The Amazing Spider-Man 2 has already hit theaters overseas, but American audiences have to wait until Friday before they can see the sequel. The movie is bound to be a big worldwide box office success, one that will beget two sequels (number 3 and number 4) and at least two spinoffs (Sinister Six and Venom).And while star Andrew Garfield will certainly return for ASM3, he may not return for ASM4 - and the same goes for director Marc Webb. Could The Amazing Spider-Man 4 see Peter Parker recast, a la James Bond? Or could the mantle of Spider-Man get passed to a new character within the universe?

Garfield was recently asked by Comic Book Resources if Miles Morales - the current iteration of Ultimate Spider-Man in the comics - could be introduced to the Amazing Spider-Man universe. Here's what Garfield had to say:

I have given that thought. I think one of the amazing things about Spider-Man is that you don't see skin color when he's in the suit. You don't see any religious beliefs. You don't see any denominations. Everyone can project themselves into that suit. It's incredibly powerful in that way. So of course I think it's important that the openness, the casting, in terms of who could be Spider-Man, could be absolutely anyone. A hero is a hero, whether you're a man, woman, gay, lesbian, straight, black, white or red all over - it doesn't matter.

Miles Morales was a huge moment in this character's comic book life. And I do believe that we can do that. It's something I'm really interested in figuring out; an eloquent way of coexisting, or passing on the torch. I don't have an answer, but I think it's actually a really important move. I think it's a really beautiful and important move.

For those who don't know, Miles Morales - a 13-year-old black Hispanic kid who also happened to get bitten by a genetically altered spider - replaced Spider-Man in the Ultimate Universe after Peter Parker was killed. He has many of the same powers that Peter did, but he also has the ability to blend in with his surroundings and temporarily paralyze people with electric "venom strikes."

Andrew Garfield might not be in Amazing Spider-Man 4

It's interesting that Garfield brings up "passing on the torch"; it makes one wonder if Sony is already discussing plans to do this very thing. After all, they basically just rebooted this franchise.

Whether or not Andrew Garfield appears in The Amazing Spider-Man 4, it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that he will leave the franchise at some point - and possibly after part 3. And seeing as there's no way Sony's going to let the rights to the character revert back to Marvel anytime soon, are they really going to want to reboot it again? Or would they be better off, as Garfield puts it, "passing on the torch" to a new actor and a new character?

What's funny about all this is that Donald Glover, if you recall, campaigned to get the role of Spider-Man in the first ASM. That didn't happen, of course, but his campaigning and the subsequent press surrounding it inspired Brian Michael Bendis to create Miles Morales. Now that a black Spider-Man might actually be realized on the big screen, Glover will likely be too old to play him - unless they drastically change Morales' age.

What say you, Screen Ranters? Would you like to see ASM's Peter Parker pass the Spider-Man mask and webshooters onto Miles Morales? Drop us a line in the comments.

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The Amazing Spider-Man 2 hits theaters May 2nd, 2014.

Follow me on Twitter @benandrewmoore.

Source: CBR