February 3, 2006 - Spider-Man 3 won't be released in theatres until May 2007, but the buzz on this film is so constant, you'd think it was weeks from hitting the big screen. For months fans and members of the media have attempted to guess which villains would battle our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man along with the overall plot of the film. Most of this has been wishful speculation, but we know one thing for certain -- Sandman will be one of the villains in Spider-Man 3.
For anyone who's been following Spidey 3 news for some time, this isn't a big shocker. After all, Sony Pictures has already released a still of Thomas Hayden Church in Sandman's classic striped green shirt. But what will Sandman's role be in the next film? That's anyone's guess. Aside from a few slip-ups, like Kirsten Dunst revealing Sandman and Venom were the main villains, director Sam Raimi and crew have done an excellent job and keeping things secret.
With shooting getting underway for the 2007 blockbuster and it being Spider-Man Month at IGN Comics, we figured it the perfect time to examine the one villain we absolutely, 100% know will be in Spider-Man 3. We'll give you the full scoop on Sandman and offer our thoughts on what changes may be made for the feature film version.
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What (Little) We Know
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Thomas Hayden Chuch is Sandman (a.k.a. Flint Marko) and is expected to be the full deal. That is, a man who can alter his molecules to become controllable sand particles. Raimi has said previously that he wanted to do something unique visually and Sandman certainly fits the bill.
This super-powered crook won't be a loner, however. The man of sand has a wife, played in Spider-Man 3 by Theresa Russell. She'll likely take the name Marcy Conroy, the woman Flint Marko almost married in the comics, prior to gaining his powers. Though little is known of Alvin Sargent's screenplay, it has been confirmed that the couple has a daughter.
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Comic-Book Sandman
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In the comics, Flint Marko (who's true name is William Baker) was victim to a poor environment. He grew up in the slums and quickly found his way into organized crime. Long before he had his incredible powers, Flint Marko was a no good thug. During a stint in prison, Marko's girlfriend, Marcy Conroy, left him for another member of gang. This infuriate Marko, who, upon release from prison, killed Conroy's new lover and then went on a crime spree.
It wasn't long before Marko found himself back in jail. He managed to escape, an act which would change his life forever. Marko took refuge on a beach near a nuclear test site. One reactor malfunction later and Marko was bathed in radiation, fusing his molecules with the sand. In real life, this event would have looks a bit more like the ending of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but in the world of comics, it meant Marko was now a super-villain.
Sandman can transmute his molecules into a sand-like substance. When in sand form, he can take any shape he wishes and increase his density and strength to lift up to 85 tons. Marko can form his hands into weapons, such as a hammer or mace, form a near-impenetrable wall of sand or create a dust storm. He has long been a fan-favorite foe of Spider-Man.
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Possible Movie Alterations
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For Spider-Man 2, Raimi turned Doctor Octopus into a sympathetic villain. This may also become the case of Sandman. It's likely that Marko will indeed be a criminal, but expect the daughter to either have an illness or otherwise be in danger in order to force Marko into his new role as super-villain.
Chances are that Marko won't be victim of a nuclear accident, but likely will be another unfortunate casualty of bad science -- much like Peter Parker and Otto Octavius. In the Ultimate universe, Marko became Sandman in a failed attempt to re-create the Super-Soldier serum that spawned Captain America. The movie origin will likely fall somewhere in-between the two differing comic-book takes.
Our best guess is that Marko is indeed part of a failed experiment, though not one meant to create a new Captain America. Marko is a man perhaps in desperate need of funding (see, he's got that daughter who's facing some life-threatening illness in our version of the story). It's this type of man that can get mixed up with a troubled and equally desperate young entrepreneur with a major chip on his shoulder. Yeah, we're talking about Harry Osborn.
Oscorp was responsible for the creation of Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus. It's only sensible that Harry continues the legacy in the third film, either through accident or deliberate experimentation. How does this tie into Venom? Well, we have a wild theory about that too. We'll delve into both Venom and Harry's movie future later this month. Trust Raimi and Sargent to be smart enough not to make Harry, Sandman and Venom all separate storylines. Expect all three to be connected.
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The Fate of Flint Marko
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Villains have not faired well in the previous Spider-Man movies. We have two guesses to Sandman's possible end. Either Spidey uses the old wet cement trick, freezing Sandman in a cinematic death pose or Raimi takes a literal bite out of the comics. A few years back, Sandman and Venom got into a tussle in the comics. This fight ended when Venom bit a chunk out of Sandman, which appeared, at the time, to have killed Flint Marko. If Venom truly is in Spider-Man 3, then a battle between these two character seems like an inevitable spectacle. But will it end as it did in the comics?
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The true role of Sandman and the other characters of Spider-Man 3 probably won't be known until May of next year. Raimi and crew have been particularly good at keeping back information they don't want leaked. One thing's for certain, it will be a long wait until the premiere.
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