Spiderman Homecoming: Will superhero Backstories Disappear?

Two major comic book movies took different approaches in telling their stories. Spiderman told a contemporary story with minimal backstory while Wonder Woman did the complete opposite by telling a historical drama while provide connections to the world today.
Both movies were showered with praise. However, the intelligent ways in which spiderman conveys it’s backstory is interesting and game changing. This is the third version of spiderman that has been on-screen since 2000. Most audiences are aware of Spiderman’s archetypal backstory. With that, Marvel appoarches the latest film by excluding most of the backstory while revealing tidbits to the audience when convenient to the story. This allowed more time to explore Parker’s time in highschool and develop other “living” characters more.
A scene involving The Vulture and the murder of one of his underlings would most likely have been cut if the filmmakers decided to tell Parker’s backstory. With this inclusion, we read more into the villian’s desire while not missing a beat in Parker’s story.

The core themes of Parker’s backstory was created through his relationship with Ned and Tony Stark. The ideas teenage rebellion and responsibility were developed through the relationship with Stark while the internal conflict of Parker vs. Spiderman were developed through his external conflict with his best friend. In the original backstory, the movie would have explored it through Parker’s relationship with Uncle Ben. Since the character of Uncle Ben is never explicitly mentioned or seen on screen, the developments that were needed diverted to Stark and Ned. It added into the character development between Stark and Parker that started in Civil War.
With the backstory of Parker trimmed down, the overall movie benefited. This difficult decision made by Feige and Co. will have a lasting effect on the genre.
Since the need for a “Superhero Backstory” has been somewhat eliminlated, other familiar superheros may not need their own backstory in a movie. Characters like Jean and Cyclops from The X-Men might not need a backstory. Or if they decide to make a new Magneto movie, exploration of Eric’s past could be optional.

We are experiencing a change in how superhero stories are told. Though, the traditional story still has plenty of juice in developing new superhero characters. The new Wonder Woman used a basic story tool to introduce the audience to the character. As the story started in present day and used a photoglass of Wonder Woman from the past as a passage into the character’s journey in the 20th century. The movie is pretty much a 90 minute backstory for Wonder Woman. This approach is completely opposite to Spiderman Homecoming. Yet, the backstory of Wonder Woman seemed more entertaining than any of Spiderman’s backstory seen on screen. Maybe it’s because Spiderman’s backstory is so well known or maybe it’s because of the obscurity of Wonder Woman’s backstory…but the difference in appoarch benefitted the two stories in the same way. We were able to have more time developing characters that would otherwise be minor characters. If Wonder Woman was set in present day, then the character of Steve Trevor would be limited. The character would only be seen through flashbacks. While if we had seen Spiderman’s backstory, we would spend less time with The Vulture and Parker’s friends.

This might be a simple idea but we can think of it as: there are different approaches to each story. But with the backstory of superheros so similar and well known, the difference in approach can make or break the whole movie. If all of Man of Steel takes place after Superman is already Superman, would the movie be better? If last Fantastic Four takes place after the group had powers would it be that big of a disaster? What if we only explored Wolverine when he was fighting in World War II and see him tear through Nazis; could that be a good movie?
With so many reboots, remakes, and reintroduction of superheros, maybe the time has come where the superhero’s backstory is irrelevant or maybe even worse…not entertaining.
It might not be the death of the superhero backstory but it certainly gives studios and filmmakers a new option when developing these properties. Maybe we don’t need to see Cyborg’s backstory. Maybe we don’t need to know how Thanos became Thanos. Maybe we don’t need to explore Venom’s turn into darkness.
Spiderman has created a president in telling a good superhero movie without a fully fleshed out backstory. Upcoming superhero movies can take a page out of Homecoming’s book and hint at the backstory rather than dive straight into it.

Cowin Poon • TORONTO 2017
