Unhatched Observations: Spider-Man

It’s that time again—looking over some of my old posts about a story with Big Neurodivergent Energy and realizing how it resonated with me as an “unhatched” autistic ADHDer. Today, we’re looking at Spider-Man, mostly MCU with a dash of The Amazing Spider-Man. ADHD-coded (and maybe autistic-coded?) Peter Parker, how I love you! Plus, bonus autistic-coded MJ! For what it’s worth, Miles Morales reads as ADHD to me too—what is it with these teenage superheroes?—but my old posts on the Spider-Verse don’t really highlight those traits.

 

Favorite Characters: Peter Parker (The Amazing Spider-Man)

[Peter is] prone to impulsive decisions, he can be stubborn and immature, and his emotions can get the better of him.  […]  He gets distracted by his love life, and when he’s disheartened, his mind can go into “I don’t know what to do!” overdrive, heightened by the trademark Great Responsibility that comes with his Great Power.

***

He’s a genuine smart cookie, designing his web shooters among other techie gizmos (some apropos of nothing—I love the mechanical lock rigged up for his bedroom door,) taking a frequently analytical approach to solving his superhero problems, and just generally being enthusiastic about knowledge, calculations, and experimentation.  He uses his webs to get around and to immobilize baddies, of course, but he also uses them creatively and intelligently to accomplish a variety of goals; I really like how he sets up a network of webs to search for the Lizard in the first movie, along with the relation between webs and electric conductivity with Electro in the second.

 

Spider-Man: Homecoming

[Tom Holland’s] youth makes the “teenage” part of this teenage superhero really hit home.  We get so used to seeing 25-year-olds play high schoolers that whenever an actor who’s even 18 or 19 comes along to play a teen, it’s astounding how young they are.  And that’s Holland’s Spidey all over.  Whether it’s his awkwardness around girls, his short attention span, or his helpless fear when he really gets in over his head, this Spidey feels genuine in a way that his predecessors, despite their own merits, can’t manage.

 

Favorite Characters: Peter Parker a.k.a. Spider-Man (MCU)

His awkward teenage problems, like running into his crush in the hallway or getting himself stuck in detention, feel genuine, as does his dorky enthusiasm at all the cool superhero stuff he can do – I love the moments where he’s geeking out with Ned over himself.  This Spidey is every inch a teenager, and that’s reflected in how he agonizes over whether he should investigate bad guys or hang out with a cute girl.  How he makes lame excuses to his aunt and talks himself into doing really ill-advised things.  How he debates the merits of using the suit to impress girls.  How he races into things without thinking and then suddenly realizes he’s going to need a plan when he gets there.

This is a Spider-Man who’s still rough around the edges.  He gets himself in over his head, he sometimes blunders into situations where he doesn’t belong, and he has no idea what to do when he’s in the suburbs and doesn’t have any tall buildings to attach webs to. 

 

Favorite Characters: MJ

I like that she randomly hangs out in detention (despite not having detention herself) because she “[likes] drawing people in crisis,” and I love that she’s the only kid who doesn’t tour the Washington Monument when the Academic Decathlon team goes to D.C. because she doesn’t want to celebrate something that was built by slaves. Throughout the movie, lots of little moments add up to give her a glimpse of who she is: someone frank, someone deadpan, someone observant, and someone a little bit dark.

***

Not to mention, she doesn’t miss a trick. As Peter works up the courage to tell her that he likes her, she assumes he’s going to tell her his other secret, the one she’s already (mostly) figured out: the fact that he’s Spider-Man. Maybe MJ initially started watching Peter because she had a crush on him, but the things she saw while doing that led her to a correct supposition, and while she wasn’t convinced, she was sure enough to say it out loud to him. That takes a gift for observation, some good deduction skills, and the ballsiness to actually run with what probably seemed at first like a ludicrous theory.

 

A Few Thoughts on Peter Parker (Spider-Man: No Way Home)

Tom [Holland’s Peter] is the youngest, prone to impulsive/excitable dumb decisions but still a kid with a decent head on his shoulders, one who desperately wants to do what’s right and feels the heavy weight of that responsibility when things go wrong.

 

Relationship Spotlight: MJ & Peter

We also see that she’s tuned into Peter in a way that a lot of the other kids aren’t: since becoming Spider-Man, he’s given up most of his extracurriculars, a fact that only she picks up on. She puts it down to her observant nature, rather than any personal investment she has in him, but the lady doth protest too much.

***

It’s cute that he very specifically likes her weirdness, planning to get her a dahlia necklace, which is her favorite flower “because of the murders.”

 

The Amazing Spider-Man: Edge of Spider-Verse (2014)

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this comic-book volume.  All I really knew going in was that it featured the debut of Spider-Gwen, a character I’ve heard about and am interested in getting into.  While Spider-Man itself is a comic franchise too long and entangled for me to start exploring too much, I did enjoy the stories collected here.

The basic premise is that some interdimensional baddie is trolling the multiverse for Spider-Men, trying to take out incarnations of the web-crawler in various iterations.  At the same time, Peter Parker (presumably original recipe, or at least as close to that as comic canon can get?) is also dimension-hopping, trying to get to his parallels first and convince them to join him in fighting the baddie (this volume, however, is mainly about setting up the different Spider-Men, not any actual team-up.)

There’s a lot of variety in the different universes here, and I like pretty much all of them.  The first gives us Spider-Man in a noir-ish setting, complete with gangsters, a retro/gritty costume, and Mysterio masquerading as a traveling magician.  Cool and stylish.  Next up is Spider-Gwen, the aforementioned reason I checked out the comic in the first place.  It’s probably the most straightforward take on the story, simply imagining what would’ve happened if Gwen had been bit by the spider instead of Peter (also, I really dig her costume.)  Spider-Man #3 is my least favorite, a hero of the scientist-who-intentionally-experimented-on-himself variety, with a bonus high-tech suit.  The story of the villain he’s fighting is interesting, but I’m not as interested in the man himself.  The fourth story is the most disturbing, a dark twist on the classic tale.  There, the pushed-to-the-edge bullied kid (named Patton instead of Peter) gives into the dark impulses of the hunger the spider-bite awakens in him, using his powers to exact vengeance on his tormenters.  Finally, we go high-tech again, with a now-deceased Spider-Man’s daughter taking up her dad’s mantle and forming the required symbiotic bond with the spider that enables the suit’s powers.

Since I picked up the volume for Spider-Gwen (and, with her prominently featured on the cover, I assumed she’d be featured in more than 1/5 of it,) it is a bit disappointing to see how little there is of her, but I do like this book.  Even though it’s clearly a preamble to a main event, it shows a lot of creativity in bringing the different Spider-Men to life, and I enjoyed pretty much all of them.  However, I can see why this brief appearance eventually led to Gwen’s own comic.  The format of it is very “classic Spider-Man,” juggling crime-fighting with being a teenager (and the added complication of being hunted as a vigilante by her police-officer dad,) and I’m interested in checking out more of her.

Warnings

Violence (very graphic in some of the universes) and some strong thematic elements.

Some Love for the Civilians in The Amazing Spider-Man

There’s so much to love about a good superhero movie.  Awesome powers/fight scenes, larger-than-life stories, superpowered characters made to feel human and real, big sacrifices, triumphant moments – the list goes on and on.  For me, I have a soft spot for little scenes showing how the hero has inspired other people, ordinary people, to step up and do what’s right.  And that is one place where The Amazing Spider-Man films get me every time (a few spoilers for both films.)

I feel like there’s just something about Spidey that engenders these kinds of moments.  Being a quintessentially New York hero gives him something of a “my city” feeling, and the people he saves in turn have an “our Spider-Man” attitude.  In general, Spider-Man also strikes me as a hero who takes time for “the little things” – which is really showcased in this franchise in particular – and that has an effect on people, too.  For all that the Daily Bugle dumps on him and people debate whether the webcrawler is a help or a menace, the people who really understand what Spidey is about are on his side 100%.

The Tobey Maguire Spider-Man films have some of this kind of thing as well.  I love the bit on the first movie where a bunch of New Yorkers throw stuff at the Green Goblin while he’s fighting with Spidey, and the second movie has that lovely scene where Spidey is unmasked as he’s saving a bunch of people on a runaway train, and they give him his mask back and promise to keep his secret (although, why they pass him hand over hand like a crowdsurfing Jesus when he passes out, I have no idea.)

But really, The Amazing Spider-Man films have this stuff down.  I love that Spidey saves a little boy from bullies in the second movie, uses his webbing to repair the kid’s wind-turbine science project, and geeks out over the kid’s accomplishment.  When the kid shows up again at the end, dressed in a Spider-Man mask, to stare down the Rhino, this is more than just a boy who idolizes Spider-Man based on his exploits in the news; this is someone who’s seen Spider-Man and knows what sort of hero he is, who wants to do the right thing like Spider-Man does. 

The big civilian-moment-to-shine scene in the first movie has a similar feel of one of Spidey’s good turns deserving another (notice I saved the first movie for last because this scene is my favorite.)  In this case, Spidey’s save is far from little.  He rescues another little kid stuck in a car dangling off the edge of a bridge.  More than just a daring save, Spidey connects with the terrified little boy and helps him to be brave for what he needs to do.  Spidey can’t get to the boy and needs him to climb up through the car so Spidey can reach him and pull him to safety.  When the kid is too scared to move, Spidey loans him the mask, promising, “It’s going to make you strong.”  This scene leads us to the part the boy’s dad, a construction worker, plays in the lead-up to the final showdown between Spidey and the Lizard.  Spidey is injured and struggling to cover a great distance very quickly, afraid he won’t make it in time.  When he looks and see that all the cranes in the area have swung their crossbars out across the street, giving him a clear path to swing on (after the dad saw Spidey’s predicament on the news and called in every favor he had)?  Gets me right in the feels.  I love that.  I love what it says about people, that they step up to help.  I love what it says about Spider-Man, that he inspires that devotion.  And I love the way it shows Spider-Man how much the city appreciates him for what he does and is looking out for him in return.

Favorite Characters: Gwen Stacy (The Amazing Spider-Man)

All right, so I’ve sung her praises often enough in everything else I’ve written about The Amazing Spider-Man; let’s just make it official.  I heart Gwen Stacy.  I wouldn’t have expected that, since, in the cartoons I watched as a kid, I always preferred MJ, but this version of the character won me over hard.

As I’ve said, Gwen has become one of my favorite superhero’s girlfriends ever, and honestly probably one of my top five female characters in any superhero movie I’ve seen (there’s a list worth thinking about.)  She gives Peter what for – not in a “domineering” or “bitchy” way, but in a way that says, “Hey, we’re both in this, so let’s act like it.”  She’s not down with anyone making her decisions for her, and she sometimes needs to talk some sense into Peter when he thinks he can sideline her for her protection.  (Notice I said “talk” and not “smack,” because Gwen and Peter talk about their issues like people who, for teenagers, are pretty reasonable when they want to be.)

Peter’s lucky that she doesn’t take kindly to being sent away for her own good, because she’s supremely helpful.  Gwen isn’t just Peter’s cheerleader or his damsel or his oblivious lover from whom he comically hides his secret identity.  She’s extremely smart and knows it, and she applies to her keen understanding of science and technology to help Peter get what he needs to save the day while he’s keeping the bad guys busy.  (That makes it sound like Peter is the brawn to Gwen’s brain, which isn’t true.  Although she reminds him that her grades are better than his, he’s plenty brainy, too.  It’s just that, in the big showdown situations, his particular spider-skillset is greatly needed, since there’s no one else who can go head-to-head with superpowered persons.  They both know that nonpowered Gwen can’t fight like Peter can, so she plays to her own strengths and does the science stuff while his hands are full.)  This puts her dangerously close to the front lines, but her desire to help keep people safe wins out over any fear she feels for her safety. 

Because she is afraid sometimes; she’s not Super-Girl.  She feels afraid, she makes reckless decisions, and she gets upset over a guy.  In short, she’s a person, albeit an awesome one.  She doesn’t let fear, rashness, or personal hardships hold her back.  She pushes through her fear to do what needs to be done.  She has big ambitions and goes after what she wants.  She cares about people and gives of herself to protect them.  She believes in science’s ability to solve problems and save lives.  And honestly, she’s just so much fun.  She’s hugely sarcastic – not mean-spirited, just wry, and she can snark with Peter in the most serious of situations.  Even while hiding from people who are after them, when Peter points out that a maintenance closet is too obvious a choice, Gwen ironically apologizes for not taking them “to the Bahamas of hiding places.”  I love it so much. 

It’s sad that part of my love for Gwen is down to how unique she is within her genre.  I’ll watch Iron Man or Thor and think about how Pepper and Jane are pretty good, and then I’ll see Gwen and be reminded that they could be so much better.  I mean, in my book, she’s cooler than a lot of the women in the X-Men films, and they’re mutants with superpowers.  She outshines women who are older than her, more educated than her, and more powerful than her, and I think she does it by a fairly wide margin.  Why aren’t great characters like her more the norm?

Favorite Characters: Peter Parker (The Amazing Spider-Man)

After repeatedly praising Andrew Garfield’s Peter in the mixed-bag Amazing Spider-Man franchise, it’s time ol’ Spidey had a post of his own.  Marvel has a knack for dynamite casting, so I have complete faith in Tom Holland, but I’ll definitely miss this version of the web-crawler.

First, let me say that Spider-Man and Batman are the only superheroes that I truly had a feel for prior to seeing any major films.  Though I’ve not read any of their comics, I devotedly followed their animated series as a child, and I was especially all over the ‘90s Spider-Man cartoon.  I’ve always liked me some Spidey, is what I’m saying, and as such, I’m in a better position to assess his big-screen incarnations as actual adaptations compared to, say, the X-Men or any of the Avengers, where I’m really just along for the cinematic thrill ride of excellence and have little knowledge of what the characters are “supposed” to be like historically.

All of this is to say that I’m bowled over by how wonderfully, authentically Spidey this version feels.  Peter is a good kid with a brainy-and-inventive streak, a brave-and-reckless streak, and a rootable looking-out-for-the-little-guy streak.  However, he’s still very much an adolescent, and, superhero or not, his character reflects that.  He’s prone to impulsive decisions, he can be stubborn and immature, and his emotions can get the better of him.  His good and not-so-good qualities work well for me, because he’s such a genuinely teenage hero.  As great as he is, he’s still growing as a person, and his flaws fit well with his Everyboy persona.  He gets distracted by his love life, and when he’s disheartened, his mind can go into “I don’t know what to do!” overdrive, heightened by the trademark Great Responsibility that comes with his Great Power.

So many of Peter’s qualities are so well-realized here.   He’s a genuine smart cookie, designing his web shooters among other techie gizmos (some apropos of nothing – I love the mechanical lock rigged up for his bedroom door,) taking a frequently analytical approach to solving his superhero problems, and just generally being enthusiastic about knowledge, calculations, and experimentation.  He uses his webs to get around and to immobilize baddies, of course, but he also uses them creatively and intelligently to accomplish a variety of goals; I really like how he sets up a network of webs to search for the Lizard in the first movie, along with the relation between webs and electric conductivity with Electro in the second.

I enjoy how his bravery and kindness are really pronounced in an understated way.  Does that make sense?  I mean how he just dives into the fray and gets things done, and how he inspires those around him to be more heroic without it being a big thing.  It’s automatic for him, and it shines through in small moments – I love the scene of him protecting a kid from some bullies in the first movie.  Not only does he keep the kid safe, but he also repairs the kid’s smashed science project and praises his industrious smarts.  It’s awesome that he takes time for stuff like that.

And of course, it’s not quite Spider-Man without the snarky banter, and this version delivers nicely on that front.  It plays into the added confidence/bravado that his powers (and the mask) give him, and it also ties back to his youth and relative immaturity.  Let’s face it – a teenage superhero would totally be a smartass with a criminal and then use his webs to yank the guy’s pants down.  Peter’s cockiness and more-than-a-bit-dorky jokes give the whole franchise that fun, goofy, comic-book air that it really needs, and it’s Spider-Man all the way.

Relationship Spotlight: Gwen Stacy & Peter Parker (The Amazing Spider-Man)

In recent comic book movies, these two make just about the best superhero/superhero’s love interest pair outside of Captain America and Peggy Carter (we just can’t have nice things, can we?)  While they’re not without their contrived drama and being teenagers definitely gives them a different tenor than most of their competition, I love this relationship enough to have singled it out in my reviews of both films.  I’d say that warrants their own write-up, wouldn’t you?

It’s not that I’m setting out to prove how much better Peter/Gwen is than Peter/Mary Jane in the Sam Raimi films; it just sort of happens.  First, as far as their basic connection goes, I like that we don’t get a tired Beauty and the Geek pairing, where she’s the ravishing girl-next-door who typically dates Neanderthals, and he’s the quintessential put-upon Nice Guy who finally wins her after years of being nigh-invisible to her.  Instead, while Gwen is on Peter’s radar from the start, he’s on hers, too.  She appreciates his guts and his smarts, and they sort of circle each other, almost-flirting as they get closer and closer with each revolution.  And again, that’s on both sides – Gwen seeks Peter out pretty much as often as he seeks her, and when he’s with her, he doesn’t just do the moony-eyed geek-boy thing.  He’s maybe a little awkward, but he’s also self-deprecating and fun, and it’s clear that he’s no chump.

When they get close enough to start actually flirting and later begin a relationship, they just fit together so well.  Their interactions are quick and funny, and what’s more, they have plenty in common.  Both are big into science, they care enough about right and wrong to do something about it, they can keep their heads in a crisis, and they’re more than a little reckless.  Maybe Peter fell for Gwen before he knew all that about her, but there’s no denying that when they get together, they click.  I have a hard time imagining what Peter/Mary Jane would do just hanging out on a quiet night, but Peter/Gwen could easily keep each other entertained and occupied.  And when they bicker or all-out argue, you can see the affection behind it; their minor tiffs are playful and sarcastic, and their larger fights still tend to recognize how much each means to the other.

And as far as the whole “superhero’s girlfriend” thing goes, Gwen comes out pretty well.  Yes, she gets menaced by bad guys and she’s sometimes threatened by the villains for the sole purpose of hitting Spidey where it hurts.  However, she’s endangered largely because she chooses to enter dangerous situations, not wanting to wait on the sidelines while her boyfriend takes care of everything.  She may not be climbing walls or throwing punches, but she doesn’t need to; she contributes in the ways she knows she can be useful, way that rely on her science knowledge or quick thinking.  This can be a sore spot between them, because Peter is understandably worried about her getting hurt or killed and assumes that, as a powered individual, it’s up to him to make the call on whether something is too dangerous for Gwen to be in the middle of it.  But while his fears are understandable, making her decisions for her is in no way justifiable, and Gwen makes it clear that she’s having none of it.  When he tries to keep her out of a dicey situation, she comes anyway, fuming and calling him a “caveman” for his attempt to hold her back out of a perceived knowledge of what’s best for her.  Is it the smartest thing for a non-powered person to be at ground zero during superhero fights?  Probably not, but Gwen sees the danger and goes into it with her eyes wide open, and when she gets there, she helps; in the big showdown in both films, I’m not quite sure how Spidey would’ve won without her.  Go, Gwen!

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012, PG-13)

I reviewed The Amazing Spider-Man 2 last year, but I’ve never gotten to the original reboot.  Is it problematic?  Of course.  Is the franchise all Spider-Man deserves?  Definitely not.  That said, I enjoy it despite its issues, and the leads at its center; earn back a lot of good will on its behalf.

Make no mistake:  a mere decade after the Sam Raimi trilogy began, we did not need another Spider-Man origin story, but that’s what we get here.  Many details of Spidey’s beginning diverge from the classic version, though, and the changes are mostly hit or miss.  I mean, if you’re gonna do all the Uncle Ben stuff, you kind of need to do The Line, you know?  Anyway, we see likeable nerd Peter Parker transform into a teenage superhero with the aid of a radioactive spider bite.  As he tests the limits of his new powers, works to make up for his weaker moments, and hopes to juggle vigilante crime-fighting with a potential love life, he searches for answers to the hidden scientific legacy of his father, who left under mysterious circumstances. 

It wasn’t until I rewatched this movie that I remembered the stuff about Peter’s dad, which I’d mistakenly thought was relegated mainly to the sequel.  However, it occupies an important chunk of the plot, setting some major plots in motion (full disclosure – most of my Spidey knowledge comes from the animated series in the ‘90s, so I don’t know if any of this has any basis in the comics.)  I’m not sure how I feel about that; it’s an interesting way to tie certain threads together, and Andrew Garfield plays it well, but it doesn’t quite work for me on a few levels.  First, I think daddy issues should be used cautiously as a rule, as they can take over a characterization pretty quickly.  Second, focusing so much on Peter’s dad detracts from Uncle Ben, who should be a larger figure when it comes to shaping Spider-Man.  And finally, I like the idea of Peter as an ordinary (admittedly very smart) kid whose life is changed by one tiny thing, and bringing his absent father into the larger story makes Peter “connected” even before the spider bite.

But enough complaining – Andrew Garfield’s Peter and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy make the entire franchise worthwhile.  Peter is written and performed so wonderfully true-to-character, I can’t help but love this movie.  He’s smart and resourceful (I love watching him tinker with homemade gadgets, and he uses his webs in really clever, creative ways,) a cocky smartass (it’s not quite Spider-Man without the dorky wisecracks,) and every inch the teenage superhero.  Peter’s discovery of his powers, in which he causes a lot of unintentional havoc on a subway car, is one of my favorite scenes in the film.  As his new spidey sense and crazy athleticism kick-in, he’s somehow amazingly graceful and hugely clumsy at the same time, and I just love it.

Gwen, meanwhile, is a breath of fresh air after the Raimi films’ version of Mary Jane.  She’s sharp, both in intelligence and humor, and I love that she’s not content to sit back and let Peter do all the day-saving.  She uses her brains and her bravery to pitch in meaningfully, and overall, she just feels like a character, not a love interest.  Even though we mostly see her within Peter’s sphere, you can tell she exists outside of him.  Don’t get me wrong – they’re fabulous together, but she’s great on her own, too, and without that, she and Peter wouldn’t work as a couple.

Warnings

Comic book violence, some swearing, and general criminal activity.

Marvel Cinematic Universe: Bringing Spidey in from the Cold

If you haven’t heard, Marvel has struck a deal with Sony Pictures to use Spider-Man/Peter Parker for their in-house movies.  From what I can tell, the long and short of it boils down to the following.  1) Spider-Man (rebooted once again) will appear in a Marvel Avengers-verse film; smart money seems to be on Captain America:  Civil War.  2) Sony will continue to put out Spider-Man movies, co-produced by Marvel.  3) Other property-sharing could potentially occur – Spidey in other Marvel movies, of course, and maybe Marvel characters (ie, Cap, Iron Man, and the like) showing up in Sony’s Spider-Man films.

As it stands, I’m of at least two minds about this.  I love Marvel’s cinematic universe to bits, and I’ve been a Spider-Man fan since I was a wee lass.  Undoubtedly, two great tastes that taste great together!  The stuff I’ve heard about the Cap-Spidey interactions in the original Civil War story is what has me most interested in that film, and anyway, that storyline will be better if there’s a superhero around who actually has a secret idea.  More generally, I think it’d be awesome to see Spidey working with other heroes in a live-action franchise.  The Avengers have such an interesting mix of personalities anyway, and bringing in a smart-alecky teenage science nerd could lead to so much fun.  I’m beyond excited about the prospect of having Spider-Man in these movies; he’s one of Marvel’s biggest comic-book characters for a reason.

However, this scenario could also result in some serious Wolverine Syndrome, whereby one popular character starts monopolizing all the screentime in an ensemble franchise.  I mean, I like Wolverine, and Hugh Jackman does a great job with the role, but there are oodles of X-Men, and it’s frustrating to see interesting characters relegated to glorified cameos in order to get yet more Wolverine.  The Avengers franchise is already a bit crowded and becoming more so all the time, and it’d be easy for Spider-Man to edge out his fellow heroes.  I love Spidey, but I also love Thor and Cap and Iron Man.  Plus, when characters like Black Widow and Bruce/Hulk don’t have their own solo movies, they’d be even more susceptible to getting their screentime eaten, and I don’t want to resent Spider-Man for denying me anyone else.  (Already, making room for the co-produced Marvel/Sony Spider-Man solo film has pushed back the releases for the third Thor movie and the debut pictures for Black Panther, Captain Marvel, and The Inhumans.  Black Panther and Captain Marvel in particular are long overdue as it is.  You’ve got a lot of plates spinning, Marvel – be careful.)

And finally, I’m kind of crushed that we’ll be getting yet another Spider-Man reboot.  The Amazing Spider-Man films are enjoyable but middling, and they make a number of missteps, but they absolutely succeed in Andrew Garfield’s Spidey/Peter.  Skeptical as I was that we’d needed a new Spider-Man so soon after the Tobey Maguire trilogy, Garfield just fell effortlessly into the role for me, in a way that Maguire never quite managed.  He, Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy (though she’s already been fridged – stupid canon,) and Dane DeHaan’s Harry Osborn consistently deliver and make those movies worth any implausibilities or blunders, and I hate that this excellent casting is being thrown out with the bathwater of the underperforming Amazing Spider-Man franchise.  How much would I have loved to see Garfield’s Spidey talking genetics with Bruce or being snarky with Tony?  It’s Marvel, so I’ll put faith in whoever they pick to take up the web-slinger mantle, but in my opinion, they’re missing out on a great opportunity.  So long, Amazing Spider-Man – we hardly knew ye.