In all two “The Amazing Spider-Man” movies, there was a mysterious individual named Gustav Fiers/The Gentleman, having made cameos as a figure in the shadows. The character himself was set to play a larger role in both “The Amazing Spider-Man 3” and the proposed “Sinister Six” spin-off, but these plans were canceled in favor of incorporating a different version of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, played by Tom Holland.

The character himself was played by Michael Masse, who also played Bruce Banner in two direct-to-video “Ultimate Avengers” movies. However, Michael Masse later died of stomach cancer in 2016, over a month after his 64th birthday.

Similar to James Horner and Irrfan Khan, I figured that a director’s cut of “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” would be a great dedication for Masse following his death. Granted, I personally had a hard time seeing why Gustav Fiers needed to be incorporated, and I certainly don’t think the buildup and referencing towards the “Sinister Six” was necessary. But, I can see now that the character was intended for something bigger before plans for the third film were canceled.