Originally published July 10, 2017. Updated April 16, 2018.
Warning: There are spoilers for Spider-Man: Homecoming in this post…
Arguably one of the best scenes in the recently released critically and commercially successful Marvel superhero blockbuster Spider-Man: Homecoming is the final shot of Aunt May discovering Peter Parker’s true identity. Not only is it one of the film’s biggest laugh out loud moments, it will also play into the bigger picture regarding the relationship between the two.
Speaking to THR, writers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley discussed the creative decision, stating that: “It just sort of diminishes what is often the most trivial part of superhero worlds, which is finding your secret. It takes the emphasis off that, lets her become part of what’s really his life, so it’s not cloak-and-dagger stuff. It’s how does he best use these powers to help the world, help himself and his family and act responsibly. What’s funny is, when we first went in to Marvel, we said we were imagining that Aunt May would be a Marisa Tomei type, and they kind of exchanged a look, because they were already secretly in negotiations with her. So things worked out well; we were all on the same page.”
The writers also talked about how this will affect the mindset of Aunt May as a protectful guardian fearful for Peter getting hurt and going through a repeat of the loss of Uncle Ben: “It sets up a fun storyline of having this maternal figure, who is supposed to protect this kid, but also knowing this kid is so much stronger than she is, and in fact his job is going to be to protect her, presumably.”
SEE ALSO: Marisa Tomei is “all for” a solo Aunt May film
A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.
Spider-Man: Homecoming sees Tom Holland and Marisa Tomei reprising their roles from Captain America: Civil War as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and Aunt May, alongside Marvel veterans Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts and Chris Evans as Captain America. New additions to the cast include Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Bokeem Woodbine, Tyne Daly, Michael Barbieri, Abraham Attah, Hannibal Buress, Kenneth Choi, Angourie Rice, Michael Chernus, Michael Mando, Logan Marshall-Green and Jennifer Connelly.
