Mark's Take: Spider-Man Joins the MCU
Let’s face it. We’ve all been waiting to hear the news that Spider-Man will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We’ve all thought about the possibilities. How cool would it be to see RDJ Iron Man giving Spidey his shot in the Avengers or even having Norman Osborn play the role of the corporate villain that takes control of Shield? The possibilities are endless and with today’s rumor of web-head finally joining the MCU I had to give my opinions and offer some thoughts on what we could be seeing.
Garfield Out?
Amazing Spider-Man 2 wasn’t a well-received movie critically or by the fans. It wasn’t the best movie to be fair. There were serious plot and pacing problems with the film. The shining aspect of the film was the charismatic display of acting chops by Andrew Garfield. His charm and wit as the wall crawler added new layers from the first Amazing Spider-Man film.
The new rumor suggests that no matter what Garfield is on his way out. That’s a shame. I wanted it to be Garfield that came into the MCU and interacted with those characters. With Garfield out, the news becomes not as exciting. In all honesty though, I can’t wait to see what roles Garfield tackles next because he is one of the most interesting and dynamic upcoming actors in Hollywood.
Spider-Man and the MCu
Spider-Man brings a different point of view for the MCU. One that I would argue hasn’t been there with any of the other superheroes portrayed so far on the silver screen. Spider-Man is truly the everyman. Iron Man is a billionaire, Captain America is a super soldier, Hulk is Hulk, and on and on. Spider-Man is the every man, comic relief that they need. He brings such an important perspective to the MCU. Humanity.
Some will argue that it’s already existed in the MCU, but I don’t see it. The addition of Spider-Man will make the cosmic struggles with Thanos have a real world meaning. It will bring the audience to believe that “oh man, how would I react in a situation like that?” This is the single most important part of getting Spider-Man.
The Villains
The villains of the current MCU feel like they are being stretched. If you don’t know, most of Marvel’s cosmic villains are tied up with the Fantastic Four rights and Fox. As well as Dr. Doom one of the best super villains in comics. I felt for a while now that the villains in the Marvel movies are kind of bland since Hugo Weaving’s Red Skull and of course you can’t forget Loki. But outside of those two and the upcoming Ultron, what do they really have left? Krang? Madame Hydra? Sin? With Spider-Man they get one of the best rouges galleries in comics. Marvel knows that. That’s one of the keys to getting Spidey in the fold. They need his villains, even if they are showcased in different films than his own.
The rebirth of Spider-man
Spider-Man is one of the most popular characters of all time. He has stood the test of time and continues to thrill audiences on television and in the comics. He is one of the characters that if done well can easily generate a billion dollars in the box office. That doesn’t matter to me. I want to see superhero movies succeed because I have a love for them coming from when I was a young kid. The important part to me is seeing a new dawn for Spider-Man and Peter Parker. And maybe give Sam Rami another chance. He is a really great director and has an appreciation for the character. As I’ve said I enjoy the character so much. He is better with the extended Marvel family in the comics. In film, he could be just as entertaining and witty while adding a whole new dynamic to the MCU. I can’t wait for Marvel Studios to show me how right I am.
Mark Hicks is an avid comic book and film enthusiast. He would love to hear what you thought and what your take is. You can contact him on twitter @MarkHicks
