Sony Pictures. (Yes, the original photo--just like the one I am using to illustrate this post--came from Sony Pictures, the company in charge of the movie.)

So, what are we to make of all this? Here are some thoughts.

1. If Raimi and company are planning to get Venom into the movie, I am very concerned that it is becoming too bloated. Already we've got Thomas Hayden Church as The Sandman and Topher Grace (will he be Venom?). And then there is Mary Jane and also Gwen Stacey. So, the plots are piling up faster than you can say Batman Forever. And what about the Hobgoblin (Harry Osborne)? And what about Dr. Conner's (The Lizard)? I know that all of these characters have flitted in and out of the first two movies, but there has to be some winnowing of plots and ideas or it just becomes a bloated mess.

2. I should explain that I am under the assumption that the movies end after this one. I don't think Tobey Maguire is committed to a fourth movie. I have heard rumors that Kirsten Dunst and James Franco are not interested in doing more than three movies. I don't even know if Sam Raimi wants to do more than three. I know the Sony can continue after this group of actors/crew breaks up, but I don't have much faith in the quality of these potential films--see, for instance, Batman & Robin as well as the aforementioned Batman Forever. I am so in love with S1 and S2 that I shudder to think how things might fall apart if the people that did such a great job with the first ones aren't there to keep it going.

Back to the photo itself:

3. One argument in favor of the photo indicating the Venom connection--the shape of the visible left eye on the Spiderman mask seems to me to be more angular (more pointed) than it has been in the previous two movies. If it is a sharper angle that would lend credence to Venom, who features a more angular, "sinister," eye shape.

4. Some have argued that extreme closeups of the reflection in Spidey's eye shows that Venom is outside the field of the "photo" being reflected back. This means that Peter Parker isn't wearing a black symbiote costume but Venom (Topher Grace?) is somewhere else? Personally I don't see it, but desperate people will see anything . . .

5. Basically, I think Sony and Sam Raimi are playing with us. Blockbuster movies do this sort of thing. They release "information" and "leaks" to keep people at bay and to throw the real internet scavenger hunters off the real scent.

Here's hoping that whatever this means, the final result with be an excellent continuation to the best series of superhero movies that I have ever seen.

Sam Raimi, I'm counting on your common sense and your sincere love of the character. Please don't let me down. You haven't yet.