SPIDER-MAN 3: VILLAINS TALK ABOUT FILM'S ENDING

LOS ANGELES -- One redeemed himself. One was killed. And another was gone with the wind.

But all of the actors who played villains in Spider-Man 3 said they were satisfied with how their characters' stories played out.

* James Franco's Harry Osborn died as the New Goblin, helping Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man fight Venom and Sandman in the movie's battle royale finale. Finally realizing that Peter Parker was not responsible for his father's death, Harry rejoins his best friend in battle.

"I feel like it was a great way to go," Franco said. "Harry's arc in these film is not complete until the third film and his major conflict is between his loyalty to his fatherıs memory and avenging his father, and the loyalty he feels to Peter. Harryıs struggling with that through all the films, and he struggles with it the most in this film.

"And once that's resolved, I don't know what the character can do besides fight alongside Spider-Man. That seems a little strange, so I'm happy that the character goes on on a strong point."

Of course, dying doesn't necessarily mean the final appearance for a character in the Spider-Man franchise.

"People probably asked Willem (Dafoe, who played Norman Osborn/Green Goblin) how he felt about not being in Spider-Man 2, and he was in Spider-Man 2," Franco said, smiling.

Franco said he isn't sure what the future of the franchise will hold in terms of a fourth movie.

"I think theyıve ordered a script for it, but that doesn't mean that Sam or Tobey are going to do it. Iım sure they'd like to if it's right."

Franco said he would like to see Raimi continue as director.

"I know that he loves these movies more than anything, and he identifies with Peter Parker. It's been such a perfect fit for him. I can see it being very hard for him to let it go.

"But if they were to make another one, I think they should use the same group -- Sam and Tobey and Kirsten (Dunst) and whomever -- or if they change one, they should change everything."

* Topher Grace's Eddie Brock was killed trying to re-attach himself with the symbiote.

"I think I felt pretty strongly it should be that way, and we had a lot of conversations about that," Grace said. "I think, of all the Spider-Man villains, he needs to be punished.

"The movie's about choices and he made bad choices, so I thought it was very important to the film, especially since Sandman was on a different journey. It highlights how different those journeys were."

Grace didn't rule himself out of future Spider-Man movies but blanched at the idea of a solo Venom movie. "Those haven't worked really very well, have they? No, probably not," he said. "I'm not looking for my Elektra, you know what I mean?"

* Thomas Haden Church's Flint Marko/Sandman ended the film, asking for -- and getting -- forgiveness from Peter Parker and the murder of his Uncle Ben. He then dissolved into the air, with a mass of sand blowing away in the wind.

"We shot the ending four different ways," Church said. "The way it turned out, this kind of mysterious departure from the movie, just disintegrating and blowing away in the wind, that is the very last effects shot that was completed because we just came up with it at the very end."

Church didn't elaborate on what the alternate endings were.

"The others were just different, and honestly, not as good," he said. "The best of the best is in the movie. Somebody asked me if we were going to see it in a 3.1, and you're not, because they're not as good. I think the scenes that Sam puts into the DVD release were scenes that were a real challenge for him to to have to leave behind

"My resolution of my story with Tobey at the end of the movie, we put in what was the best. Not something that was as good or barely better. It was absolutely better."