By Sujay Kumar
Our friendly neighborhood reboot swings into theaters in 2012, and given that Sony plans on filming "Spider-Man" in 3D — possibly with the aid of James Cameron — comic book fans have plenty to look forward to for the next few years.
With the casting of Peter Parker hanging in the balance and names like Logan Lerman ("Percy Jackson") and Zac Efron ("High School Musical") being tossed around, it may be a good idea to put on some 3-D glasses and ponder the visual elements that could benefit from innovative "Avatar"-style technology.
Here are a few elements of the film that could benefit from 3-D effects, and turn an amazing movie into the ultimate film.
Spider-Man's Abilities: Whether Spider-Man's web comes from cartridges or his wrists, we expect to see the most vivid web-shooting and web-slinging to hit and glob onto screens yet. And while ultra slow-motion camera work let us know when Tobey Maguire's spider-sense tingled, 3-D could be the key to illustrate one of Spidey's most valuable abilities.
An Insider's Perspective On The Origin Story: Peter Parker is heading back to high school, making Marc Webb the auteur of the next version of Spidey's classic origin story. That could mean radioactive spiders crawling around and piercing flesh in full 3-D — as well as an intense wrestling scene, of course.
Villainous Violence: It remains to be seen which villains will get a spin this time around, but if some foes get a reboot, audiences will still expect a fresh take. Perhaps we'll see the Green Goblin swooping past our heads and depositing pumpkin bombs, Doc Ock's tentacles swiping at our face, or the symbiote swarming over our bodies. Soon, the technology might even be advanced enough for a story arc involving Carnage.
The Lizard: For a fresh and slimy adversary, Webb doesn't have to look any further than the Lizard. Budding scientist Peter Parker could find his way into Dr. Connors' lab, and as his guests we'd have an intimate encounter with three dimensions of razor sharp teeth and a whipping tale.
Kraven: If we indeed go the "Ultimate Spider-Man" route and Kraven the Hunter films one of his adventures on location in New York City, then landing Spider-Man will be the ultimate prize. It might not be the most well-known Spider-Man story for mass audiences, but the possibility of brutal fist fights and tranquilizers just begs for 3-D.
What elements of Spider-Man's stories do you think are best suited for 3-D treatment? Let us know in the comment section or on Twitter!