Superhero films are no longer Hollywood’s coin of the realm. Video game-based films are a safer bet — think the “Super Mario” franchise, “A Minecraft Movie,” and the “Sonic the Hedgehog” saga.
Even “Superman,” the most consequential hero in the comic book canon, didn’t deliver the box office bounty as expected last year.
Yet a certain wall-crawler defies this pop culture trend.
“Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” set to open July 31, just reached the best first-day presales figures since 2021, according to Deadline. The film’s latest trailer, released June 17, teased fellow superheroes (like the Hulk) and pointed to yet another summer blockbuster.
Spidey crushed the competition with 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” which earned nearly $2 billion worldwide. The fourth installment in the series may not make that much money, but it’ll prove we still have a soft spot for Lycra-clad heroes.
Why does Spider-Man endure?
We’ll start with Stan Lee. The Marvel Comics maestro cracked the superhero code in his early days, understanding that flawed, relatable heroes matter more than invincible ones.
Spider-Man’s alter ego, Peter Parker, was a picked-upon teen who pined for the girl of his dreams, Mary Jane, and struggled to make ends meet. His boss barked at him at The Daily Bugle, his schoolmates bullied him, and the world took away his parents at an early age.
A radioactive spider bite changed everything, at least on paper. He was still the sweet, insecure kid deep down. That’s true in both the comics and on the big screen.
Tobey Maguire’s “Spider-Man” (2002) found the web-slinger struggling to woo his beloved Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst), even though he could have spilled his secret and potentially won her over in a super way.
His innate decency wouldn’t allow it. And he knew it also might put her life in jeopardy.
Credit Hollywood’s casting gurus for finding the right Spideys at the right time. Maguire nailed the character’s naive approach and Everyman status. Andrew Garfield, his immediate successor, conveyed a similar sense of unease while slowly growing into his skills over two “Amazing Spider-Man” movies.
Tom Holland effortlessly took the baton, and his aw-shucks shtick from “Captain America: Civil War” gave the film endless highlights. His Spidey even read his frenemies their Miranda rights during that film’s epic battle royale.
Would any other hero approach a fight in that fashion? In a way, Spidey is one of us — uncomfortable with being a hero.
If anything, Spider-Man getting the girl in the recent films could prove problematic. We love him a wee bit more when he’s pining for the girl of his dreams, not swinging from rooftop to rooftop with her by his side.
That’s why the big moment at the end of “No Way Home,” where Doctor Strange causes Zendaya’s MJ to forget all about her beau, sets “Brand New Day” up in a satisfying manner.
It also helps that the “Spider-Man” film series never went woke. Sony technically holds the keys to the webbed character’s cinematic kingdom, but it pairs with Disney’s MCU to bring him to screens.
While Disney movies like “Eternals” and “The Marvels” pushed a progressive agenda, the “Spider-Man” saga focused on the fun. That meant no awkward gender swaps or forced same-sex subplots. Zendaya’s MJ isn’t technically the classic character from the comics and big-screen adaptations. Her nickname was a tip of the cap to the source material.
Her MJ shared a few woke asides in 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” her first feature as the character. That’s where it started and ended, and she sounded like too many Gen Z types anyway. No lectures, no clunky messages beyond the hero’s signature wisdom, shared by Uncle Ben: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Even the animated “Spider-Verse” movies have avoided woke flourishes and maintained their cinematic excellence. The visuals from the first two installments — and a third has been delayed until 2027 — set a very high bar at a time when CGI animation is routinely stunning.
Embracing the Miles Morales arc of the Spidey universe expanded the film’s appeal to a broader audience without detracting from the character’s core traits. So did the recent “Spider-Noir” Prime Video series, giving the web crawler a neo-noir edge.
Credit also goes to the minds behind the recent “Spider-Man” live-action films.
The saga’s newest iteration has felt organic in a way that has eluded both “Star Wars” and the once-mighty MCU. We’re watching Peter Parker grow up, establish his personal boundaries, and realize his full potential.
The aforementioned franchises felt as if they were being assembled on the fly, with no overarching plan. The saga also found a way to shake up the formula without losing audiences.
Consider the loss of Aunt May (Marisa Tomei) in “No Way Home.” Her death allowed Peter Parker to grieve a loved one in powerful ways. Yes, this saga is full of humor and heart, but it’s also achingly human.
Holland recently nominated Owen Cooper, 16, of “Adolescence” fame, to take over as the next Spider-Man. That change is inevitable, given the character’s enduring popularity and Spider-Man’s creative DNA. Peter Parker should be a youthful figure. It’s part of his appeal and distinctive persona.
At 30, Holland is getting a little long in the tooth to be playing a college student — even if he looks young enough to pull it all off.
Either way, Spider-Man isn’t the mightiest Avenger, let alone the toughest superhero. He’s still able to put fannies in seats better than any other costumed crusader.
Long may he swing.
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Christian Toto is an award-winning journalist, movie critic, and editor of HollywoodInToto.com. He previously served as associate editor with Breitbart News’ Big Hollywood. He’s also the host of The Hollywood in Toto Podcast. Follow him at @HollywoodInToto.
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