The Amazing Spider-Man has long been a staple of the pantheon of Marvel superheroes, and superheroes in general. First introduced in 1962’s Amazing Fantasy #15, the character quickly became one of the most popular superheroes of all time, with his stories continuing to be published sixty years later.
Over the years, Spider-Man has seen several live-action adaptations, first with Tobey Maguire, then Andrew Garfield, and finally, the MCU’s own Tom Holland. Though many still hold the comic book version of Peter Parker in the highest esteem, some Redditors have commented on what they believe the MCU films have improved from the source material.
The High School Era
A major aspect of Spider-Man’s character is that, when he isn’t out saving the world, he’s a regular high school student. On this subject, Reddit user treetopkingdom writes that they “like MCU Peter’s personality more for high school-era Spider-Man… and the high school stuff in the movies is more entertaining than in the comics.”
The MCU films have taken a special interest in the high school era of Peter Parker’s life, acting as the first of the Spider-Man franchises to spend an entire trilogy with a school-age Peter. Released over the last few years, the high school antics in Peter’s life hit closer to home than those of the ’60s comic books. No Way Home, however, ended with major implications for Spider-Man’s future now that this chapter of his life has ended.
The Backstory
A major distinction of the MCU Spider-Man films is that they have yet to incorporate the character’s iconic origin story. Redditor Phillyredsox sees this as a good thing, with the filmmakers having “simplified the ridiculous amount of backstory.”
While Peter Parker’s transformation from a regular teenager to a bonafide superhero is a central aspect of the character, it is also a story familiar to most audiences, who can fill in the gaps by themselves without having his entire story spelled out for them. This exclusion has allowed the filmmakers behind the recent Spider-Man films to tell different stories than in previous franchises, giving them more freedom as they plot the Webslinger’s next journey.
The Music
Reddit user InItsTeeth may have been joking when they wrote that the MCU Spider-Man movies have “way better music” than their comic book source material, yet their comment still speaks to just how integral a film’s score can be to the overall story that is being told.
Each film in Spider-Man’s MCU trilogy has been scored by the prolific composer Michael Giacchino, who has elevated each of these three films with rousing pieces of music that accentuate the emotion felt in any given scene. This is a quality that is simply unavailable to comic books, which must otherwise compensate for the lack of a swelling score.
The Entertainment Value
ArtichokeParticular9 has what is sure to be a controversial opinion: “Honestly, I don’t mean to be petty, but in my opinion, MCU’s, Raimi’s, and TASM’s Spider-Men I find to be way more enjoyable than reading 616 comics.”
This opinion, which some may disagree with, is rooted in the idea that films can often feature an entertainment value that general audiences are more prone to enjoy than they would if they picked up a comic book. While comics are generally held dearly by those who enjoy such a medium, movies tend to be more accessible to the general public.
The Eye Lenses
“I’m sorry,” writes Redditor tylerjb223, knowing that they are about to espouse a controversial belief, “but the eyes and lenses for the MCU Spidey suits are the absolute best. The Civil War suit is the… best adaptation of the classic suit that I’ve ever seen.”
Upon the MCU Spider-Man’s debut in Captain America: Civil War, many fans took issue with the addition of moving eye lenses, which the character never possessed in the comics. While these lenses are certainly a diversion from previous versions of the Spider-Man suit, they make it easier for the audience to identify with Spider-Man’s emotions at any given moment, giving viewers a chance to better identify with the hero as he fights crime.
The Vulture
Though audiences love the web-slinging spider-based hero, a good Spider-Man story must also have a compelling villain. With no shortage of rogues to choose from, the filmmakers behind Spider-Man: Homecoming brought the Vulture to the big screen for the first time, finding great success in the character, as fans like treetopkingdom are of the opinion that “[the] Vulture is better in the MCU [than in the comics].”
While suggesting that any character is better in the movies than in the comics is almost always considered a heresy in the superhero fandom, it is fair to say that Michael Keaton’s Vulture receives far more character development and backstory than the character ever got in the comics, making him far more compelling–and far more fearsome.
The Supporting Characters
Abject_Cellist_4896 writes “I’d have to say the MCU films do a better job of keeping the supporting characters consistent. Too often in comics, Peter’s closest friends would swing violently from one characterization to another as best fit the story, often coming off as inconsistent, or worse, manipulative.”
The MCU films have introduced some of the best cinematic versions of popular Spider-Man characters, especially MJ Watson and Ned Leeds, who have become beloved parts of the franchise. Spider-Man’s comic book supporting cast often suffered from the constantly changing writing staff, meaning that their personalities could alter drastically depending on who was writing a given story. So far, this has not been the case for the MCU films, which are elevated by consistency in their characters.
The Consequences
Sometimes being a superhero brings great (and often unwanted) change to one’s life. When asked what they believe the MCU Spider-Man films have improved over the comics, Redditor MarsAdept suggests that the addition of “lasting consequences” is a worthy addition to the character’s story.
A common complaint about comic books in general is that, in order to maintain the classic versions of popular characters, nothing ever really changes. No matter how big a storyline, things always seem to return to normal before long. This has not been the case for the MCU’s Spider-Man, who has suffered great changes in his life, most notably in No Way Home, where he suffers one of the worst fates of any Spider-Man.
One More Day
One fan, Inked-Dreams, compares the similarities between the recent No Way Home film and the comic book storyline from which it derives much of its premise, One More Day. They suggest that the film does a better job at capturing the point of One More Day, with the main difference being that “Peter is hurting himself to save others,” rather than the other way around, as was the case in the comics.
No Way Home shares several similarities with the One More Day comic storyline, and yet, has received a much better reception. In fact, One More Day tends to be one of the most hated Spider-Man stories of all time, as it rewrote much of the character’s history and saw the hero acting in a surprisingly selfish way. No Way Home flips the script, making its version of Spider-Man endure a truly tragic sacrifice in order to save the world.
Tom Holland
When asked what they like better about the MCU Spider-Man films than the comic books, Redditor Medium2Rare has a very simple response: “Tom Holland.” Holland, as fans know, is the latest actor to take on the role of Peter Parker, appearing in six films within the MCU, most recently in No Way Home.
While the question of who plays the best Spider-Man will always be hotly debated, it is difficult to deny the sheer charm that Holland brings to the character. He has a youthful energy and reliability that few actors could hope to achieve and has defined Spider-Man for an entirely new generation of fans. With any luck, the rising star will continue to play the Web-Slinging superhero for many more years to come.
