Marc Webb's Spider-Man reboot, The Amazing Spider-Man, is still eleven months away but while fans debate how much first-person "Spidey vision" they'll be seeing in the final film, Sony (through subsidiary Columbia Pictures) has been busy firming-up a date for another Spidey sequel.

While the jury is still out on Webb's first Spider-Man film, as well Andrew Garfield's portrayal of fan-favorite nerd Peter Parker, Sony is planning another round of web-slinging action for May 2, 2014.

The brief report comes courtesy of The Wrap - confirming "Sony has set a May 2, 2014 release for the second 'Amazing Spider-Man.'"

The announcement certainly seems a little premature, considering it'll be almost an entire year before we know whether or not general audiences are ready to embrace an all-new Spider-Man franchise. However, given the number of superhero films already rumored for the 2014 slate (Captain America 2, Dr. Strange, and Ant-Man, among others), it's not entirely surprising that Sony wants to mark Spider-Man on the calendar - ahead of potential competitors.

The Amazing Spider-Man trailer certainly hints at possible sequel potential (especially the mysterious exodus of Peter's parents). Of course, at this stage of the game, any information about the sequel (director, storyline, etc) is purely conjecture - though, if Sony is listening, Electro (or a more satisfying version of Venom) would be near the top of out list of potential villains.

Still, there's no doubt that, over the course of the last twenty months (since we first learned Sony would reboot the Spider-Man franchise), fan response to The Amazing Spider-Man has been somewhat mixed - with some moviegoers complaining about everything from the casting to the costume, the director to the use of 3D, and the list goes on. As a result, coupled with the short time period between the prior trilogy and the new franchise, it's hard to know if general audiences will be just as picky - will they miss Tobey Maguire's portrayal of the character? Will they be confused by the romance between Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and Peter Parker? Not to mention, in a genre over-saturated with origin stories, will moviegoers lose interest after sitting through a second Spider-Man creation narrative - only a decade after Raimi's first film?

The Amazing Spider-Man Trailer

It's a strange time in Hollywood where even commercial failures like Green Lantern or lesser-known characters such as Thor (at least when compared with high-profile favorites like Spider-Man or Batman) have seen pre-production sequel development begin before a first installment has even finished a full box-office run. Time will tell if if studios can genuinely keep churning out sequels to superhero properties in rapid succession (get ready for Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 in 2013). However, given the exciting footage we previewed at Comic Con 2011, it's likely that, as far as The Amazing Spider-Man is concerned, casual moviegoers - much like the press and fans in Hall H - will be won-over by Webb's film, paving the way for Sony to make good on their May 2, 2014 sequel.

Follow me on Twitter @benkendrick and let us know what villain you'd like to see featured in the next Spider-Man film?

The Amazing Spider-Man web-swings into theaters on July 3, 2012.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is web-shooting for a May 2, 2014 release.

Source: The Wrap