With Tom Holland due to make his debut as the character of Spider-Man in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War, it is unsurprising that the actor is busy laying the groundwork for what we should expect when he takes the lead in his own movie in 2017.
Many questioned the wisdom of yet another origin movie for Peter Parker’s web-slinging alter-ego, given that it is perhaps the most regularly depicted of Marvel’s superhero stable (albeit, historically, through another studio) – but Holland is keen to emphasize that this endeavour will offer something different, echoing director Jon Watts’ assertion that a John Hughes-style film is on the cards.
“It’s not The Dark Knight. One of the special things about what we’re going to try and create is that you’re going to see the biggest independent film ever. It’s not going to be an epic thing; it’s going to be a film surrounded by these incredible things, but that follows this boy and his life. Peter Parker is a favourite of many because everyone can relate to him, and we’re going to try to make everyone relate to our Peter Parker. And John Hughes is a perfect example of what we’re going to try and do.”
With big screen versions of Spider-Man having taken the ‘epic’ action film route over the past 15 years, it is indeed intriguing to hear that this character reboot might take the form of something more intimate, unfolding on a smaller-scale. Presumably, Holland refers to the idea of “the biggest independent film ever” in spirit only, since this is very much a high profile studio project. But the use of a John Hughes-type atmosphere could well generate something very special.
For example, what would it be like to be in a Saturday morning detention with Spider-Man, Breakfast Club style? Sitting around, swapping stories with a superhero, dodging the teacher, and making new friends? There’s potential for a lot of comedy elements among the bigger themes, and that brings a welcome freshness to the whole idea. We will undoubtedly hear a great deal more as the Spider-Man release date of July 28th, 2017 draws closer.
