Spider-Man: The New Avenger - What We Know

Marvel and Sony's upcoming reboot of Spider-Man might have a title, and it might be Spider-Man: The New Avenger. As the title suggests, this new Spider-Man is likely going to play a major part than a quick cameo in The Avengers and Marvel Phase 3, despite still being produced by Sony, not Disney.

According to Kevin Fergie, the head of Marvel, this new Spidey flick will forgo the origin story, yet it will still be heavily set in high school with a teenage Peter Parker. My initial reaction was excitement because a teenage Peter Parker has been attempted in the previous films, but never really worked since both Tobey MaGuire and Andrew Garfield were both in their mid to late twenties. However, after thinking about it, will a young Peter Parker work? Unlike Captain America or Iron Man, Spider-Man has always appealed to the younger 16-25 demographic, and it I wonder if the film will attempt to appeal to said younger demographic. Often times, casting a teenage actor automatically makes certain people think the film is intended for a specific younger demographic, thus cutting off potential viewers. For example, while my father enjoys the MCU and X-Men films, he has never cared for Spider-Man nearly as much. My fear is that the film will gear towards the younger audience in tone, and the potential directors for the project do not invoke any confidence. 

Drew Goddard was originally slated to direct the Sinister Six film, which is what made him the obvious choice to direct Spider-Man. With writing/directing credits like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cabin in the Woods, and the recent Daredevil Netflix series (a review coming soon) as the lead writer, he should be the perfect choice. However, according to IGN.com, the directors in the running for the project are: "Jonathan Levine (50/50, Warm Bodies), Ted Melfi (St. Vincent), Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect), John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein (Vacation), and Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre)." From the list of directors, they seem to be aiming for the younger audience, which is exactly what scares me! If Drew Goddard combines his Daredevil world with Spider-Man's lighthearted tone, the results could be amazing, but I will save my thoughts on what they should do for when we know more. 

They have also said that they are going for a "John Hughes" like tone, and while Hughes' films like The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Planes, Trains and Automobiles are all considered classics, I just do not like the idea of a John Hughes type take on Spider-Man. 

As for potential acting candidates, they include, "Nat Wolff (The Fault in Our Stars,Paper Towns), Asa Butterfield (Ender's Game, Hugo), Tom Holland (The Impossible), Timothee Chalamet (Homeland) and Liam James (The Way, Way Back)." Other than Butterfield, I have not seen any of them, so I can't say much, but the lesser known actors usually work the best.

Other than that, we know that the film for certain is that it will be released on July 27, 2017. I will surely be there to watch yet another adaptation of my favorite webslinger.

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