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As Tom Holland’s fourth Spidey movie continues to crush at the box office five weeks after its release, I can’t help but think about his first solo outing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Spider-Man: Homecoming completely shifted tonal expectations for an MCU movie when it came out in 2017. And, when CinemaBlend spoke to the Homecoming screenwriters (who shared a delightful Ryan Reynolds story and more), they mentioned a memorable point the character’s own creator, Stan Lee, once made to them.
Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley were two of the scribes behind the screenplay for Tom Holland’s first Spider-Man movie. In terms of their approach to Peter Parker, Daley had this to say during our interview:
I think from a tonal standpoint, it was really fun to sort of create a new tone for what these Spider-Man movies could be. It’s truly the only superhero in all of the Marvel superheroes that you can fully relate to because he’s a person that found their powers. He comes from our time, and he is very much like the people that watch these movies, who sometimes feel misunderstood.
Homecoming feels like a John Hughes movies, which just happens to take place in the MCU. And, as the filmmakers told us, that was the result of staying true to one important element of the character, which Goldstein said he and Daly discussed with the late Lee:
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We were actually fortunate enough to meet Stan Lee while we were writing the movie. And, that’s what he told us. He basically created this character because he wanted to create something that was like the kids who read the comic books. Nobody had done that.
While most people probably can’t relate to Tony Stark’s status as an industrialist or Steve Rogers’ position as a super soldier, everyone can see themselves in Spider-Man. And that was a guiding light for the writing partners while working on Homecoming. It’s essentially a high school movie about a character who also has superpowers and connections with an Avenger. However, he still has homework, awkward peer-related moments, insecurities and a big crush.
Of course, Stan Lee and his collaborators were insistent on maintaining the humanity of their characters while also emphasizing their extraordinary responsibilities. I’d say that Daly and Goldstein were smart to stick to that for their first MCU flick.
Almost a decade later, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is still very much that hero in Brand New Day. For example, the movie even got attention from the autism community this time around, as many found their own ways to relate to Peter. But, if it wasn’t for the tone that Homecoming set, we simply wouldn’t be here with the beloved character. Goldstein also told us this about setting the tone:
We take great pride in having sort of laid the groundwork for everything that came after. We really wanted it to be a high school movie with superpowers, and that’s what Homecoming was. And, I think people really responded to the relatability of that. We always said while we’re writing it, that just because you get superpowers doesn’t mean you become an adult. And, that was sort of Peter Parker’s journey.
Since their work on Homecoming, Goldstein and Daley have become powerhouse filmmakers. They’ve written and directed Game Night and Dungeons & Dragons (they’ve even written a sequel) and, now, they have their new movie, Mayday. Mayday stars Ryan Reynolds as an 1980s-era Air Force pilot, who crash lands in Soviet territory and forms an unlikely friendship with an ex-KGB agent played by Kenneth Branagh. You can check it out with an Apple TV subscription starting Friday September 4.
I’d still argue, however, that Spider-Man: Homecoming will remain a crowning jewel within their filmography. And I would imagine that experience is made even sweeter knowing that they were able to consult with “Stan The Man.” Do yourself a favor and check out that first movie, which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription. Nuff said.
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