We recently brought you the news that Dylan Baker will reprise his role as Dr. Curt Connors in "Spider-Man 4," heralding some hope that The Lizard could finally make his long-awaited debut as Peter Parker's newest nemesis. But let's not forget some of Spidey's other contenders, like the Green Goblin.

While the villain might thrive on the bright lights of Broadway courtesy of Alan Cumming, original Green Goblin actor Willem Dafoe's future involvement in the Sam Raimi-directed franchise isn't exactly a certainty—in fact, Dafoe himself still doesn't know whether he'll appear in future "Spider-Man" movies.

"Let's put it this way — no one's called," the actor told MTV News in a recent interview. Read more...

There are a lot of questions flying around about which character Bruce Campbell will play in "Spider-Man 4," so last week we took 'em all, put 'em together, and had you vote on the casting you'd like to see for the "Evil Dead" actor in the next installment of Sam Raimi's superhero franchise.

In the end, the most buzzed-about rumor was also fans' favorite of the bunch, with nearly half the votes tagging Campbell to play Marvel's bubble-headed Master of Illusion, Mysterio. Some have wondered whether his trio of seemingly unrelated cameos in the previous "Spider-Man" films could play into the role, too—since it wouldn't be too unbelievable for a master of special effects to be found in the background during a few key moments in Peter Parker's recent history. Read more...

When it comes to "Spider-Man 4," the upcoming superhero sequel directed by Sam Raimi, all eyes are on figuring out who the film's villains are going to be.

Based on the results of our recent poll, many Splash Page readers are hoping that the fourth "Spider-Man" outing finally focuses on The Lizard, Dr. Curt Connors' reptilian alter-ego that's been teased over the past several films. While Raimi himself previously said that the villain's story would likely be told eventually, he conceded that it might not happen in "Spider-Man 4."

Even though the Lizard's involvement still isn't a certainty, actor Dylan Baker—who played Connors in previous "Spider-Man" films—will indeed reprise his role in "Spider-Man 4," offering hope to fans of Spidey's scaly-skinned nemesis. Read more...

We might know who the villains are in "Spider-Man 4" or whether Sam Raimi will be back for "Spider-Man 5" and "Spider-Man 6," but when it comes to the connection between the "Spider-Man" franchise and a potential "Venom" movie, well...

Okay, Raimi couldn't give us much on that question, either.

But we did ask the celebrated director about how the two universes will connect, if at all, when Spider-Man's black-clad nemesis swings off into his own solo movie. Read more...

Earlier this week, "Spider-Man 4" director Sam Raimi made a lot of people very happy when he told MTV News that Bruce Campbell would have a "meaty role" in the next "Spider-Man" movie. Thus far, the "Evil Dead" actor's cameos have rivaled even those of comics legend Stan Lee when it comes to pleasing fans, but many Spider-fans have wondered (especially in our comment section) whether Campbell could be destined for bigger and better things in the film franchise.

With fans buzzing about a potential debut for face-changing villain Chameleon or the master of illusion, Mysterio, there's the possibility that all of Campbell's cameo roles could actually be the same person. Of course, those rumors are at odds with some arguing that he'd make a better Kraven the Hunter than either of the two aforementioned bad guys.

Heck, the "Evil Dead" actor was a ring announcer in the first film, a theater usher in the second and a nasty waiter in the third—but could these roles be connected? Should they be? Read more...

As we reported last week, much about "Spider-Man 4" is still in flux: Gary Ross is currently hard at work on a draft of the script after getting notes from director Sam Raimi and they claim they're still figuring out which villain makes the most sense to compliment Peter Parker's character growth in the picture. What's more, beyond the return of franchise stars Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst, few decisions about the cast have been made.

All of which makes comments that Raimi's buddy Bruce Campbell made last month extremely interesting, when he told Access Hollywood he'd have a major role in the new film.

When MTV News had a chance to talk to Raimi, of course we needed to know if Campbell was speaking the truth. After sneaking into cameos in the first three "Spider-Man" flicks, has the "Evil Dead" star really nabbed a major part in the fourth installment? Read more...

Apparently, Sam Raimi sides with fans who argue that “Spider-Man 3” was weakened by having too many villains.

According to the Coventry Telegraph, Raimi told the print edition of DVD & Blu-ray Review, “I think having so many villains detracted from the experience. I would agree with the criticism."

Raimi also revealed that his experience making the horror film “Drag Me To Hell," which hit shelves this week, will also have a positive impact on the next “Spider-Man” film. Read more...

It's a comic fan's fever dream: call up director Sam Raimi and tell him which villain he should select to do battle against the web-spinning wonderboy in "Spider-Man 4." Alas, that just ain't gonna happen. But we came pretty close.

In a chat with Raimi last week, we presented the results of our recent Who Should Be The 'Spider-Man 4' Villain poll to the man himself. And he loved who readers picked. (FYI: The Lizard nabbed 29 percent of the vote, while Carnage came in a close second with 26 percent.)

"I love the Lizard," said Raimi. "There's a great story there in the Marvel comic books about Dr. Connors. I'm less familiar with Carnage." Read more...

Back in March, a little less than two years after "Spider-Man 3" opened with what was then the biggest first weekend ever, Sony and Marvel Studios announced an official release date for its fourth Spidey flick: May 6, 2011. Still up in the air was the date when production would actually begin.

In an exclusive conversation with MTV News on Friday, franchise director Sam Raimi reveled that if all goes according to plan, shooting will begin early next year.

"We're hoping that it's the first week in March," said Raimi. Read more...

Last week, I asked readers which villain they'd like to see brawl with the ol' web-slinger in "Spider-Man 4," the next installment of Sony's "Spider-Man" movie franchise.

After all the votes were counted, Curt Conners' reptilian alter ego The Lizard narrowly edged out the psychopathic symbiote Carnage as the most-wanted bad guy for the next film. With a series of mentions in previous films establishing Connors' character, seeing The Lizard in "Spider-Man 4" certainly seems possible—but with a "Venom" spin-off green-lit, one has to wonder whether we'll see Carnage in "Spider-Man 4" or "Venom" first.

Read on for the full breakdown of the votes and a selection of reader comments explaining why they voted the way they did. Read more...