Fans were stunned when news broke that Jamie Foxx was in talks to reprise his role as the villainous Electro in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man 3, a role he played in 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The news is extremely significant, not only in terms of the implications of the presence of a Garfield-Webb series character in an MCU entry, but also that Foxx's Electro in particular is returning.

Although not considered one of the all-time worst villain portrayals ever, Foxx's turn as nebbish scientist Max Dillon received decidedly mixed reviews at the time of the Amazing Spider-Man 2's release, which was also true of the film's reception as a whole. As an audience, no one really sympathized with the introverted, Spidey-obsessed scientist Dillon (a decidedly against-type casting decision for the usually suave Foxx), nor were many intimidated by the blue-skinned, CGI-heavy, crackly-voiced antagonist. Fans were mostly disappointed with the character's appearance in Amazing Spider-Man 2, with many drawing negative comparisons to Edward Nygma from Batman Forever, albeit minus the impressively manic physical performance from Jim Carrey.

Related: Amazing Spider-Man 3: What Could've Happened in the Abandoned Sequel

Though one could argue that Electro's portrayal in Amazing Spider-Man 2 was affected by the overstuffed nature of the sequel, with many loose plot threads and extraneous villains seemingly a set-up for future sequels and spinoffs, Electro remains one of the more disappointing and forgettable of Spider-Man's cinematic rogues gallery. The comparisons are stark in light of recent Spidey villain portrayals that have won over fans, such as Michael Keaton's Vulture and Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio.

Jamie Foxx as Electro in The Amazing Spider-Man 2

However, this reappearance, seemingly an indication of future multiverse cross-overs, proves that even the worst portrayals of beloved characters can have the chance for redemption, hopefully with a script that will give the actor a chance to shine. After all, Foxx is one of the most versatile actors working today, having turned in great work in comedies, dramas and action movies. He is even a recipient of the Academy Award for Best Actor. Foxx has also proven that he can play a menacing villain -- look no further than his turn as Bats in Baby Driver, who he played only a few years after the Electro debacle.

Related: Covid Delays Push Back Spider-Man 3 Release Date

The apparent new multiverse approach that DC and Marvel/Sony seem to be taking has opened the door to a number of possibilities of future returning character depictions. This opens the floodgates for other actors from previous films (and cinematic universes) to return and redeem themselves for past work. This appears to already be a burgeoning trend in comic-book filmmaking on the heels of the announcement that Michael Keaton's Batman will appear in Ezra Miller's solo DCEU outing The Flash and J.K. Simmons' return as J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: Far From Home.

Flash Concept Art revealed at DC FanDome

Whatever Jamie Foxx's role will be in the upcoming Spider-Man 3, his return to the franchise creates endless possibilities of who could reprise a previous role.  In fact, there have been many talented actors who deserve the chance to have a "mulligan" playing various characters. Dane DeHaan could also return to his Amazing Spider-Man2 role as Harry Osborn, perhaps redeeming his grotesque (and cringe-worthy) Green Goblin performance. Maybe Topher Grace could don the symbiote alongside Tom Hardy in a future installment of Venom (besides the whole being blown up by a Goblin grenade issue). Malekith is perhaps the worst regarded MCU villain -- could Christopher Eccleston be persuaded to vindicate his rather boring turn in The Dark World?  

For all anyone knows, this casting could even make way for the casting of actors who almost played famous comic book characters. Nicolas Cage as Superman? Channing Tatum as Gambit? And with Sam Raimi directing Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, perhaps Bruce Campbell will finally don the fishbowl as the Raimi-Verse's Mysterio!

This casting has certainly opened Pandora's Box when it comes to the status quo of cinematic universes, blurring the lines of canon moving forward. As surprising as Jamie Foxx's return is, it is also exciting when contemplating the possible returns of other actors/characters that could make amends for past or potential interpretations.

KEEP READING: Spider-Man 3: The MCU Needs to Bring Back Emma Stone... As Spider-Gwen