Thanks to IGN because now we have the most updated and reliable list of things to expect on the Spider-Man reboot! You can enjoy reading them below.
The basics of this reboot film have been revealed now. Marc Webb ([500] Days of Summer) will direct the film, with Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) playing Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Emma Stone (Easy A) playing Gwen Stacy, and Rhys Ifans (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) playing Dr. Curt Connors/The Lizard. The movie is slated for release on July 3, 2012.
However, beyond these details and a handful of other casting announcements, fans don’t know much about this reboot. Many significant questions remain. Exactly when in Peter Parker’s career will the film take place? Is this going to be another origin story? Can we expect other villains or allies to enter the fray?
As we did with X-Men: First Class a few months ago, we’re exploring these mysteries in a new installment of Burning Questions. We’ve broken the Spider-Man reboot down into a series of questions that need answering. In each case, we examine what we know, what the comics have to say on the subject, and what burning questions still need answering.
And be sure to let us know your own questions, thoughts, and theories on this hotly anticipated movie by posting the comments section below.
Another Origin Story?
What we know: The Spider-Man reboot is set to feature a slightly younger Peter Parker than the one seen in the previous two Spider-Man sequels. The hero will likely be either in high school or college, putting him in line with the Peter see in the first Spider-Man. The film’s new continuity will restart from the early days of Spidey’s career and will not have any connection to Sam Raimi’s trilogy.
What’s in the comics: When Spider-Man debuted in Amazing Fantasy #15, he was a 15-year-old high school student who was bitten by a radioactive spider. After the death of his Uncle Ben, Peter learned that with great power must come great responsibility. The basics of that origin haven’t changed over the years as Spidey has expanded to other comic book continuities and other forms of media.
What we want to know: Spider-Man has quickly risen to become one of the most popular and recognizable superheroes in the world over the past decade. With the previous movie trilogy still fresh in the minds of most moviegoers, is it necessary for Sony to retread the origin story? Will the movie focus as much on Peter Parker’s beginnings as the first Spider-Man did, or will it jump into his story after Spider-Man has become established? Will the movie follow the example of Incredible Hulk and provide a brief recounting of the origin during the credit sequence before quickly moving forward? And if the origin story does factor heavily into the script, can viewers expect any significant changes to be made to the familiar formula?
What’s my age again?
What we know: Sony has indicated it wants a slightly younger cast of characters for this reboot. Initially the studio indicated the new film would be set during Peter Parker’s high school days. However, more recent rumors suggest the setting may have shifted towards college instead. These rumors are supported by the fact that lead actor Andrew Garfield is 27-years-old and may face difficulty in convincingly portraying a much younger Peter Parker. On the other hand, Emma Stone’s recent role in Easy A proves a high school setting isn’t entirely out of the question.
What’s in the comics: Both the traditional Spider-Man and the version seen in Ultimate Spider-Man debuted as high schoolers. But whereas Ultimate Peter Parker has aged only about a year in comic book time and remains a high schooler, the Peter of Amazing Spider-Man has long since graduated and is roughly in his mid twenties in the current comics.
What we want to know: Will this new continuity take place during Peter’s high school or college years? Furthermore, will subsequent sequels remain fixed in this timeline, or will the characters regularly age as they did in the previous films? If this reboot opens in Peter’s college years, will it alter his origin so that he doesn’t gain his powers in high school, but instead starts his career as Spidey concurrently with the events of the film?
What kind of Lizard?
What we know: Rhys Ifans has been cast as Dr. Curt Connors, the scientist and professor who morphs int The Lizard. Unlike Dylan Baker’s version of Connors seen in the previous films, the character will transform into his villainous alter ego this time.
What’s in the comics: Curt Connors frequently serves as both a mentor to Peter Parker and an ally to Spider-Man in the comics. Like several of Spidey’s main villains, Connors is something of a father figure to the fatherless hero, at least when he isn’t stalking innocent humans from the sewers as The Lizard. His Jekyll & Hyde-esque transformation was the result of an attempt to use reptilian genes to regenerate his amputated arm. The Lizard is rarely portrayed as a malevolent villain, but merely the unfortunate byproduct of a misguided experiment.
What we want to know: The primary question here is how heavy a role Lizard will play in the film. Is he the central villain, or will he be joined by another character? Because of his mindless nature, Lizard can’t easily be molded to fit the “evil mastermind” role that past villains like Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus did. Will Sony take a page from Batman Begins and have Lizard act as a subservient villain to another character, as Scarecrow did to Ra’s al Ghul?
Any More Villains?
What we know: Lizard is the only villain confirmed for the movie so far. However, it’s become more and more common for comic book movies to use two or three major villains in tandem. Vague rumors suggest that Sony wants to have another go with Venom, and even that Venom’s successor Carnage is being considered. Meanwhile, Vulture was strongly rumored to be the primary villain in the now-canceled Spider-Man 4. Just as Scarecrow was once planned to headline a fifth Batman movie before WB rebooted that franchise, plans for Vulture could very well have been shifted to this new Spider-Man project. Green Goblin is conspicuously absent for now, perhaps because Sony doesn’t wish to retread all the villains of the original trilogy.
What’s in the comics: Spider-Man certainly has a history of tangling with multiple villains at once. He frequently battles a gathering of his foes known as the Sinister Six. As for Norman Osborn, he and his costumed alter ego debuted separately, and it was several years before readers learned they were one and the same. It’s possible Sony could introduce Osborn here but save his transformation until a future sequel.
Ultimate Spider-Man, meanwhile, has worked to tie together the origins of several major villains. In that continuity, Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus were both created in the same laboratory accident. Meanwhile, Curt Connors inadvertently created the Ultimate version of Carnage from Peter’s own blood. The rumors of Carnage’s appearance in this reboot may not be so unrealistic if the screenwriters are useing that storyline as inspiration.
What we want to know: Once again, how central is The Lizard to the conflict of the film? Is there room for more than one villain in the plot? Will we see other villains introduced now in preparation for larger roles in future installments?
Supporting Cast?
What we know: Emma Stone has been cast as Gwen Stacy (not Mary Jane, as previously believed). Gwen will serve as a friend and potential love interest for Peter. A new rumor indicates that Mary Jane will not appear in the reboot at all, and that Gwen will serve as the sole love interest for Peter. No word has surfaced on the potential inclusion of other friends and allies from Peter’s early years, such as fellow high school students Liz Allen and Flash Thompson or best friend Harry Osborn.
What’s in the comics: Gwen Stacy appearing before Mary Jane in Peter’s life has precedent. MJ didn’t become a strong force in Peter’s life until after Gwen’s death at the hands of the Green Goblin. Amazing Spider-Man had a somewhat smaller cast of supporting characters until Peter entered college, at which point Gwen an Harry became recurring stars.
In Ultimate Spider-Man, however, MJ, Gwen, and Harry are a part of Peter’s life early on. Peter and MJ are close friends as of the first issue, and the hero also had a warm, if somewhat awkward, relationship with Harry. Gwen entered the series after a few months in comic book time, and she and MJ have been rivals for Peter’s affections ever since. As in the original comics, Liz Allen and Flash Thompson appear as minor characters, initially antagonistic to Peter but gradually more friendly over time.
What we want to know: How much of Peter’s supporting cast and circle of friends can fans expect to appear in this reboot? Does the absence of Mary Jane and the lack of word on Harry indicate again that the story will be set in high school? Or will the filmmakers mix and math characters to suit the story as comics like Ultimate Spider-Man and TV shows like Spectacular Spider-Man have done?
Uncle Ben and Aunt May?
What we know: The reboot has its Aunt May and Uncle Ben. May will be played by Sally Field, while Martin Sheen has been cast as Ben. Both casting choices are notable in that they suggest May and Ben will be portrayed as slightly younger than they were in the previous films.
What’s in the comics: Peter was adopted by his aunt and uncle as a young child following the deaths of his parents. May and Ben were far older than their relatives and were more like grandparents to Peter. In every incarnation of Spider-Man, Uncle Ben’s murder is the impetus for Spider-Man’s heroic career. Many of Peter’s struggles in the early years of Amazing Spider-Man involved supporting the frail, elderly May and providing her with much-needed heart medication. That portrayal of May has changed somewhat over the years. Though still shown as an elderly woman, she is now stronger and more independent than she one was.
Ultimate Spider-Man directly adjusted the ages of these two characters, casting them instead as middle-aged ex-hippies. In this series May is far more capable and competent than the original incarnation of the character, and also more centrally involved in Peter’s costumed career.
What we want to know: How will May and Ben be handled in the new film? Does Ben’s presence suggest that Spider-Man’s origin will be retold? Given Sheen’s status in Hollywood, it would seem unlikely that he was cast merely to appear in a handful of flashback sequences. Is it possible even that the filmmakers will break one of the fundamental laws of Spider-Man and not kill off Ben?
As for May, should fans expect a portrayal more in line with the original comics or the Ultimate version? At 64, Field seems slated for a slightly younger and more active May than Rosemary Harris’ interpretation in the previous movies.
An Ultimate Inspiration?
What we know: Ultimate Spider-Man appeared on the scene too late to have an impact on the development of the first Spider-Man film. However, it has had a clear influence on recent Spidey spinoffs, particularly the cartoon Spectacular Spider-Man and the recent video game Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. With this reboot featuring younger versions of the main cast, Ultimate Spider-Man is in a position to once again influence a new adaptation of the Spider-Man mythology.
Writer Brian Michael Bendis has even admitted to participating in talks with Sony representatives, though the same is true for many of Marvel’s recent movie projects. Ultimate Spider-Man is also closely influencing the new animated series of the same name. With Marvel now placing an emphasis on synergy between its movie and TV projects, this is one more piece of evidence that suggests this particular series is informing the development of Spidey’s Hollywood adventures.
What’s in the comics: Ultimate Spider-Man was the first result of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe imprint in 2000. The series aims to provide a cleaner, modernized, and more accessible take on the hero without the strain of decades of continuity. The series introduced a younger version of Peter still in high school, and the character has only gradually aged in the ten years since that first issue.
What we want to know: The previous trilogy of movies looked mainly to classic Spider-Man comics for inspiration. With Ultimate Spider-Man having left a significant impact on the character over the past decade, will it now extend its influence to Hollywood? Previous sections have examined various major and minor ways in which the Ultimate stories could be drawn upon. Is Sony doing this, or will Amazing Spider-Man once again serve as the framework. Or do the filmmakers have something entirely different in mind this time?
Any comment guys?
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