Introducing Spider-Man to the Marvel Cinematic Universe is far from the gigantic pitfall many commentators fear it could be, and there’s already a perfect template for how this can be done effectively. Having recently re-watched the sophomore entry of Christopher Nolan’s incredibly successful Batman trilogy –Â The Dark Knight –Â it becomes apparent that the director’s treatment of the caped crusader’s supporting characters always felt perfectly organic and natural. Not once did any critic of the series ask questions of how a particular character arrived on the scene in these movies, with even some of the trilogy’s most important individuals appearing suddenly in the movies.
Consider, for example, the way in which Harvey Dent was brought so vitally into the story of The Dark Knight despite no prior influence in the film’s predecessor. Dent served as one of, if not the most important narrative vehicles in the events of this movie, perhaps taking up even more significance to the plot than major antagonist The Joker. How, then, did such a crucial character enter the film as an already established entity and lose no ground in influencing the proceedings?
In the build up to the film’s release, Nolan and his team employed a number of important viral marketing campaigns to support all of the usual PR like trailers and posters. The ‘I believe in Harvey Dent’ campaign was set out as if movie watchers around the world were, in fact, citizens of Gotham City themselves. Audiences were presented with posters, newscasts and even a fully realised website all dedicated to promoting the political career of a fictional character. Without ever being obvious or obnoxious, Harvey Dent’s upcoming significance was eased into the mind’s of the movie’s would-be audiences, and the need for any type of origin story within the finished product was completely overcome.
