Chris Cooper Joins 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' As Norman Osborn

It sounds like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is shaping up to be something special.

The filmmakers behind the upcoming Marvel adventure starring Andrew Garfield already claims Electro, Harry Osborn, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson as characters. But it had been looking for a Norman Osborn, especially since the character was such as hefty — if almost completely unseen — presence in the first film. Now, according to Yahoo! Movies, the filmmakers have now found their man, with Chris Cooper signing on for the role.

Norman, in Spidey comic book lore, is the man who becomes something of a mentor to Peter, a relationship that takes a sour turn when the industrialist becomes the Green Goblin.

Whether we'll see Cooper make the transition in this film is unclear, particularly since the aforementioned Electro (played by Jamie Foxx), and Rhino, embodied by Paul Giamatti, are in the picture. There's no doubt that Chris Cooper, last seen being evil and rich in The Muppets, is a great choice for the role, and this bodes well for the franchise's ability to attract solid actors to major roles. Now, if only someone can dispel that rumor about Venom, and we'll be ready for director Marc Webb's epic adventure.

Cooper joins a cast that currently includes returning stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field and Martin Sheen, with new faces including Dane DeHaan, Foxx, Giamatti, Shailene Woodley (as Mary Jane Watson), Felicity Jones and Colm Feore.

Until then, check out Marc Webb's Twitter for more post pics of the production, which is set to arrive on April 18 next year.

Props: Yahoo! Movies