Spider-Man has been one of the most popular super heroes for quite some time. Although you could argue that this stems from the success of Sam Rami’s 2002 Spider-Man film featuring Tobey Maguire, I think it’s simply because he’s one of the best. Spider-Man is a believable and sympathetic character, often sacrificing his own skin for the greater good. The man (or rather boy) behind the mask, Peter Parker, is a timid and often confused high school student. We’ve all been there, and we can easily relate with Peter and his struggles.
After the meager results of the recent Amazing Spider-Man films, as well as the popularity of the new Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, the web-slinging hero is getting another reboot. This isn’t breaking news; we’ve all known this was happening since the release of Civil War. With a new trailer just released, the Sony Pictures reboot looks promising, but I’m not one to get my hopes up. With this new trailer, we got a bit more detail on what Spider-Man: Homecoming will be about when it releases on July 7th, 2017.
The Young Spider-Man
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a reboot of sorts, but not exactly an origin story. While we’re not 100% sure whether or not the film will show the famed spider bite, we know that the majority of Homecoming takes place after Spider-Man’s appearance in Captain America: Civil War. Avoiding spoilers, Spider-Man saw his fair share of action in that film. It was a good introduction to the new, younger looking Spider-Man. All of his identifying features are there; quick wit, fast movement, silly one liners, and immense heart and charm. This is all thanks to the great writing and excellent portrayal of Spider-Man by Tom Holland.
From the trailer, we can expect Spider-Man: Homecoming to explore standard Spider-Man tropes. We’ll see Peter struggle to balance his life as a student along with his moonlighting as a masked vigilante. This is spiced up a bit with the new presence of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), better known as Iron Man. Iron Man is readying up Spider-Man to become a full fledged member of the Avengers, so I’m assuming he will play a big part of the movie. The trailer shows quite a bit of Stark, leading me to believe that he’ll fill the role as “father figure” for Parker.
Stark seems to be gearing up Spider-Man for the big leagues, and wants to instill values with his experience. This is evident from a line in the trailer, in which Tony Stark asks for the Spider-Man suit, after Peter Parker acts careless. “I’m nothing without this suit!”, stammers Peter. “If you’re nothing without that suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” retorts Stark, keen on making an impression.
I’m not sure just how much screen time Stark will end up having, as Spider-Man: Homecoming has it’s own story to tell. Enter The Vulture (Michael Keaton).
Spider-Man Meets Old Enemies
For those who are fans of the Spider-Man comics, as well as the video games, you might recognize The Vulture. The Vulture is one of the original Spider-Man villains, echoing way back to his debut in 1964. The Vulture, better known as Adrian Toomes, should be an interesting villain for Spidey to take on. Toomes is an electrical engineer that gets tricked, ending his career and leaving him penniless. When he finds out that some of his experimental technology also gives him super strength, he takes to the skies to look for his revenge.
I’m glad that Spider-Man: Homecoming isn’t bothering with the Green Goblin as a main villain. Although he’s the most popular Spider-Man villain, he’s not the best. We’ve already seen that villain a few times, so it’s good to see Marvel digging into their roots for a villain. Michael Keaton comes off a bit too serious in the trailer, but I’ll have to wait to see if it matches up with the overall tone of the film. Out of all the villains they could’ve chose, I’m happy they decided to go a bit old school.
A Summer of Fun
We have to wait a bit longer until Spider-Man: Homecoming comes to theaters, releasing on July 7th, 2017. If you’re dying for more Spider-Man, and can’t wait till then, check out the original Sam Rami films! Additionally, you can always catch the new Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War. To brush up on The Vulture and his origins, check out some screens of the original comic series, or visit your local comic shop and grab a copy of the newest Spider-Man book!
“With great power comes great responsibility”. These wise words from Aunt May mean more now than ever. Hopefully Sony Pictures will do right by the fans, and together with Marvel Studios, can produce an exhilarating return to form for Peter Parker. We’ll see on July 7th, 2017.
