With yesterday’s tease that “Percy Jackson” star Logan Lerman is in talks for the “Spider-Man” lead, the friendly neighborhood webslinger is on a lot of minds lately.

When MTV News caught up with “Spider-Man” cast member James Franco during the Sundance Film Festival, he explained whether Harry Osborn was originally expected to come back (from the dead) for the now-canceled fourth film, reveals his Spidey-themed birthday gift for former director Sam Raimi, and offers some advice for the next “Spider-Man” cast.

“No, there were no plans,” said Franco when asked about Harry’s potential return.

“Sam Raimi just had a big birthday,” he continued. “All of his friends made little videos for it. I did one about not being in ‘Spider-Man 4,’ because they were making it at the time. He called me up. He loved it and said, ‘I wish I had a part for you in ‘Spider-Man 4,’ but I don’t.”

As for any wisdom he could drop on the future Spider-Man and his surrounding cast, Franco said to “bring a lot of reading material or your DVD set of ‘Lost,’ because when you do the effects you’ll be sitting around for a long time.”

Well, it’s not exactly “Inside The Actors Studio,” but it’s fun all the same. Thanks, James!

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James Franco thinks Spider-Man can go on without director Sam Raimi helming and star Tobey Maguire leading the web-slinging.

Columbia Pictures and Marvel Comics announced on Tuesday that (500) Days of Summer auteur Marc Webb will direct the first installment of its new Spider-Man franchise, which will begin with Peter Parker’s high school years…

“I don’t have a problem with that,” Franco, who played Harry Osborn in the superhero franchise, said at tonight’s Sundance Film Festival opening-night premiere of HOWL, his new movie about the late poet Allen Ginsberg. “It worked out well for Batman, and comics themselves have different artists and writers. I think it’s perfectly fine.”

But he cautioned, “I think for the viewers you want a little space [between Raimi's and Webb's flicks], so you can get everyone else out of your head.”

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