5 Reasons Why Spider-Man Belongs In The Marvel Cinematic Universe

This week, Marvel made the internet explode by announcing what many fans dreamed would happen, but doubted would ever see the light of day: Spider-Man has officially joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe! Cue geeks worldwide immediately flocking to the internet in their millions, desperate to share their opinion on this landmark development... and yes, I'm aware that I count among that number. Whether this deal will ultimately prove successful for the companies and audiences alike is yet to be seen, but it's hard to deny how exciting the news is. After fans resigned themselves to an MCU without Marvel's flagship character, audiences will finally see Peter Parker interacting with the likes of Iron Man and Black Widow on the big screen. Undoubtedly, there are those who worry Marvel may have to rethink their plans now that Spider-Man is involved and then there are those who feel like Marvel didn't need the wallcrawler in the first place... Let's hope the doubters will be forced to eat their words when Spidey first appears in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. For now, though, read on to discover 5 reasons why Spider-Man belongs in the MCU, and feel free to add more in the comments section below. Nuff said! 5) Can Team-up With Other Marvel Heroes While it initially began as a way to sell more comics, the team-up has since become a time-honored tradition, one which is guaranteed to make the fans go wild and scream in ecstasy. No exaggeration. As a flagship Marvel character, Spider-Man has fought crime alongside everyone from Ghost Rider to Dracula, often within the pages of Marvel Team-Up. However, some collaborations have been more successful than others. The main appeal of The Avengers was that comic book fans could finally see their favorite solo heroes on the big screen, fighting with and against one another. Now that everyone's favorite web-slinger has joined the MCU, we have the chance to watch Spidey wisecrack with the likes of Daredevil and Captain America, recreating iconic story lines from the comics. Spider-Man has been a popular member of the Avengers for some time in the comics, but it's not yet clear whether Parker will actually join the team in cinemas or remain a solo hero, simply fighting alongside the group at key moments. Either way though, this is fan wish fulfillment at its finest, and let's face it, the two studios are definitely going to benefit in terms of box office intake. 4) Taking One Step Closer To A Fully Integrated MCU Team-ups are fun, but in all the hubbub, it's easy to forget that the Sony/Marvel deal doesn't just concern Spider-Man, but also his entire supporting cast. Fan favorites such as Venom and Black Cat are also included in the merger, providing Marvel with a much wider scope for future storylines. One of the key selling points of the Marvel movies is the fact that the events of one film can have a tangible impact on the story of another, linking each silver screen outing into one epic storyline. By integrating Spider-Man into the MCU, Marvel Studios are one step closer to bringing the comic books more accurately to life. Of course, flagship characters such as the X-Men and the Fantastic Four are still currently out of Marvel's reach, but the positive reception of this deal may prompt Fox Studios to consider a similar approach if it all proves to be lucrative. However, the X-Men are currently enjoying huge success with the recent popularity of Bryan Singer's Days of Future Past and the release of the new Fantastic Four reboot is imminent. Only time will tell if Fox and Marvel will ever consider making a similar deal, but wouldn't it be great to finally have a fully integrated MCU? Fingers crossed for Fantastic Four's failure... 3) Inject Some Youth Into The MCU Consider the most popular actors in the MCU for a moment: Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson... Each of these performers is thirty or older, and Robert Downey Jr. is almost 50 years old. Even the upcoming stars of the MCU such as Paul Rudd and Benedict Cumberbatch are pushing the older age bracket, meaning that the Marvel films lack protagonists that younger people can relate to, despite them being the key demographic. With the news that Andrew Garfield has unfortunately declined to return to the role, Sony and Marvel are now reportedly looking for a younger actor to play Spider-Man, with the idea that the character will be heading back to high school. Previous Spider-Man movies also explored this avenue, but more emphasis will now be placed on the school setting. Whether rumored actors such as Logan Lerman or Dylan O'Brien will be cast or not, it's refreshing to hear that the MCU will finally have some fresh, young blood in its ranks. Eventually, the current crop of actors will move on to other projects, so this is definitely a move in the right direction for the future of the MCU. 2) Civil War Can Be More Faithful To The Comics When Marvel first announced that the title of the third Captain American movie would be Civil War, comic book fans collectively rejoiced... and then sighed once they realized that Spider-Man would be unable to take part. For those not in the know, Marvel's Civil War event began with the Superhero Registration Act, a law designed to bring superheroes under the control of the Government. Initially, Spider-Man sided with Iron Man to uphold this new law, even revealing his secret identity to the public in an act of support, but he eventually switched sides and joined Captain America's underground resistance. Fans originally assumed that Black Panther would take on Spider-Man's role in the upcoming Captain America sequel, switching between the two sides, but now that Parker has joined the MCU, there's a distinct possibility that the Black Panther may be sidelined in favor of the webslinger. The idea of seeing Spider-Man re-enact the iconic scene where he reveals his secret identity is certainly appealing, but the issue here is that Parker won't be an established character yet in the MCU, so the scene would lose a lot of its potential impact. Whether Marvel decides to follow this route or not, Spider-Man could still play a pivotal role in Civil War, one which is more faithful to the original storyline that remains popular among fans. Perhaps the big reveal could be set up in Captain America: Civil War, so that it can be integrated into the next solo Spidey film instead. Either way, we're lucky that the Sony/Marvel deal went through now and not in a few years time, when it would have been far too late to faithfully recreate Civil War with Spidey included. 1) Reinvigorate The Spider-Man Franchise Given the response that some people gave The Amazing Spider-Man 2, you'd think that the film was responsible for the deaths of millions. Many were quick to give Marc Webb's second stab at Spider-Man a tough time, but it eventually became one of the most successful movies at the box office last year, despite grossing less than any other film in the series. Why did everyone act like Webb and co. killed their mothers though? Andrew Garfield excelled in the title role and Emma Stone brought a huge amount of charisma to the romance they shared, but Webb ultimately mishandled some of the subplots and supporting characters, stretching the running time out too long. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was far from terrible though, yet a need to reinvigorate the franchise still became apparent once the reviews began to roll in. Sony owned the rights to one of the world's most popular and recognizable superheroes, but a few missteps caused both them and the general public to lose confidence in the Spider-Man property. It's about time that cinemagoers fell in love with the wisecracking webslinger once again, so integrating him into the MCU may be just what Spider-Man needs. Of course, Marvel runs the risk of over-exposure, as audiences could be tired of having to constantly get to grips with a new version of Spider-Man every few years or so. This type of deal is unprecedented, so the ultimate effect remain to be seen, but there's certainly a chance that the Spider-Man franchise can finally enjoy the success it once did now that the prodigal son has returned to Marvel. Tell us, what do you think true believers? Does Spider-Man belong in the MCU? Will the Sony/Marvel deal prove lucrative for both parties? And do you think Fox will ever give in and broker a similar deal with Marvel? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.