Time and time again, Edgar Wright has proven he’s one of the most innovative directors in Hollywood. After gaining cult attention for his work on the show Spaced, his zombie spoof Shaun of the Dead became a dorm room favorite for its witty recreation of the genre. The remainder of the Cornetto Trilogy, Hot Fuzz and The World’s End, continued his streak of masterfully aping the best and worst of action movie subgenres and turning them into something unique in their familiarity. And with Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, he managed to provide one of the most idiosyncratic comic book adaptations of all time.
It’s that body of work and his abundance of style that led Wright to spend years developing Ant-Man for Marvel. Sadly, the auteur and studio eventually parted ways due to a difference in vision. Luckily, that job led directly to Wright making Baby Driver.
While the new film bears many of the hallmarks of Wright as a writer and director, it also signals his most mature movie yet. Not only does it redefine what a heist movie can be, but it upends our preconceptions of music and romance in film. Thanks to the movie’s near-universal acclaim, Wright is about to catapult into a new level of Hollywood. As such, he’ll once again be fielding calls to tackle a tentpole. And though he may be sour on the experience, Sony’s proposed Spider-Man spinoffs may just be the perfect medium for Wright to work his magic.
Chameleon: The Art of Imitation
Though there’s a certain irony in the idea of Wright finally making a Marvel movie but in Sony’s side universe, the opportunity for the auteur to make a big budget comic book movie is all too perfect. While we know Wright and Marvel Studios likely have a rocky relationship, Sony and the director just reinforced theirs.
Thanks to Sony Pictures taking a chance on Wright’s original film, they’ll both benefit thanks to the artistic clout of and critical praise for Baby Driver. As such, it makes sense for Sony to at least broach the subject of helming a Spider-Man spinoff to Wright. But more than that, a number of possible films Sony could make have some incredible potential for Wright as a filmmaker.
With Spider-Man himself wrapped up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Sony seems to be looking at his rogues gallery for characters they can turn into anti-hero leads. Venom and Black Cat & Silver Sable make the most sense given the line they’ve walked in the comics for years. That said, a number of other Spidey villains could be given a sympathetic angle with the right creator behind them.
The Chameleon seems like one of the perfect antagonistic protagonists for Wright to tackle given both of their gifts for imitation. Premiering in The Amazing Spider-Man #1 in 1963, Chameleon is one of the very first Spider-Man rogues we meet. A Russian spy with an uncanny knack for disguise, Chameleon’s entire skill-set revolves around his ability to imitate others down to the most minute detail.
Wright made a name for himself sending up bombastic Hollywood genres, so the idea of him tackling Marvel’s master of disguise is too thrilling of an opportunity to pass up. Not only that, but Wright’s skill for filming action could make for an amazing period piece set during the Cold War. After all, no need to explain Spider-Man if he hasn’t even been born yet.
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Mysterio: The Power of Visual Effects
A villain whose name has been thrown around for years in conjunction with Spider-Man films is Mysterio. At one point or another, he was teed up to feature in both previous franchises, and Sony recently hinted the character could be in their spinoff crosshairs.
Like Chameleon, Mysterio is a gifted performer who uses a variety of tricks to power his supervillain game. Once a stunt performer and effects artist, Mysterio debuted as an extravagantly costumed rogue in 1964’s The Amazing Spider-Man #13. His name and look are both ridiculous, but his gift for tech and misdirection have made him a long-running Spidey foe. Still, it’s hard to imagine a film centering around the bombastic baddie. But that’s where Wright comes in.
Scott Pilgrim proved Wright was capable of a number of things, but one of its greatest achievements is the outstanding use of visual effects. One part comic book film, one part video game movie, the dynamic use of VFX, on-screen titles, and a number of other visual tricks lays the foundation for a Mysterio movie.
Like James Gunn’s opening for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, it could be amazing to see an entire movie told as the origin of Mysterio with the threat of Spider-Man always in the periphery. Told from the villain’s perspective, Wright could add depth and nuance to Mysterio while providing some insane visual effects and optical illusions.
Prowler: Reinventing the Heist
While the Prowler isn’t a villain we’ve been heard tossed around by Sony for a spinoff yet, he’s definitely on their radar. Later this year, he’ll be the villain in Sony’s animated Spider-Man movie, voiced by Mahershala Ali. As for the live-action world, he already exists.
After years of speculation that Donald Glover would play Spider-Man, Marvel decided to honor the connection by casting him as his uncle in Spider-Man: Homecoming. No, Glover isn't playing Uncle Ben. Rather, he’s Aaron Davis, the uncle of Miles Morales in the Ultimate universe of the comics. In that lineage, he’s the Prowler of his world, a skilled thief with some hi-tech upgrades. He’s also somewhat responsible for Miles gaining his powers.
With both the proto-Prowler and Miles existing in the MCU, it’s not clear if Sony can make a movie featuring them. If they can, however, Wright has more than shown that he can make a captivating and action-packed heist film with some less-than-savory leads. While Davis is a criminal, he could certainly be made to walk a sympathetic line. Even his Earth-616 counterpart, Hobie Brown, has given up his villain ways to help Spidey out. Prowler offers a grounded enough rogue that Wright wouldn't have to go too big with him, and Glover is a perfect actor for the writer and director’s sensibilities.
Shriek & Clash: The Mayhem of Music
Shriek and Clash don’t exactly share a connection in the comics, and they’re likely not at the top of Sony’s list for Spidey villains in need of a spinoff. But if Edgar Wright were to come aboard looking for some rogues that match his style, these two could make for an interesting combo.
Shriek has been causing trouble for Spidey since the early ‘90s, while Clash only made his debut back in 2014. And while they’ve never teamed up before, their shared sonic powers could be the next step in Wright’s musical evolution. Baby Driver isn’t a musical exactly, but its use of musical cues and choreography certainly make a compelling case for the label.
Like Gunn, Wright uses music in Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim to enhance the narrative and action. With the sonic mastery that both Shriek and Clash enjoy, Wright could really push the boundaries of sound in an action film. Plus, the two would make for a great odd couple.
Clash is sort of a sad sack, a genius who’s inspired by Spider-Man’s first wrestling match to make a costume and some gear to fight crime. Instead, he gets roped into the world of organized crime. Eventually, he reforms and works for Spidey—the webhead has a soft spot for his rogues—making him plenty sympathetic. Shriek is more of an outright villain, confident where Clash is meek. That juxtaposition, however, would make for one entertaining buddy villain film.
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Superior Foes of Spider-Man: Making Rogues Irreverent
There are a lot of Spidey characters Edgar Wright could make a movie about, but the Superior Foes of Spider-Man just might be the perfect match for him. Created by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber in 2013, The Superior Foes of Spider-Man debuted during the period where Doc Ock was running around inside Peter Parker’s body. With a more sinister Spidey, his band of rogues actually grew more comical.
Never able to land a full six members, the team in the books is led by C-lister Boomerang and is one of the funniest and most clever comics Marvel have ever made. Rounding out his team are a severely inept Shocker, Flash-analogue Speed Demon, Overdrive (who has the ability to magical soup-up any vehicle), and the all-new Beetle.
The daughter of Tombstone, Janice Lincoln brings to life the most cynical and millennial version of Beetle yet. She also happens to be the only one in the team with half a brain. The other members spend most of their time coasting through mishaps, none more so than Boomerang. Mirroring Spencer’s work on Ant-Man, which also features Beetle and a similar premise, the whole book is designed to make villains more irreverent. Essentially, it’s a supervillain version of Baby Driver.
Between Wright’s latest film and Scott Pilgrim, a zany comic book romp starring a bunch of two-bit supervillains would be right up the auteur's alley. In fact, almost all of his films have featured somewhat jerky characters that Wright has to make sympathetic. While the Shocker we meet in Homecoming would have to be dumbed down considerably, everything else about the promise of this film seems perfect. The comic often features on-screen info from Beetle’s ever-present phone, Overdrive adds in the car chase angle, and Boomerang’s chosen weapon opens up the doors for some inventive camera work. All told, Wright is the final member the Superior Foes have been waiting for.
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Once Baby Driver is fully in the rearview, Edgar Wright will start working on his next project. And while he takes his time with each new film, he has no shortage of possible movies from which to chose. Still, Sony will doubtless be keen to work with the creator again and also find worthy talent for their expanding Marvel universe. If the studio is looking for an auteur to bring one of their properties to life and Wright is still interested in a comic book film, it’s hard to imagine the results of such a pairing not being spectacular.