We've reported earlier than Sony was looking to make the next two Spider-Man movies at the same time, Lord of The Rings-style, but talking to Ain't It Cool News, Raimi sounded as if he wasn't even sure he was working on the fourth installment of the Marvel franchise:

No one's talked to me about making part 5 at this moment. Right now I'm hoping to make part 4... For me it's just making the next Spider-Man picture, that's all I know right now. [I]t's a never-ending process. Basically we are talking about the story right now, shortly artists will come on and I'll start giving them shots to draw. We are supposed to start talking to a production designer soon, so it will just keep getting larger and larger.

It's not all bad news, though; Raimi did admit that there will be an Evil Dead 4... at some point in time:

Evil Dead 4 is all about blood and gore and Evil Dead movies and I really like the Evil Dead movies and I really want to make another Evil Dead movie sometime. I don't want to say when, because everyone keeps getting mad at me...

Sam Raimi and Quint discuss DRAG ME TO HELL, SPIDER-MAN 4 and EVIL DEAD 4! [Ain't It Cool]

You can pretend that you think that spending two hours of theater time and millions of dollars resurrecting the 1980s cartoon series that brought the world not only Firestar but also Ms. Lion, the crime-fighting karate dog, would be a waste, but we'll all know that you're lying. After all, who wouldn't want to see the movie franchise branch out into nostalgia slightly more up to date? Here're five reasons why the Amazing Friends should be everyone's friend:

It takes the movies in a whole new direction. It's not that I don't like watching Peter Parker moon over Mary Jane and get chewed out by J. Jonah Jameson before taking a detour to fight a bad guy, but after four movies following pretty much exactly the same formula, it's time to switch things up a bit. Giving Peter two peers for him to confide in as well as kick ass with does exactly that.

Bringing Iceman in from the X-Men adds to that "shared universe" feel. Okay, Sony getting the rights from X-Men makers Fox may be slightly tricky, but if it could be worked out, having the character - who, let's face it, didn't really do that much in any movie other than X-Men: The Last Stand, and everyone pretends that movie doesn't exist anyway - jump to the more-teen-orientated Spider-movies would help remind everyone that there's a Marvel Universe, just like the Iron Man/Incredible Hulk crossover.

Using Firestar allows for a love triangle with Mary Jane... or even, a replacement for her altogether. A hot (literally) new girl in Peter's life who understands what he's going through in ways that Mary Jane can't? It's exactly what Raimi tried to do with Gwen Stacy in Spider-Man 3, except that the fact that she's a superhero as well means that it actually makes sense - it also makes her more than a cute plot prop, like poor personality-less Gwendolyn. And if Kirsten Dunst doesn't want to come back for her fifth go-around as Spidey's main squeeze? There'll be another redhead to fill her shoes.

Tap into that 1980s nostalgia zeitgeist. While other studios put their weight behind revivals of such '80s Saturday morning spectaculars as Transformers and GI Joe, why not take advantage of the feel-good Generation X retro pop-cultural moment while you can? Spider-Man And His Amazing Friends is easily Marvel's best foot forward in that direction. What else can they do to compete? Dazzler?

It creates the potential for not one but two spin-off movies. Screw this whole "Venom might be getting his own movie" crap - I want to see Iceman and Firestar movies. Even if they're only on DVD.

Of course, given Raimi's love of the 1960s formula of Marvel's web-slinger, I wouldn't be too surprised if this idea gets completely ignored in favor of the first appearance of Kraven The Hunter or some other Steve Ditko-created bad guy. We have to admit that ignoring the undeniable genius of our idea may actually be forgivable if the fifth movie introduces Mysterio onto an unsuspecting world.

Nikki Finke reported that Maguire and Raimi will be returning to make Zodiac screenwriter Jamie Vanderbilt's script of Spider-Man 4. Even a few weeks ago, Sony Pictures co-chairman Amy Pascal was talking about possible Maguire replacements with casting agents, becuase Maguire was holding out for more money.

Great, but what about the great mistake that was Kirsten Dunst? Finke claims that Sony would "never recast her" no matter what. But I say take a page from Dark Knight, and keep upgrading your girls. I'm expecting an even better actress in the next Batman.

As for the even bigger mistake of SM3, the effort to create a darker Peter Parker through musical comedy? It sounds as though the studio has learned an important lesson there. Spidey will be back in his original red and blue union suit. Writes Finke:

Gone is the black costume from Spidey 3, even though "dark" is all the rage in superhero movies right now given the enormous success of The Dark Knight. But I'm told the filmmakers won't be borrowing from the latest Batman installment because "Spider-Man is its own thing," one insider tells me. "Sam Raimi made the first serious superhero movie, and others followed. The difference between Spider-Man and Batman is that Batman is duelling with a dark side of himself, and that's not what Peter Parker's struggle is. Peter Parker has no dark side himself. In Spider-Man 3 it was the black costume. Peter Parker's struggle is about sacrifice."

In my opinion it's only a matter of time until all of those "Lizard is the next bad guy" rumors come true, but still there is plenty of speculation on who the new villain will be. And finally Sony is moving full steam ahead on the Venom spin-off flick, but still no word on whether or not Topher Grace is going to slip into his old Venom skin to star in the film.

[Nikki Finke Deadline Hollywood]

Who: Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Why He Would Be Better Than Tobey: Joseph has great comedic timing (can go toe-to-toe with John Lithgow) so he won't look like he's constantly chewing on his lines a la Maguire. He has emotional depth and a credibility when talking about ridiculous plots, thanks to his work in Brick. And finally, has lovely locks that never looks greasy when grown out or parted to the side.

Who: Cillian Murphy

Why He Would Be Better Than Tobey: Murphy is infamously skinny and probably pretty bendy. He would be a much more plausible web-dangler based on physics alone. He can do brooding without using any pouty child faces.

Who: Skandar Keynes

Why He Would Be Better Than Tobey: He's got the fresh face that we need for a new superhero movie. If the producers are truly trying to go younger in the new Spider-Man, these eyes aren't carrying around a weeks worth of luggage in them. Plus according to imdb, he's a descendant of Charles Darwin so his casting would be evolution at its finest.

Meanwhile Stan Lee shared his opinion on who he thinks the villain in Spider-Man 4 should be, the Lizard. Mostly because his character, Dr. Curt Connors, has been set up by the first three films.

[IESB]

If the studio can retain the original cast for Spiderman 4, they will probably stay on to film 5. And perhaps the studio hopes that two well-done Spider-Mans could erase the damage done by emo Spidey in the Spider-Man 3 disaster.

But there is no telling who will be Spidey and his red headed lover, since many of the original actors may have moved on. Still, Kristin Dunst has warned that any additional spider-movies without the original crew (including director Sam Raimi) would be disastrous. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the former Mary Jane said, "It's disrespectful to the whole team, I think, to do that. And audiences aren't stupid. It'd be a big flop without me, Tobey or Sam. That would really not be the smartest move."

Yes, Ms. Dunst, audiences are definitely not stupid, and did notice your chemistry with Peter Parker run from warm and cute in the first, to cold fish in the third. But then again what is the bigger crime: Peter Parker's jazz hands, or the Mary-Jane-and-Harry omelette twist? I would take all three of them back in a heart beat if only they promised a return with the enthusiasm and charm they had in the first Spider-Man. [Cinematical]