Spider-Man is Going to Blow Our Minds With a Long Overdue Homecoming
Our friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler is back in the fold at Marvel!
“If you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” Tony Stark: Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In a few short days, we will be introduced to the most definitive adaptation of Spider-Man…EVER! Your friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler will be swinging back onto our screens in Spider-Man Homecoming, the first of a trilogy of Marvel/Sony joint ventures designed to bring the character back into the fold at Marvel.
In short, it’s an exciting time to be a Spider-Man fan.
Unfortunately, things weren’t always this stimulating …
Sony Pictures procured the rights to the iconic comic book character at the turn of the century, but despite a jackpot of riches from box office receipts they failed to produce a definitive outing for the character. Sony Pictures have a long, sad history of acquiring the rights to many of the world’s best franchises but they always seem to drop the ball when it comes to making movies. In fact, when it comes to imagination and originality, they have demonstrated time and time again that they are well out of touch with their target audience.
The Spider-Man Trilogy:
The Sony Spider-Man franchise was launched in 2002. Talented director Sam Raimi, brought our beloved wall-crawler to the big screen in fantastical fashion and pitted him against the iconic comic book nemesis the Green Goblin. Actor Tobey Maguire afforded the studio a solid base to launch a movie franchise from, but the movie offered very little in the way of originality. The narratives explored in the origin story, were a direct replication of both the comic book and successful animated series stories but failed to break any real ground, however the box office revenue alone guaranteed a sequel which arrived in 2004
With Raimi attached to assume directorial duties once again, Spider-Man was pitted against the iconic Doctor Octopus. The movie depicted the wall-crawler coming face to face with the demise of the Goblin, as well as the break-down of his relationship with his best friend who doubled as a rival suitor for Mary Jane Watson’s affections. Despite earning criticism from a section of the fan base (myself included) for changing Doctor Octopus’ nationality from German to American, the movie went on to be considered the finest entry in the entire saga and boasted a considerable box office success.
Three years had passed before Spider-Man 3 arrived to grace our screens. Unfortunately, the behind-the-scenes upheaval filtered through to the filming process and the original story of Spider-Man, facing up to the humanity of his role as a crime fighter and finding the humility to forgive the killer of his Uncle was interfered with by the studio heads. The singular villain of The Sandman, was chosen by the director as the perfect foil for Peter Parker’s emotional journey, but the studio yearned for a bigger blend of action and approached Sir Ben Kingsley to accept the role as Vulture. Unfortunately, the role was cut before he could accept their overtures and in Vulture’s place arrived the iconic and immensely popular villain Venom.
The alien symbiotic creature attached itself to a human host to create the ultimate alter ego for Spider-Man himself. Boasting many of Spidey’s superhuman abilities, Venom was a psychotic creature hell bent on ending Spider-Man once and for all, and found himself thrust into the story despite Raimi being reluctant to include him. His last-minute insertion proved to be the turning point for the trilogy. The character was afforded very little screen time and being a hugely popular character, the studio received an unprecedented backlash for his poor treatment in the finished movie. The outcry was enough to make Sony Pictures rethink their strategy, and soon after, the proposed sequel Spider-Man 4 was shelved in favour of rebooting the franchise with a brand-new cast, crew and director.
The Amazing Spider-Man:
With Sam Raimi replaced in the director’s chair, Marc Webb assumed the responsibility of bringing the all-new Spider-Man to the big screen and cast Andrew Garfield as the wall-crawling crime fighter. Once again, the movie focussed on the origin story of Peter Parker and interwove it with a conspiracy narrative relating to his deceased parents. Instead of rebooting the tried and tested villains of the previous trilogy, Sony took the bold step of utilising the Lizard as their main antagonist. The character of Kirk Connors, a brilliant scientist who had worked closely with Peter Parker’s parents in the field of genetics had taken to testing a new formula upon himself desperate to regenerate an amputated limb, but had accidentally turned himself into a giant humanoid Lizard creature.
The movie was original, exciting and fun which was a breath of fresh air for the character and on the back of its success a sequel was commissioned. But once again, the studio interference sent The Amazing Spider-Man 2 down a road to ruin. Not only did the studio decide to include Electro as the main antagonist, but added Rhino and the Green Goblin into the mix whilst teasing Vulture and several other villains for future installments. Whilst following the unfolding storyline of Peter’s relationship with Gwen Stacey, we were forced to endure yet another origin story for a lackluster incarnation of Green Goblin as well as a token outing for Rhino. Included in the meat grinder of ideas was Peter Parker investigating the mystery surrounding his parent’s demise, his crumbling relationship with Gwen Stacey, the sinister intentions of the Oscorp corporation and even managed to include a forced past association between Peter and Harry Osbourne (the soon-to-be Green Goblin) …all whilst dealing with the threat of a misconceived incarnation of Electro.
In short, the movie was a mess. By trying to cram so many storylines into one movie, the studio managed to disillusion the fans and dilute many of the fine characters that inhabit the Marvel universe. Considering this backlash, Sony went back to the drawing board and shelved not only The Amazing Spider-Man 3, but cancelled the proposed spin-off series that was set to commence with a solo Venom movie. What was set to be a reboot of the symbiont creatures origins, ended up being placed on indefinite hold.
And then, the Sony hacking scandal arrived…
In a malicious cyber attack on the studio, several thousand emails had been leaked online, and hidden amongst them was evidence revealing that Sony Pictures had been in communication with Marvel/Disney to seek a mutual venture that would see Spider-Man return to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. The prospect of seeing Spider-Man on screen alongside the already established Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk and Thor sent the fans into a delirium, and not long after — the joyous news confirming the deal hit the presses.
The Marvel Universe Spider-Man:
Hot on the heels of the announcement that Spider-Man would indeed be returning home, it was announced that he would be making his debut in the highly anticipated Captain America: Civil War, the third outing for the title character. The wall-crawler’s inclusion only heightened the anticipation for the movie that was set to see a head-to-head between Iron Man and Captain America with the members of the Avengers forced to choose a side.
Arriving in the middle of the ultimate clash of superheroes, Spider-Man burst onto the screen and gave us the first real look at the character we know and love taken straight out of the classic comic books. With the fleeting amount of screen time he was afforded, Tom Holland stole the show and performed the role to perfection. The much-loved wall crawler went toe-to-toe with Captain America and the Winter Soldier before squaring off against a larger than life Ant-Man. It was the highlight of the movie. In the space of a few minutes, the vintage Spider-Man was web-slinging his way across the screen like never before and the fans reacted with elation.
His stunning debut left the fans hungry for more, and the Sony/Marvel alliance was quick to announce that they would be entering into a joint venture to produce a new Spider-Man movie set amidst the wider Marvel universe. Branded Spider-Man Homecoming, Tom Holland was recalled as Spider-Man/Peter Parker, while Robert Downey Jr was brought in to reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man with Batman legend, Michael Keaton cast as Adrian Toomes, the villainous alter ego of The Vulture.
Judging by the fantastical images oozing from the trailer (which you see below), the movie appears to have everything going for it. The sublime Michael Giacchino, famous for soundtracks like Doctor Strange, Star Trek, Jurassic World and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story has been commissioned to write the score and has promised to incorporate the vintage Spider-Man theme amongst his symphony.
The casting of Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes (Vulture) is a masterstroke. An actor of his pedigree bringing his considerable expertise to proceedings makes for a fascinating antagonist, and the notion of a previous Batman facing off against Spider-Man makes for a classic confrontation.
The fact that Marvel Studios are involved so intricately in the production process alleviates any mounting pressure on the movies shoulders and the characters involvement in Civil War has removed any concerns from a fan base still reeling from the horror show of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. As a result, we are left with a huge amount of excited anticipation that will culminate in the next few weeks when Spider-Man Homecoming explodes across our cinema screens. Expectations are high, but one thing is certain…the fans cannot wait for the arrival of everyone’s friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man.
It promises to be the most definitive version of the character to date, and with Marvel Studios leading the line with Michael Keaton and Robert Downey Jr cast in important roles, we are in for a roller coaster ride of action.
Add this to the news that screen icon Tom Hardy has been cast in the resurrected solo Venom movie has sent the fans minds into a delirium. Is it possible that Sony Pictures, with a little help from Marvel are finally getting their act together?
It certainly looks that way…
So, get ready to slip into your red and blue tights Parker…as only the real Spider-Man can…because we the fans are ready!
Until then…
My spider-sense is tingling!
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