In the coming weeks, we will finally get to see Captain America: Civil War. It is exciting stuff: Iron Man against Captain America, brothers in arms fighting one another, all the heroes you know so well coming together for a no-holds-barred fight.
But who cares about that, SPIDER-MAN is in this movie too.
We have known for some time now that Spider-Man is going to be in Civil War (both from his appearance in the comic book source material and the trickling of information that Marvel has put out over the past year), but it wasn’t until recently that we got our first glance at the new Spidey at the end of the film’s most recent trailer. If you are like me, you have been watching those final 5 seconds of the trailer over and over again, analyzing everything about this newest iteration of the famous web-slinger.
From what I gathered from those 5 seconds, I think we have a game changer here. Civil War may be about the battle between Captain America and Iron Man, but I think it will be Spider-Man who comes out on top. Here’s a list of reasons why (possible spoilers ahead).
6. He’s Younger
If you thought Spider-Man’s voice at the end of the trailer saying “Hey everyone” sounded like a Spider-Boy (wrong universe) rather than a Spider-Man, then you are correct. This time around, Spider-Man will be played by 19-year old Tom Holland, most recently in Ron Howard‘s sea epic, In the Heart of the Sea (alongside Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth)
At 19, Holland is the youngest actor to portray Spidey yet (Andrew Garfield was 28, and Tobey Maguire was 26), so we will have an actor who truly looks the part of the of the young hero. This works especially well since the inspiration for this new version of Spider-Man comes from the Ultimate Spider-Man series, meaning a Spider-Man in his early years of high school.
This focus on a younger, fresh Spider-Man will prove to be a nice counterbalance to the aging superheroes (and actors) who we already know. I have no doubt we will all be interested in what else is happening in the life of the young hero by the time the credits roll.
5. No Origin Story!
As big a fan of Spider-Man as I am, I will admit that if I had to go through another Spider-Man origin story, I was going to jump into a vat of radioactive spiders. Lucky for all of us, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has decided to forgo the early part of the Spider-Man story and start us right in the middle of the web-slinging action.
No origin story means that we can focus more on the things we love about Spidey. Along with aerial acrobatics and hard-hitting fights, I fully expect a conversation between Tony Stark and Spider-Man filled to the brim with witty zingers and retorts.
This bodes well for the standalone Spider-Man coming out in 2017. Since we don’t have to slog through a whole entire film of spider bites, learning powers, and gaining confidence, Spider-Man is free to be the Spider-Man we know and love right from the get-go.
4. His Person Conflict is the Heart of the Civil War
Though full details of Spider-Man’s role in the the film haven’t been specified (other than that he is fighting on Iron Man’s side), one only needs to look at the comic book source material to see that Spider-Man plays a pivotal role in the war.
In the comics, Spider-Man (already a seasoned veteran in this story) starts fighting with Iron Man and the government, believing that Superhero Registration Act (SRA) is the right choice for the world. However, Spider-Man soon finds a darker side to Iron Man’s plan and switches over to Captain America’s front.
Spider-Man’s personal conflict as he finds out that saving the world isn’t simply black and white, is the heart of the story. That conflict, coupled together with the story of a young hero on the cusp of joining the big league superheroes, makes for cinematic fireworks.
3. His Adorkable Nature
If the recent Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has taught us anything (other than to stop trusting Zack Snyder), it is that going darker and grittier isn’t always the smartest choice. There is a nuance to the darkness, and as Batman v Superman proved, only Christopher Nolan really knows how to pull that off.
Conversely, the MCU found the right balance early on between comedy and action that has been the hallmark of all their films. Spider-Man, even outside of the movies, has always been a geeky, cute, fun character who also kicked butt. Now that we are going to have Spider-Man in the official MCU (the other Spider-Man films were solely Sony-produced and not part of the MCU), I feel we will finally get the lovably, dorky Peter Parker/Spider-Man that we really deserve, in the cinematic universe that he deserves to be in.
2. The Iron Spider Suit/Iron Man Fight
If either the Iron Spider Suit or the Iron Man/Spider-Man fight make it into Civil War, it is going to be the first thing anyone tells to their friends when they walk out of the theaters. This is because in the comics, they are some of the most memorable moments.
The Iron Spider Suit, made by Tony Stark, is given to Spider-Man when he fights alongside Team Iron Man and becomes their poster boy. The new suit, with all types of technological advances (including Doc Octopus-like arms) turns Spider-Man into a veritable war machine. The suit makes Spider-Man nearly unstoppable as he fights for Team Iron Man.
That is, until he has to fight Iron Man. Everyone is already excited about Captain America and Iron Man coming to blows, but I’m hoping we get the actual best fight from the comics: Iron Suit Spider Man vs. Iron Man. It is a red and gold explosion of epic proportions that, even on paper, is breath-taking.
1. He Already Has Stolen It
Who am I kidding, though? Spider-Man doesn’t need the above reasons to steal the movie, he already has stolen it. Spider-Man was only in the Civil War trailer for 5 seconds, and the world reacted like it was the Second Coming. This is a superhero we have seen in 5 films already (3 good ones, 2 garbage ones), and yet we we can’t get enough of it. Team Cap or Team Iron Man? Nah, I’m Team Spidey all the way. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to re-watch the end of the Civil War trailer again.
What do you think? Am I getting too excited over the new Spider-Man? Or are we in store for the best cinematic version of Spidey yet? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!