Thoughts on Marc Webb's Spider-Man Reboot

By Aaron Ting

Marc Webb's Spidey reboot is looking better and better, and with the first official photo of the new Spider-Man making its way around the internet, I felt it was a good time to offer my thoughts on the new film. First, The casting selections have been top notch:

• Andrew Garfield (The Social Network) is a superb choice for Peter Parker. While I recognize there are plenty of Tobey Maguire fans out there, I firmly believe Garfield's casting is somewhat more faithful to Stan Lee's original vision of Peter Parker. With Garfield as Peter, I think we'll get a more sincere sensitivity, a more believable genius intellect, and most importantly - a Spider-Man who is finally a wisecracking smart-ass when he's got the mask on. 
• Here's the real pair of choices that I applaude: Martin Sheen and Sally Field as Uncle Ben and Aunt May. I cannot think of better choices to capture Uncle Ben's gentle and inspirational demeanor and Aunt May's feisty independence and motherly affection. I can't wait to hear Sheen whisper "With great power..."

• Emma Stone and Denis Leary as Gwen Stacy and Police Captain Stacy. I'm really glad that Gwen Stacy is the initial love interest in this reboot; Greg Weisman and his Spectacular Spider-Man cartoon gave us a brilliant re-imagining of Gwen's role in the Spidey mythology, and I'm thrilled to see this idea invade other mediums' portrayals of Spider-Man. Denis Leary is an excellent choice for the weathered-but-principled Captain Stacey.

The first released photo reveals some interesting tidbits:

• First, the photo supports the statements from director Webb that the tone of these films is going to be a little more grim and troubled than the previous films. Hopefully he's able to preserve the upbeat tone of the character - for all the tragedy that surrounds him, Spider-Man should be having fun when he's web-slinging and thwarting petty crooks.
• The costume itself is much more organic and eerie, and the use of a backpack reinforces this depiction as a more youthful high-school Spidey. 
• Most importantly, if you look closely, you can spot the web shooters on his wrists. This may be a controversial choice; fans of the comics will likely be glad to see web shooters make it into the film, but Raimi fans may appreciate the simplicity gained by Raimi's choice to have webbing be one of Peter's spider-powers.

Overall, I'm little worried that Marc Webb might go slightly overboard on the grim and angst. However, his casting and specific adaptation choices reflect a great deal of thoughtfulness and careful consideration, and for now, I'll hold out hope that this much more somber Spidey movie will still star an incredibly fun Spider-Man.