Is it fair to say that theMarvel Cinematic Universeis collapsing in on itself? The studio seems to have lost the lessons it used to build its empire, proving that it was never much better than the other attempts to copy its success. While they used to carefully construct their cinematic universe, now they just wield it as an excuse to slap action figures together. Spider-Man has been attached to other properties for too long.Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Mancould create a perfect MCU showcase for his standalone story.
The recent announcement of Robert Downey Jr.’s return to the MCU has a lot of fans wondering whether the magic is over. Surely there will be some more great movies andshows in the upcoming slate, but everything seems somehow more cynical now.Deadpool & Wolverinehas its charms, but it’s hard not to look at it as a multi-billion-dollar industry hauling out its toys and demanding applause. That release, alongside the RDJ reveal, paints the franchise as the dying sputters of an engine running on an empty creative tank. Luckily, the most recent animated show raises some hope.
Release Date
November 2024
Your Friendly NeighborhoodSpider-Manis the next upcoming Marvel Spider-Man project. When Disney announced the project in 2021, they called itSpider-Man: Freshman Year. This series will follow a new Peter Parker, very early in his superhero career. This somewhat flies in the face of the earlier MCU take on the character.Captain America: Civil Warsmartly introduced Spider-Man as a young hero who was already established in his identity. They skipped the old “great responsibility” routine in favor of introducing Spidey to the roster right away. This was a wise decision, taking advantage of the fact that audiences had already seen Peter Parker’s first steps in two other film universes. With that in mind,Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manseems like a step backward. However, it remains a bold and intelligent way to push the character forward, creating a new universe in which Spidey can be his own character.
The MCU made Spider-Man Iron Man’s protégé
Yes, the MCU skipped Peter Parker’s traditional origin story, but they gave him a new one. There’s nothing wrong with that; every hero needs a background. There is, however, something off about tying almost every element of his narrative to Tony Stark. Iron Man brings Peter into thefold inCivil War, granting him the familiar super suit that became so iconic.Spider-Man: Homecoming, Tom Holland’s first solo film in the role, is about Peter finding his own path. Tony is his mentor, the shining star in the distance that he aims to emulate. The film ends with him growing to meet that standard, but wisely deciding that his place is among the people of his city. He gives up the opportunity he spent most of the film struggling toward, feeling more secure than ever in a life of helping others from just above the streets they walk every day.Avengers: Infinity Warand its sequel undid those decisions.Infinity Warabruptly concludedmany notable plot threads, but its effect on Spider-Man was massive.
Most of Marvel’s Spider-Man films center the character’s role as it relates to Iron Man. It framed the most celebrated young character as a new model of the franchise’s first icon. Vulture andMysterio, originally villains fromSpider-Man comics, feel like they walked straight out of unproduced Iron Man films. They have grudges with Tony that only migrate over to Peter when he interferes with their attempts at revenge. This is part of a broader problem with the universe, frequently painting Tony Stark as the inadvertent architect of most of the franchise’s problems. Spider-Man is the strangest recipient. His first two films are about living up to his predecessor’s legacy.No Way Homeeschews this issue but still ties Peter up in the legacies oftwo other Peter Parkers. In every case, he’s not allowed to create his own story, like Iron Man was before him. Marvel makes the most popular superhero on its roster a hanger-on in other people’s movies.
Spider-Man should stand on his own
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Mancan fulfill the promiseSpider-Man: Homecomingmade. The show’s central premise suggests that young Peter Parker will find amentor in Norman Osborn, a character that only existed in the MCU thanks to multiverse nonsense. For the first time in the MCU, Peter Parker can exist in a story that doesn’t rely entirely on other superheroes. He’ll have his own narrative arc without anyone else tied to it. The MCU used to give characters like Iron Man and Captain America two or three films to find their place before they had to stand alongside their fellow heroes. Those solo projects,many of which are standoutsin the franchise, establish the characters as icons and set the tone for their eventual involvement in the larger universe. Spider-Man never got that, butYour Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Mancan set that right.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Manmight be a new step forward for the beloved character. Spider-Man doesn’t need any help to be popular, but his position between two massive multimedia brands has negatively affected his impact.The upcoming cartoon serieswill root its new Peter Parker in a comic-inspired world full of his own allies, enemies, and storylines. It’s a shame that Marvel can’t let Spider-Man be his own man in the movies, but he deserves a spotlight he doesn’t have to share.
