Is Amazing Spider-Man 3 launch delay to 2017 Sony's tactic to boost ticket sales?

Emma Stone is rumoured to come back as Peter Parker's different love interest in the The Amazing Spider-Man 3.The Amazing Spider-Man movie poster

The Amazing Spider Man 2 was expected to earn $1 billion, but it only managed to rake in some $700 million, which is itself not bad, except that its predecessor yielded some $60 million more in international sales. So the rumored release of the third installment in 2016 will most likely be delayed by a year.

Indiewire thinks that this delay is a good move for Sony, given that the summer of 2016 is already loaded with other big movies; namely, Batman v Superman, Captain America 3, X-Men: Apocalypse, Alice In Wonderland 2, Shazam!, Tarzan, King Arthur, Planet Of The Apes 3, Independence Day 2, and possibly Doctor Strange, Finding Dory, or How To Train Your Dragon 3.

Ethan Anderton thinks that the reason for the second installment's lackluster performance in tickets sales might be because "audiences just might be getting fatigued with seeing the same basic story played out over two different franchises, just with different actors and different villains."

And speaking of villains, the "Sinister Six" seems to be Sony's solution to the audience's paling interest, given that speculations have been strengthened by Drew Goddard's exit from Daredevil to allegedly focus on writing and directing the Sinister Six.

But critics aren't excited by these rumors. They fear that the introduction of way too many unfamiliar heroes will not gain the audience's interest, and the number of villains just might make it a villain's movie and thus relegating Spidey to a cameo role.

Den of Geek has speculated the following possible villains to battle with Spider Man in the third movie: Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, The Vulture, The Rhino, Kraven the Hunter, and Mysterio (or the Chameleon), Electro, Gustav Fiers, The Black Cat, Alistair Smythe and the Spider-Slayers, The Man in the Black Suit, and The Miscellaneous Stuff.

And given another rumor that Emma Stone will reappear to portray another love interest of Peter Parker (to be played by Andrew Garfield), i.e. Mary Jane Watson. Given that she has already portrayed Gwen Stacy before, this choice of casting just might not help the franchise regain its earning power. But who knows really?

The film is yet to be filmed, and there are still a good number of months ahead to make this interesting.