Of all the heroes Marvel creators have printed in their comics and personified in their films,Spider-Manis among the most popular. Over the years, the web-slinging hero has been brought to life by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and most recently, Tom Holland. While there has been much debate about which actor best served the role, each of them offered both Peter Parker and his spider alias qualities that have made both characters so beloved.
Between Maguire, Garfield, and Holland, sevenSpider-Manmovies have already been crafted, with one more set to premiere in December. With rumors swirling about thepotential appearance of all three actors, the newest Spider-Man filmSpider-Man: No Way Home, will be unlike any other Spider-Man film. Debates over which actor was best as Spider-Man and Peter differ between fans of the Marvel hero. While Maguire is often a heavy fan favorite, Holland has cemented himself as what many consider the best embodiment of both characters. Garfield has agreed that Holland is the perfect Spider-Man and while Holland may be the most well-rounded, Gafield’s portrayal of Peter Parker is one of the most honest.
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Unlike Maguire and Holland, Garfield only played Spider-Man for two movies, first in 2012 and again in 2014. Throughout his time as Spider-Man, Garfield helped personify some of the traits that make Peter such a relatable character. Part of this reliability stems from Peter’s attempts to balance many forms of responsibility. Many teenagers (and even adults) can relate to Peter’s attempt to balance school, plans for the future, relationships with friends and family, making ends meet, and his love life. In this journey, Peter doesnt' always succeed, resulting in some unfortunate events. OfGarfield’s two Spider-Man films,The Amazing Spider-Man 2serves as the best representation of Peter’s relatable qualities.
In the opening ofThe Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man struggles to get his own graduation on time, already showcasing the hero’s difficulty in balancing his commitments with his vigilante activities. Upon arriving at his graduation ceremony, Peter meets up with Aunt May andhis girlfriend Gwen Stacyand her family. Now that they’ve graduated high school, questions begin swirling about what Peter’s future (both as Peter and as Spider-Man) will look like, in addition to what his future with Gwen will be.
Burdended with the guilt of Gwen’s father’s death in the previous film, Peter finds himself dwelling on the promise he made him that required him to stay away from Gwen in order to keep her safe. Because of this, Gwen and Peter undergo a rough patch inThe Amazing Spider-Man 2that leads the two tobreak up for a short time. This break in their relationship is due to Peter’s dual identity as Spider-Man, as without his alias, Gwen’s father wouldn’t have asked Peter to make such a promise. While it may not be an ordinary struggle for people to have a secret alias that causes a riff in their personal life, many understand the pressure of sticking to their word and living up to someone else’s promise. Figuring out how to balance that can be a crucial part of someone’s identity.
On top of this, Peter works to make ends meet. To supply an income for himself, Peter sells pictures of Spider-Man to the Daily Bugle. As what many may identify (and relate to) as a thankless job, Peter makes it work. It is through this job that Peter’schildhood friend Harry Osbornthinks to ask him for a favor upon his return. Harry requests that Peter put him in contact with Spider-Man, as he believes that a transfusion of Spider-Man’s blood may save his life. Knowing that giving Harry his blood may cause a problem like the one Peter previously faced with Dr. Connors, he refuses as both Peter and Spider-Man. Unable to tell Harry the truth about his identity and the origin of his hesitation, Peter must lie to his friend in order to protect his identity and to protect Harry from himself.
Telling what Peter believes is an innocent lie in order to protect Harry isn’t a foreign concept. Many understand the concept of not only trying to stop a catastrophe from happening but potentially having to conceal the truth in order to do so. Garfield’s Peter is not the only one to deal with issues like these, as Holland’s Peter doesn’t feature an on-screen death of Uncle Ben, but he suffers a loss just as monumental in his mentor, Tony Stark. By living with his Aunt May (as necessaryfor all Spider-Mans), Peter’s parents are also people he has lost in his short lifetime. But, Holland’s Peter also has the most upside. Unlike Garfield and even Maguire, Holland becomes an Avenger and expands his family because of it. For Garfield’s Spider-Man, there is very little upside ashe loses Uncle Ben, Gwen, and arguably one of his only friends, Harry Osborn.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2is not without its flaws, as it does introduce a lot of storylines that were never able to be fully explored. Without a third film, there’s no way of knowing how Peter would’ve continued to cope with Gwen’s death, how Peter would’ve dealt with the Green Goblin, orany of the other villainsthat appeared in the film. Even with the concerns many have raised in regard to the film’s plot, the advantage of the countless strings it pulls on creates an honest representation of Peter. The weight of all the problems that already exist and that are continuing to occur are what have always helped make Peter Parker a relatable hero.
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