Actor Jamie Foxx is in talks to reprise his role as the villain Electro in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's upcoming, yet untitled, Spider-Man 3. The news is a big deal, considering Foxx first played Electro in Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man 2. That 2014 film was produced before Marvel and Sony had shared cinematic rights to Spider-Man and his adjacent characters, which means that it took place in a universe separate from the MCU.
Foxx's return is essentially confirmation that The Amazing Spider-Man films and the MCU exist in the same, shared multiverse. It's a big deal, and it may be all the proof fans need to deduce that Marvel is building to its very own, live-action Spider-Verse event.
The Spider-Verse is now a well-known concept to both comic book and movie fans. In the comics, the Marvel Universe's Peter has, on multiple occasions, joined forces with parallel universe versions of Spider-Man to take on major threats. This idea was the basis of the Academy Award-winning animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which introduced audiences to Miles Morales, Spider-Gwen, Spider-Man Noir and others. Into the Spider-Verse was a huge hit, and it showed the potential of the Spider-Man franchise beyond just the regular version of Peter.
The Spider-Verse is something that MCU fans would love to see adapted on the big screen and the Electro casting announcement points to that as a possibility. Indeed, if Foxx's Electro somehow comes to the MCU Earth from the Multiverse, then it implies that his own Spider-Man -- the one played by Andrew Garfield -- exists somewhere out there. If Electro was able to cross from one Earth to the next somehow, then Garfield's Peter could do the same. When Holland's Spider-Man tangles with Electro, he may just end up learning about the Multiverse and the other Spider-Men. Plus, he won't necessarily have difficulty coming to grips with this revelation, since Peter already showed he understood the concept of parallel Earths in Far From Home.
Garfield's Spider-Man might not be the only one capable of moving universes. Soon, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will start production. As the title implies, the sequel will see the Sorcerer Supreme explore the Marvel Multiverse, which means that it's likely he will visit more than one parallel Earth. And given that the film will be helmed by Spider-Man trilogy director Sam Raimi, many fans are hoping that this means Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker will return. Raimi was originally set to direct a fourth Spider-Man film, but that never got off the ground and his series was ultimately left unfinished. Maguire's return could offer a bit of closure for that film series, while introducing yet another Spider-Man to the MCU.
With these pieces falling into place, Marvel could truly be building to its own Spider-Verse event film by having Holland, Maguire and Garfield team-up. Throw in a live-action version of Miles Morales and a few other Spider-Men and/or Women, and Marvel could release a crossover to rival the first Avengers film.
Starring Tom Holland and Zendaya, the third MCU Spider-Man film is set for release on Dec. 17, 2021. An official title for Spider-Man 3 has not yet been announced.