Over the past week we’ve discovered a hell of a lot of information about Sony’s struggles with the Spider-Man franchise as information continues to make its way online via the Guardians of Peace hack into the studio.
If you’re struggling to keep track, first came the news that Marvel Studios had tried to reach a deal for Spider-Man to appear in Captain America: Civil War, along with reports that Sony had considered bringing Sam Raimi back into the fold, and were planning an animated movie from Phil Lord and Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie) [details here]. This was followed by reports that Andrew Garfield has been effectively fired as Spidey, that The Sinister Six movie would see Spider-Man donning his black suit and Venom as the villain, and that a potential new reboot could be on the cards [details here].
Now, thanks to The Daily Beast, we’ve got some insight into this potential new reboot, with the site picking through an 8-page email from Jeff Robinov to Amy Pascal on November 13th, which begins: “To argue that there’s plenty of other superhero movies with levity in the marketplace, so why make more Spider-Man movies, would be akin to saying there’s no room for James Bond films because of all the espionage films and franchises that have come out over the years. There will always be room for this beloved, iconic hero… In the next Spider-Man movies, we can’t go back to his origin story. Think of the 25 films in the James Bond franchise; just because a new creative team comes aboard, and breathes new life into a classic property, doesn’t mean the origin story has to be retold.”
Rothman then lists a “list of filmmakers that come to mind” for the reboot in Brad Bird (Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee (Frozen), Damien Chazelle (Whiplash), Joe Cornish (Attack the Block), Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy), Don Hall & Chris Williams (Big Hero 6), Phil Lord & Chris Miller (The LEGO Movie), Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg (Kon-Tiki), Colin Trevorrow (Jurassic World), Edgar Wright (The World’s End) and David Yates (Harry Potter).
He goes on to suggest a possible storyline for the reboot: “I might suggest looking at what is widely thought to be the most beloved Spider-Man storyline of all time – Kraven’s Last Hunt – which ran across Amazing Spider-Man #293-294, Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132, and Web of Spider-Man #31-32… In it, Kraven the Hunter tracks down Spider-Man, shoots him repeatedly, and leaves him for dead, buried underground. He then dons a Spider-Man costume and savagely starts attacking criminals. What makes this story resonate with fans is that it proves it takes more than just the costume to become “Spider-Man.” No matter what he’s wearing, or what predicament he’s facing, Peter Parker is sensitive, passionate, and connected to those he’s interacting with in a very powerful way. It’s not Peter’s powers that make him special – Kraven, and every other superhuman in the Marvel Universe, all have powers. Peter is special because of his values, because of what drives him, because of the lessons he’s learned from Uncle Ben’s death, and because of his love for Mary Jane. I’ve pasted a few pivotal pages from this book so you can see just how intense this storyline is. We also get to see how Mary Jane deals with Peter’s disappearance, and how she would react if Peter ever died in action.”
And finally, Robinov also proposed a different approach to the rebooted series, tackling Peter Parker / Spider-Man as an adult rather than a teenager: “Another side of Spider-Man that might be interesting to explore in a reboot is seeing him as an adult. Spidey hasn’t remained a teenager over the 52 years he’s been around. He’s moved in with his girlfriend, gotten married, and in some storylines, even became a science teacher at a high school. It might feel fresh to see Peter Parker juggling with adult issues. He’s done so in the comics for decades, and kids still found this fun to read.”
So, what do you make of these latest details? Would you like to see Kraven’s Last Hunt on the big screen, or an adult Spider-Man? And which of those directors would be your pick to try and reignite the franchise?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZqEqJ-QNmio&list=PL18yMRIfoszH_jfuJoo8HCG1-lGjvfH2F
Originally published December 14, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
