Why Drew Goddard's Sinister Six Movie Was Canceled

A little over a decade ago, Sony Pictures set out to grow the "Amazing Spider-Man" franchise into a whole cinematic universe. Beginning in 2012 with Marc Webb's reboot, which starred Academy Award-nominee Andrew Garfield as the titular webhead, the studio had ambitious expansion plans with the upcoming sequel as well as a slew of spinoff films that were in development. Although "The Amazing Spider-Man" didn't receive the most enthusiastic reception from critics and fans compared to Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire's "Spider-Man" a decade earlier, people were still interested to see what Webb and Garfield had in store for the sequel. It offered a chance for this new reboot to distinguish itself without having to follow the tried-and-true origin story again. 

Unfortunately, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" was an overall disappointment. The film received mixed reviews, criticized for its messy tone and a script that reeked of studio interference. To be fair, the first "Amazing Spider-Man" also had a script that felt like a product of studio notes, but the performances of the cast, especially the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, helped it stand out despite the middling script. As for the sequel, a few brilliantly-crafted action sequences and an emotionally powerful climax still could not save a film with such a weak script and laughably bad antagonists like Jamie Foxx's Electro (who sometimes felt like the second coming of Jim Carrey's Riddler from "Batman Forever"). 

It didn't help that this sequel was meant to be the launching pad for what was going to be a larger franchise with spinoffs — including a "Sinister Six" film that was going to be written and directed by "Cabin in the Woods" director Drew Goddard.

One of the many weaknesses of the "Amazing Spider-Man" films was their penchant to tease future sequels and spinoffs with very little payoff. Much of the mystery built up in both films regarded what happened to Peter Parker's parents, which would have culminated in a now-deleted scene from "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" featuring the baffling return of Peter's father. The sequel also set up new villains for future films — specifically, the Sinister Six. The film ended with Harry Osborn/Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) recovering in Ravencroft prison, as he and his associate Gustav Fiers (Michael Massee) discuss their plans for a new team to face off against Spider-Man.

Gustav Fiers is seen in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" walking through a hallway of glass cases containing accoutrements like Doc Ock's tentacles and the Vulture's wings. Based on these reveals, it is clear that at least those two villains would have been part of the Sinister Six, which was likely to be led by the Green Goblin. As for the other three members of the team, perhaps the Rhino (Paul Giamatti) would have made the team. And, based on Sony's eventual plans for these characters years down the line, Mysterio, Morbius, and Kraven the Hunter could also have been involved.

Drew Goddard wrote the script for the proposed "Sinister Six" film, and although it has yet to see the light of day, his intent for the project was that it would evoke Marvel Comics' summer annuals. Although his script was written initially for the "Amazing Spider-Man" franchise, producer Amy Pascal's enthusiasm for it meant it could have survived another reboot. Pascal previously expressed hope that Goddard would return to bring the project back to life, possibly as part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe of films like "Venom" and "Madame Web." Ultimately, "Sinister Six" never got produced because Sony's new agreement with Marvel Studios to bring Spider-Man into the MCU was finalized in 2015, putting an end to the "Amazing Spider-Man" franchise

To this day, we have yet to see a proper iteration of the Sinister Six in any "Spider-Man" movie. The closest thing we came was in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which assembled Dr. Otto Octavius/Doc Ock (Alfred Molina), Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Flint Marko/Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), Max Dillon/Electro (Jamie Foxx), and Dr. Curt Connors/Lizard (Rhys Ifans). Obviously, that is only five villains, but it does have six by a technicality: Eddie Brock/Venom (Tom Hardy) is featured in the film's mid-credits sequence, only to be sent back to his respective universe. Brock leaves a bit of his symbiote behind in the MCU, though, potentially leaving the door open for it to be used in "Spider-Man: Brand New Day."

It's bizarre revisiting Sony's "Amazing Spider-Man" duology. While the films fell short of their ambitions, it is clear that there were a few pieces in the puzzle that were worth keeping. Time has been especially kind to Andrew Garfield, who has proven himself as the best actor to ever play Spider-Man. While his films had lackluster scripts, Garfield's commitment to the character was undoubtedly clear, and his passion for the role carries on to this day. Although most fans were more than happy to leave the "Amazing Spider-Man" films behind in favor of the new Marvel Cinematic Universe iteration with Tom Holland as Peter Parker, a new fondness for Garfield reemerged by the time he returned in "Spider-Man: No Way Home." Garfield's performance in particular received universal praise from critics and fans alike, serving as a well-deserved redemption for him after the disappointing conclusion of his series.

Although Garfield has kept busy pursuing new projects, he's expressed interest in returning as Spider-Man again. Clearly, his experience with "Spider-Man: No Way Home" helped heal a few old wounds from the disappointing conclusion of his film series. Prior to his initial departure from the franchise, Garfield had meetings with Drew Goddard about "Sinister Six," and based on what he heard, he was beaming with excitement for what Goddard had planned. As he told Collider:

"I don't know how close it got, but I definitely had a few meetings, and it was really exciting. I've got to say, because I love Drew so much, and I love 'Cabin in the Woods,' and the other stuff that he's made. We just got on like a house on fire. I loved his vision, he's so unique and odd and off-kilter and unconventional in his creative choices. So that was definitely a fun couple of months, but life. It would have been cool. Maybe one day he'll get to do it, but it would've been cool."

Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios' "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" will swing into theaters on July 31, 2026.