The Avenging Spider-Man

It's official. Spider-Man has been confirmed as being added to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in an unprecedented agreement set between Marvel and Sony. Basically Sony will retain distributive, financial, and creative control, but Marvel will get a piece of the pie. Kevin Feige, the man behind the MCU, is also set to co-produce the next independent Spider-Man movie. This is all exciting news and I think a positive step for both production companies, but it still leaves us with some questions that are worth contemplating.

First and foremost, who will be Spider-Man. Will it be Andrew Garfield, will it be a new actor, will it be me? (Seriously, I'm waiting on that phone call.) Smart money seems to think that it won't be Garfield and that this new agreement marks a new Spider-Man with a new direction. Yet, if that is the case, is the viewing public really ready for a third attempt at Spider-Man? Though, this new Web-Head would have the advantage of being able to hang with Daredevil and get an internship from Tony Stark, it still sets up the question, "Are we are risking Spider-Man whip-lash?" After all, do we want to see another Green Goblin storyline or another Lizard or Electro or Venom... Scratch that I would like to see another attempt made at Venom... But the point remains that the new MCU Spider-Man is not going to be some hit and run hero that gets a five minute cameo in the Avengers and we never see again. He will have at least one more stand-alone movie. So how do we keep him fresh?

The most obvious and exciting prospect is a boy named Miles Morales. For anyone not in the know, Miles is Spider-man in Marvel's Ultimate Universe after Peter Parker dies. Now I'm not suggesting that we kill of Garfield onscreen to be replaced by Donald Glover, (but I'm also not not suggesting that either.) His origins can be changed, but Marvel, Sony, and comics in general have found themselves struggling with ideas of diversity in characters. This is a great opportunity to bring that issue to the forefront. Yes, Black Panther is coming, but T'Challa is an African prince from a distant land. Miles Morales is a kid from a poor neighborhood of New York City. Which one do you think is more representative of the American experience? And choosing the racially diverse Morales over the very white Parker would go a long way to cementing people's faith in Marvel and its properties. Yes, there would be people who would raise an outcry, but Peter Parker has had five movies, two good, one okay, and two bad. Maybe its time to give someone else a turn in the batters box.

Unfortunately, as much as I think this is the direction that Marvel should go, I have doubts it will happen. Peter Parker has too much name recognition. So what do we do with him in his next movie? Most obviously, drop the damn Origin story, especially if it is a new actor. If I had a nickle every time I saw Uncle Ben get shot, I could buy a modestly priced Tesla car. We all know where and when Spider-Man came from. There is no good reason to rehash it again. Also put "With great power come great responsibility" back in to the movie. I know Sam Rami used to to death, but it's a personal pet peeve of mine that it got taken out in the Garfield version... So really I'm just asking that you make me, alone, happy. Is that too much to ask? (Waiting on that call.)

Next, do something new and exciting with the next Spider-Man movie. If its going to be set in the MCU, than really go with it. If we stick with Garfield, I would be interested in seeing a third movie that is about him coping with becoming an Avenger or dealing with whatever just happened in Civil War. Or tell a movie that is half flashbacks to Spider-Man's involvement in the Chitauri Invasion from the first Avengers movie. We know Spider-Man wasn't directly involved in the main battle, but what if he spent the invasion saving people or battling an escaped villain on the peripheral for the invasion. A storyline like that would help cement Spider-Man into the MCU, and may even allow the chance to bring Garfield's already established storyline into the larger universe.

If we don't stick with Garfield, I would still like to see a movie set in the larger universe. So maybe we don't want to use Green Goblin, but what if Norman Osborn does something that tricks the Hulk into rampaging through New York City. Spider-Man would have to stop him, which is an incredibly daunting task for a superhero that is still basically a teenager. It would also allow Marvel to get the Hulk into another movie (something they have wanted to do for years.) This would be a perfect way to put a fresh spin on a Spider-Man movie without dipping into what is left of the lower-level Spider-Man cadre of villains. (If we are forced to sit through a movie version of Shocker or Vulture, I don't know if I could take it.)

Lastly, there also remains the question of how will Spider-Man first appear in the MCU. It has been confirmed that we will get a cameo or a glimpse of him in a Marvel property before we see him in his own stand alone movie. Yet, that could mean almost anything. Does that mean he will be the stinger at the end of Avengers: Age of Ultron? Does it mean he will take the place of Black Panther as a main character in Captain America: Civil War, (which would be a blow for Panther, but in all fairness it was his role to begin with, and it would be a really good way to put him front and center in the MCU,) or will it be in something else or in some other way? I do believe that the manner and way in which he is introduced will set the tone for his involvement (heavy or light) in the MCU, but I suppose only time will tell.

It seems almost surreal this is actually happening, especially considering Joss Whedon was almost crucified by lawyers when he tried to even hide a hint of the Oscorp building in the New York skyline in Avengers. However, this is very good and it is coming at the right time for both companies. Sony is in desperate need. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a flop and put them back in the same place they were after Rami's Spider-Man 3. The fact that they are willing to share will put a lot of fan faith back in the studio. 

As for Marvel, they are going stronger than ever, but we can see the horizon and there are some concerns. With contracts for Downey, Evans, Hemsworth, and their other big name stars set to expire the MCU will soon be losing their tent-pole heroes. So how does the Marvel Universe exist after Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor disappear? The answer will be a mixture of carrying on those mantles in other ways. I am almost positive there will be a new Captain America after Evans. Iron Man may hang around as the old man of the universe, but it won't be the same. This is where the potential for Spider-Man is so impressive. He has always been the big Marvel character, but has faded from glory over the past decade as the company has focused more on their own properties and heroes and shined the light away from him, due to the Sony conflict. Yet, in many ways he is still the main-man. He still has the kind of star power that Marvel is going to need to keep them moving beyond that Infinity War threshold. Introducing him now could represent the passing of the torch from the Big 3 back to our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man and the continuation of this shared universe they have created.