Since quarantine, much to the chagrin of my friend, coworker, and huge Spider-Man fan Rachel Leishman, I have been revisiting the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Spider-Man. Tom Holland, without a doubt, is an excellent Peter Parker and Spider-Man. He nails all the aspects of the youthful snarkiness that have made the character beloved for such a long time. But, I have questions about how Tony Stark’s shadow has hovered over Peter’s MCU incarnation.
This is something I’ve been feeling for a while, but during a binge-watch of YouTuber Skip Intro’s “Copaganda” series, I finally heard someone else say it when he brought up how the MCU fits into copaganda. Because the MCU operates as this living comic book/franchise, the interconnectedness of it makes sense, especially when it comes to bringing in lesser know characters.
But Spider-Man is the big leagues. Spider-Man was, before the MCU, probably the most well-known and popular Marvel superhero outside of the X-Men franchise. From the Sam Rami Spider-Man trilogy movies that defined the character for a generation to the Amazing Spider-Man films, which were less popular but still did well, Spider-Man’s story is one with its own specific journey and characters.
Which, in the MCU, have all been tied to Tony Stark.
Tony is the person who gives Peter his suit. Tony is the Uncle Ben father figure that Peter has to lose in order to get weepy and have a complex. Tony is the reason for both the Vulture and Mysterio, two iconic central Spider-Man rogues’ gallery members!
Mind you, I’m not angry about it, but it does feel like they just used Peter Parker’s Spider-Man for ownership reasons when that MCU role could have been filled by either Riri Williams (Ironheart) or Miles Morales’s Spider-Man—especially since they gave Peter’s friend Ned all the characteristics of Miles’s friend Ganke Lee.
One of the best things about Peter Parker in the comics is that he’s just a normal dude, who got bitten by a spider and now is a good guy. He doesn’t make a lot of money, but he’s smart, and loves photography and his Aunt May. When have we seen MCU’s Peter show any interest in the things that so often defined him in comics besides SCIENCE™? Where is broke Peter Parker? You know the one.
(Marvel Comics)
I love Tom Holland as Spider-Man and I love the interconnectedness of the MCU. It is very rewarding and compelling. Plus, I’m not a purist anyway, so please, change things up. However, as a New Yorker, my love of Spider-Man runs deep, and while I think Holland represents the best parts of the character on the page, there is something about the way he has been constructed as Tony Stark’s heir to Avenging that just feels very forced.
If anything, it just highlights that Peter Parker should have been introduced not as a big MCU Avenger, but as a Defender alongside Daredevil—because Spider-Man doesn’t belong in space or Europe.
Hot take.
He belongs in these New York streets fighting crime and corrupt businessmen, not running up Aunt May’s light bill, and managing life as a working-class kid.
(featured image: Marvel Entertainment)
Want more stories like this? Become a subscriber and support the site!
—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
