Soon after Marvel Studios made the announcement that they would be co-producing the next incarnation of Spider-Man, studio head Kevin Feige began vaguely laying the groundwork for their own version of the character. He mentioned that Spider-Man was in high school already swinging around New York City, not yet making his mark on the larger Marvel cinematic universe. Feige explained later that it would be Peter Parker wearing the blue and red costume, ending the internet debate over which version of the hero would appear. However, the questions about the new web-slinger would not end there and as the crew comes together for the next movie, we get a little more insight into how Marvel’s most popular character will appear in the MCU.

 

Who is the New Peter Parker?

 

Marvel/Sony made a bold move in securing an upstart director in Jon Watts. The young director seems to have the ability to craft a tense thriller, based on the early buzz for Cop Car, in addition to his comedy background. The recent announcement of Vacation and Horrible Bosses’ writers, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, as the minds behind the next solo Spider-Man seems like a logical, if not safe choice. However, their recent comments to NPR, indicate that they do have a solid grip on the character of Peter Parker/Spider-Man.

He’s a sharp kid and witty and kind of deals with the fact that he’s an outcast and a geek through humor. It is sort of the safety net for geeks like us, so I think we can totally relate to where he’s coming from. As well as the superpowers, which we also have.

No live-action incarnation of Spider-Man has captured exactly what makes Peter Parker so unique. Tobey Maguire never seemed like a real person, that was actually functioning in the real world. Even nerds wondered why Maguire cried so much…plus he wasn’t very funny. And that is the most unforgivable flaw in the interpretation.

Meanwhile. the Amazing Spider-Man franchise got the wise-cracking, New York kid many grew up reading in Andrew Garfield right, but there was always a sense that he was always the coolest kid in the room. As a result, his interpretation and comedy was less effective. In almost every incarnation of the wall-crawler in the comics, his wit is born out of his own insecurities, both in the costume and out. So the writers and Marvel have indeed gotten to the core of character. Hopefully, Tom Holland will be able to pull off the nuanced performance that will be necessary to set this Parker apart, but then again, that is probably exactly why Marvel and Sony cast him.

 

 

The Comedic Formula

 

The release of Ant-Man serves as an indicator of Marvel’s plans for their webslinger. There is a formula for all Marvel Studios’ films. They all have superhero action and iconography, comedy, and a variable movie sub-genre to make the movie feel fresh. Captain America: The Winter Soldier has elements of political thriller, while Ant-Man could be considered a heist film. Marvel’s last release was also the studio’s most blatant attempt at making a comedy and it appears that they will be taking the comedy quotient up a notch in the Spider-Man franchise. 

Last month, studio Kevin Feige explained how they are inspired by the comedies of the 80’s, written and directed by John Hughes. So it is no coincidence that they hired the same writers who were charged with bringing back National Lampoon’s Vacation to the screen, since Hughes wrote the original story for the movie. Judging from early looks at the Vacation sequel, they are able to blend absurd action beats with comedy that can make you laugh out loud. Most of their humor has had an adult edge, so we will see how much creative freedom Marvel/Sony allow Watts, Daley, and Goldstein, to push the envelope. 

 

Box-Office

 

Sony partnered with Marvel Studios in an attempt to take Spider-Man to higher places than the franchise had been recently. However, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 grossed over $700 million dollars worldwide, which is still an impressive figure. When you take a look at the top twenty grossing films of all time, aside from animated films, there aren’t many movies that lead with comedy. Most of those films ranging from Jurassic World to Lord of the Rings are adventure films, with comedic elements. So it seems that if they want to increase their profits, simply making it funnier may not do the trick.

In addition, Warner Bros looks as if they are doubling down on creating serious interpretations of their comic book characters. It seems that the new Spider-Man franchise will be designed to be a colorful counter, to the dark tone and feel of the DC cinematic universe. As previously stated, making the movie more funny will not guarantee an increase in financial success. Perhaps Marvel’s ace-in-the-hole is the ability to throw in cameos from the MCU, which will ultimately help boost ticket sales. How much cooler does a Spider-Man movie get when Iron Man shows up in it? One day we may find out…

 

Spidey’s Grounded World

 

What is also uncertain is how comedic the world surrounding Peter Parker will be. As we previously reported, Marvel would like to get talent such as Matthew McConaughey involved, which would give the franchise the much needed gravitas required to keep the movie grounded. Whether it is Captain America: Civil War or in his solo movie, if we get a character that is the funniest guy in the room and can’t help but keep everyone (including the audience) informed of the hilarity of the situation, it may work. However, particularly in the solo films, the supporting cast has to feel authentic and not simply be devices to set up punchlines. Spider-Man trying to furiously swing home before Aunt May gets home, a la Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, can carry the same emotional weight as trying to save the city from a bomb, if handled correctly. As long as the stakes feel personal and immediate, the audience will buy in.

 

 

The Best of Both Worlds

 

While the script for the new Spider-Man may not be complete, it is safe to assume that many of the movie’s large set pieces are already being conceptualized. It will be up to Daley and Goldstein to create the first relatable live-action Peter Parker and a supporting cast that feel like real people. If they are able to craft an adventure full of heart and emotion, the comedic elements should fall into place. 

What do you think of the approach to Spider-Man? Do you think the franchise needed more comedy? Let us know on , , !

Source: NPR