“They’ve called me back!” Sheen confirmed “I don’t know what the part is gonna be, but I’m going to be Uncle Ben once again in Spider-Man next year. We shoot it in February.”

The Amazing Spider-Man was a mixed bag to say the least, but one thing it did nail was its casting, with Sheen in particular being a stand out. The West Wing star brought a huge sense of warmth and heart to the part, which was sadly lacking in the Raimi trilogy (debate?).

It’s always good to have Martin Sheen in your film, so it’s great that they have found a way to bring him back for the sequel. As to what part he will play in the story, we can only speculate at the moment. I think it’s a safe bet that he won’t miraculously turn up alive or be a clone (I don’t think any Spider-film will ever touch a clone storyline!) so that leaves either flashbacks or an Obi-Wan type spiritual guide. He may even get to utter THE immortal Spider-Man line which they worked so hard to avoid in the first film.

Sheen joins returning cast members Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone and Sally Field along with new cast members Dane DeHann (Harry Osborn), Jaime Foxx (Electro) and Shailene Woodley (Mary Jane).

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 shoots next year with a 2014 release so expect more casting news from Sony for the next few weeks.

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