Spider-Man: On My Way Home

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, which premiered in theaters on December 17th 2021, managed to break new ground for the Marvel Cinematic Universe and tether all the various types of Marvel fans together for an extremely endearing two hours and twenty-eight minutes. Being a Spider-Man fan my whole life, I was highly anticipating this film's release. Sitting in the audience that night with my sister, surrounded by strangers, I knew what was coming. But I had never fully comprehended how emotional the experience would make me. As the credits for ‘No Way Home’ rolled, I realized that the tether it had used to bring us all together was the same neat little bow the film used to complete something like sixteen years of my life. It felt nice to be whole, that tiny feeling of homesickness which I’d been harboring for the two universes previously canceled was finally cured, but the overwhelming feeling that I had grown up was a lot for me to deal with. It sounds silly and it probably is but when the movie ended, I was thinking about being that little girl who would watch ‘Spider-Man 3’ on bad days to distract herself and I didn’t want it to be over. This character who I’ve leaned on to get through bad days as a child, to deal with my growing anxieties as a teenager, and to find solace during my struggles with mental health as a young adult…each incarnation was together on the big screen. Years in the making, it came to this one point…an all-encompassing display of growth. I feel very lucky to have had the experience I did with Spider-Man, as I think it was truly the best little adventure.

Growing up my older brother was very into comics and all things Marvel & DC, so you can pretty much imagine how I became interested. He taught me a lot about these characters and it was enough for me to become curious on my own. Right away, Spider-Man was my favorite for a lot of the same reasons he has consistently been one of the most beloved characters. A young boy (no man’s side-kick) who felt grounded and relatable. He was kind, a little socially anxious, showed a vulnerability that most other male superheroes didn’t at the time, and he made mistakes because he was only around fifteen years old. I have always loved endearing myself to characters so I wasted no time attaching myself to him, even as a child. I had other favorites (Daredevil babbbyyy) but I thought of Peter as my soul Marvel character (you can learn a bit more about ‘Soul Characters’ in my previous article here). Now, I was 2 years old when Tobey first hit the screens as ‘Spider-Man’ so, obviously I wasn't comprehending feature films at the time. I’d say the magic began around mid-2005 when I turned six years old.

The original three Spider-Man movies consumed my childhood and were the only Superhero movies I needed in my life. What made Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of ‘Spider-Man’ (Directed by the amazing, Sam Raimi) so special was that for all three films, the villains were incredibly personal and not just to Peter himself but to the audience as well. These were characters we desperately didn’t want to turn on Peter; His best friends Father, a Mentor, a formerly incarcerated Father, his best friend, and the ever relatable jerk from work. Tobey managed to act his ass off in each film and I may be in the minority with this one but ‘Spider-Man 3’ happens to be my favorite. It was the first movie experience I had where themes of Mental Health conflicts were presented to me in a way that meant something to me, being that I was seven at the time of its release. I think ushering in topics of Mental Health early on in childhood is a wonderful idea and ‘Spider-Man 3’ gives the audience a Peter Parker (a character we’ve loved for two previous films & truly know is a good man) struggling against an evil inside of himself while having to fight his own best friend…that hits. The original ‘Spider-Man’ trilogy was full of heart, fear, relatability and true love for the character. I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for having the chance to grow up with & learn from it.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’, premiered in 2012 when I was sort of becoming a teenager, about to turn thirteen years old and very defensive over Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. I remember not wanting to even see the movie because it wouldn’t be the same but of course, I saw a trailer and was eating my words just a few months later. Andrew Garfield was dynamic in a new way and really brought the snarky teenager hiding behind the mask to life. Because I was in my early teenage years, I became far too obsessed. The idea of introducing Gwen first was something I found intriguing because I knew it would only end in sadness and I was an angsty teen, ok? Andrew & Emma Stone gave me the little bit of something I’d missed in Sam Raimi’s trilogy; a love story that I cared about and actively mourned when I left the theater for 2014’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’. I was getting into my big MCU phase and being that Spider-Man was (and still is) my favorite, I was ecstatic when I heard they were pulling him in only to crash back down when Andrew was left in the dust.

I was a pissed off little teenager when that news came out but just like the transition between Tobey to Andrew…I found my happiness again. In 2016, I was in my health class when the ‘Captain America: Civil War’ trailer dropped. I immediately watched it because there were rumors that Spider-Man was gonna show up. I didn't want to get my hopes up BUT THEN THAT ENDING SCENE....I thought I was going to burst with joy!! A character that meant SO much to me was finally gonna be in the shared universe. I still remember that exact feeling of excitement and love!! I grew up with this character and had waited for this!! It may not be Tobey or Andrew but it was still Peter and he was young again, ready for more pain. Tom Holland embodied the best of both the previous Spider-Men and portrayed Peter with great vulnerability. ‘Homecoming’ & ‘Far From Home’ were amazing experiences for me. This Peter had a lot of new & revamped character relationships (Tony Stark, The Avengers, Aunt May, Mysterio, etc.) that really hit me. Before I go on to the last live action ‘Spider-Man’ film to hit theaters, there’s another movie I want to talk about.

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse’ came out in 2018 and did not mess around. I love all the Spider-Man movies. They each mean something different & are very special to me. It’s hard for me to pick my favorite. However, I just wanna say, 'Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse' is the spirit of the Spider-Man comics. The visuals, of course, show this well with the amazing comic to screen look. BUT it’s not just that. The movie just feels like reading a comic on the floor of your living room on a Saturday afternoon. The excitement of these different characters + the dynamic they create is very familiar and comforting. I felt all of those same feelings watching that film as I did when I actually did read all my Spider-Man comics on my bedroom floor. PLUS, it really shows off my favorite part of Spider-Man as a hero which is that anyone can be Spider-Man as long as you’re pure of heart. That’s what made him the best superhero. You don’t get that same feeling with heroes like Superman. But with Spider-Man, you do! He’s just a kid who thought he could help. That could be anyone! This movie does an excellent job of showing that. Spider-Man is more than just Peter Parker. It’s Miles, It’s Peni, It’s Porker, It’s Gwen, & It’s you! “I never thought I’d be able to do any of this stuff. But I can. Anyone can wear the mask. You can wear the mask. If you didn’t know that before, I hope you do now.” (Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Daniel Pemberton, and Kier Lehman. SPIDER-MAN INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE . USA, 2018). What a line!! That just perfectly sums up what Spider-Man is as a character and what he means to people.

‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’, the last film to come out, was everything I wanted and more. Throwing it back to the old Spidey days of Tobey, giving us themes of rehabilitation and the struggles within ourselves. Aunt May truly being the powerhouse behind that idea because she saw Norman Osborn for who he was, a man who needed help. The fact that she taught Peter the same lesson; ‘With great power, comes great responsibility’ in a refreshingly new way by her insistence that as a hero, he owed each ‘villain’ the chance for growth & healing before sending them back to death. And not only is this a hallmark of great writing and understanding for ‘Spider-Man’ but it is also a relevant & meaningful message for the audience. We got to hear that Tobey’s Peter had been thinking about ways he could’ve done better by his ‘villains’ all these years since we last saw him. We heard Andrew’s Peter giving heartfelt praise for Max Dillon and we saw Tom’s Peter learn from them. Seeing Tom turn the tables on Doctor Strange to show him that believing in rehabilitation isn’t a lost cause for anyone was especially satisfying. Alfred Molina really hammers that lesson in once the audience (and Tobey) see him begin to mentally recover. Willem Defoe should win an Oscar, I swear. The way his face can turn on a dime. We saw Norman in his eyes, begging for help and genuinely cowering in fear only to have him stomped out by the Green Goblin.

In summary: I’m very thankful that I had a different Spider-Man for each stage of my life. Who’s your favorite to take on the mask?