Spider-Man's Back... in Black?

There you have it folks, it's official. Spider-Man's wearing a black suit in Spider-Man 3. Now, the fanbois are going crazy speculating over what this means. Yeah, basically everyone's thinking SYMBIOTE! I suppose it's reasonable enough to think that astronaut John Jameson (son of Peter Parker's cranky boss J. Jonah Jameson) is gonna come back from space with some black goo in tow, which'll somehow make it's way to Petey and bond with him.

But somehow I doubt it. Let's corral the facts. Topher Grace is in the movie, but we don't know who he's playing (though good money's on him playing Eddie Brock- who will eventually become the villain Venom). Thomas Haden Church is playing Flint Marko- AKA The Sandman. Bryce Dallas Howard (director Ron Howard's daughter) plays the gorgeous Gwen Stacy (Spider-Man's first, doomed love in the comics) and James Cromwell plays Captain Stacy, her (also doomed) dad.

Ok here's what I think. Firstly, it's pretty much a given that Harry Osborn will take up the mantle of Green Goblin in this film- he already hates Spider-Man with a vengeance and he found his dad's secret Green Goblin lab at the end of the second film. Add to that the fact that Mary Jane's already played out a very Gwen Stacy-esque bridge scene (except for the fact that she survived, of course!) in the first film and I think it's entirely possible we'll see bridge scene redux in Spidey 3. Well, maybe not an identical scene, but hey, Kirsten Dunst's kept hinting that the third Spider-Man movie will be the last one for her, so why not reverse Mary Jane and Gwen Stacy's roles and have MJ kick the bucket in this one? End one love story in tragedy while sowing the seeds of a new one. Makes sense to me.

I suspect Harry might end up killing Mary Jane in a rage (or accidentally while holding her hostage) and then feels so bad about it afterward that he gives himself up to Peter, who would then have to decide between taking revenge or forgiving his girlfriend's (wife's?) killer! Dramatic, no? Going on with my speculation, I think the black suit isn't a symbiote, but one that he wears in mourning. Doesn't he look gloomy in that picture? Whatever actually happens, I think it's safe to say the tone of the movie's gonna be significantly darker than the first two. Gah... 2007's such a long way away.