Written by Joseph Holgate, who you can follow on Twitter at @joerodholgate
Following last month’s tumultuous scare, Marvel fans were pleased to see that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios brokered a deal that will allow Tom Holland’s Spider-Man to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The world's favourite web crawler will return to our screens on July 16th, 2021 in his third solo movie, with an agreement that also permits Holland to feature in other Marvel projects. The MCU has proven on 23 occasions that they rule the superhero sector, both critically and commercially. With all the acclaim that Marvel Studios has received for its epic portrayal of Stan Lee’s superhero genius, it’s clear to see why Spidey belongs in the hands of Marvel.
Production conglomerates such as Universal Pictures and Fox have ultimately butchered the onscreen presentation of Marvel’s favourite characters. Films such as Daredevil (2003), The Incredible Hulk (2003) and all three Fantastic Four films have suffered from poor writing, miserable acting and as expected, critical failure.
Despite the recent success of Sony’s own Marvel Universe such as Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) and Venom (2018), their previous takes of New York’s webslinger have been quite topsy-turvy.
The first two films of the Sam Raimi trilogy were a huge success as it revitalised the superhero industry and sparked the beginning of two decades worth of comic book insurgency. However, Spider-Man 3 (2007) failed to maintain the success of the first two and received a lousy 63% on Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer, and an even worse Audience Score of 51%. Marc Webb’s duology also suffered critically five years later.
Despite solid performances from both Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield, Spider-Man’s theatrical counterpart remains perfectly portrayed by the brilliant Tom Holland. Jon Watt’s MCU productions of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) have superbly captivated comic book fans, and even newcomers everywhere. Both films brilliantly reverberate a “coming of age” vibe to the franchise that the previous films haven’t touched upon. The perfect balance of teenage woes and action-packed sequences truly do Marvel’s Spider-Man justice.
Furthermore, Tom Holland’s depiction of Spider-Man in the MCU has been categorically breath-taking. Even though he is 23 years old - nearly eight years older than his onscreen character - he consistently delivers a quirky, charismatic and emotional performance of the teenage superhero. His acting expertise often compliments the personality of his cast members and their characters, such as the enraged greed of Michael Keaton’s Vulture and the deceitful futility of Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio. However, it is his relationship with Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark that sincerely brings the best out of Tom Holland’s character.
The self-discovering ego-centric personality of Tony Stark clashes with the young and impressionable character of Peter Parker, which often leads to a comedic exchange. Through the humorous and void-filling relationship, Parker becomes the son that Stark never knew he wanted. This father-son bond has a massive impact for the future of the MCU, as Peter Parker is destined to carry out Tony’s legacy. If the Sony-Marvel negotiations would have failed, all the character development, emotion and journeys would have been for nothing.
Finally, the abrupt disappearance of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man would tarnish the MCU and would subsequently have massive implications for the franchise. The mid-credit scene of Far From Home saw J.K Simmons, who reprises his role as James J. Jonah Jameson from the Sam Raimi Trilogy, reveal Parker’s identity as Spider-Man. This is obviously laying the foundation for future plots in the MCU, may it be in a third Spider-Man film or with an ensemble cast. As previously mentioned, the MCU is the best place to tell Spider-Man’s story. So, for it to instantly end would be a cataclysmic mistake. It is clear to see that Spider-Man will be a vital character in the future of the MCU. With the near confirmation of Marvel’s Phase 4 and Phase 5 all but confirmed, it’s comforting to know that Spider-Man is home.
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Tagged in Marvel