When Marvel Studios’ new Spider-Man arrives next year in Captain America: Civil War — played by newly cast British actor Tom Holland — it’ll be the third time the character has been given a new introduction to moviegoers in less than fifteen years. After his appearance in Civil War, he’ll be spun off into his own series once again, with director Jon Watts at the helm.
So just what is going to be the difference between this version of Spidey and the previous two versions to truly set it apart, aside from the fact that he lives in the Cinematic Marvel Universe? At the press junket for Ant-Man, Marvel’s Kevin Feige said that this version of Peter Parker would take inspiration from the ’80s teen movies from director/producer John Hughes, the man behind classics like The Breakfast Club, Sixteen Candles, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and Pretty in Pink.
According to Feige, “It’s the soap opera in high school, and those supporting characters that are interesting; We haven’t seen a John Hughes[–style] movie in a long time … we’re inspired by him, and merging that with the superhero genre in a way we haven’t done before excites us.” Merging genres has been key to Marvel Studios’ success, as many of their movies are mash-ups: Winter Soldier was a political thriller, while Guardians of the Galaxy was a space opera, Thor a fantasy film, etc.
Certainly there’s room in the whole Spider-Man mythology to go the John Hughes route; in the comics, aside from Peter, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Harry Osborn, there are other players in the ensemble cast, like Ned Leeds, Liz Allan, Debra Whitman, and even Flash Thompson — who eventually outgrew the role of high school bully and became a fully fledged character in his own right. Almost none of these characters have had much (or any) screen time in either the Sam Raimi series or the recent Mark Webb movies, and would be perfect to be reimagined in a John Hughes style high school setting.
What do you think of mashing up Spider-Man with the a John Hughes style aesthetic? Is it a no-brainer, or would you rather Marvel go in a different, more adult direction? Let us know in the comments below!
HT: Birth.Movies.Death via VultureÂ
