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Spider-Man Catches The Avengers in His Web

Spider-Man Catches The Avengers in His Web

While everyone was celebrating the alliance struck between Sony and Marvel to bring Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I sat and wondered how this might change things for the worse. Call me a pessimist, but I feel like the whole trajectory of the Avengers’ collective stories are going to be altered in order to shine a spotlight on a newly imagined hero that we don’t even know yet. What if he sucks? The fact is that we won’t know for sure how gracefully a novel, teenage Spidey can be woven into the MCU until we see Civil War . The whole of the MCU lore, while famously consistent and brilliantly interwoven, is still a bubbling cauldron; it’s a volatile work in progress that has plenty of room for improvement or error.

Marvel had to make incredible movies without their two most widely known names. The X-men belong to Fox, and Spider-Man belongs to Sony. What does that leave Marvel with to get fans excited? No one grew up watching Thor on Saturday mornings, and Iron Man never had a wildly successful animated series. When I was growing up, Hawkeye and the Black Widow meant nothing to me, and Captain America was just a capable fighter in Marvel vs. Capcom 2 . Marvel has single-handedly taken these b-list heroes and transformed them into superstars by making standout, hard-hitting movies; impeccably cast and full of unforgettable moments.

And now Spider-Man is coming back into the picture? This late in the development of a unique story arc? Many MCU loyalists are saying it’s too late. Marvel is like the neglected girlfriend that got broken up with, and now that she’s blossomed and found a much hotter boyfriend, the old one wants her back again. Well you had your chance, pal! Don’t come screwing up this new great thing we’ve got going on! OK, so it’s not exactly Spider-Man’s fault, but look what’s happening: a new superstar character is being worked into Captain America’s new, highly anticipated movie. Thor: Ragnarok , Black Panther , Captain Marvel , and Inhumans have all been pushed back by several months. The Thor movies have all been stellar and we were looking forward to Ragnarok next summer, but now we’ll have to wait until the very end of 2017 before we get to see it. I have great faith in Marvel, but this better be worth it.

The one bit of news that gives me a sliver of hope is the casting of Tom Holland as the new Spider-Man. Marvel has done a great job of playing up each character’s quirks and unique personalities. Tony Stark is the devil-may-care know-it-all with a hidden heart of gold; Thor is headstrong, proud, and dedicated to his heritage; Loki is the megalomaniacal anti-villain that comes off as lovable. Marvel has zeroed in on what makes each character interesting and different and catered to that instead of trying to make each hero the next ultimate badass and each villain the next archetypal embodiment of evil. This is one area in which Sony dropped the ball with Spider-Man. After the very first flick with Tobey Maguire we lost all semblance of the awkward high school nerd trying to come to grips with his power and balance the pains of navigating a crumbling social and romantic life.

Spider-Man Catches The Avengers in His Web

Marvel seems to be reviving the more vulnerable, nerdy Peter Parker, and Holland really looks the part. I’m no bully – I’m just saying, if I needed a quarter or two for an extra helping of curly fries, he’s the kid I would have singled out in the lunchroom to intimidate. I’m skeptically curious how seriously I’ll be able to take him, even suited up, standing next to Thor or the Hulk in the face of a serious threat. Maybe that’s a good thing because it leaves room for some great character interactions, but I’m not getting my hopes up, guys, and I suggest you walk into Civil War with low expectations; not for the film itself, but for Spider-Man’s introduction. I love Marvel, but I also don’t want my heart broken. Hear me well, Tom Holland, if you screw this up for us you can expect to meet me in the parking lot after school.

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