By RICHARD TEO
Staff Writer
Who’s your favorite superhero? I can only guess… but I’m probably going to say it’s Spiderman. Why not? Appealing to your average teenager, Peter Parker, Aka Spiderman, is the intelligent, quirky, web-slinging superhero that swings across the streets of New York. Created by Stan Lee in 1962, Peter Parker has been a fan-favorite ever since. Famous for his acrobatic skills and his “spider sense”, Spiderman no doubt ever ceases to amaze people with his wits and charisma. After the tragic death of his Uncle Benjamin Parker, Peter has dedicated himself to a life of crime-fighting and vigilante justice, using superpowers he has attained from a radioactive spider bite when he was a teenager. With powers similar to that of a spider, Peter Parker has the ability to crawl on walls, heightened senses, superhuman reflexes, and a physique that surpasses peak human capacity. Spiderman is undoubtedly an amazing superhero, but what about what’s underneath the mask? Would you ever be appealed to by an average Joe who gets A+ grades in school and works as a photographer throughout the day? Probably not. But that’s how he was made, and that’s why the phrase “Anybody can be Spiderman” is so popular. And that’s probably why we love him so much. Spiderman, although refined and outstanding as a hero, is written to relate to the average person in that they find a person they feel they can relate to. He’s not a billionaire with expensive cars and fancy superhero gear, or an invincible alien, nor does he have the power to obliterate planets with a wave of his finger or become god. Unless we’re talking about “Cosmic Spiderman” who in a sense, is literally a space god in the comics, that’s a different story.
Often having different origins, Peter Parker has found himself successful in the movie industry for quite a while. From Sam Raimi’s, The Spiderman Trilogy in 2002 with its lead actor Tobey Maguire as Spiderman, to Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spiderman in 2012 starring Andrew Garfield, and now Spiderman: No Way Home featuring Tom Holland as the 16 year-old Peter Parker living in Queens. Spiderman has come a long way in cinema, and now… they’re all coming together to be in one spectacular showdown. After Sony recently released its first teaser trailer on YouTube for the upcoming film, Spiderman: No Way Home, we first see Peter Parker (Tom Holland) struggling to get by in everyday life after his identity is publicized by his evil nemesis Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhal). Fans had been waiting for months. They were Excited! Enthralled! Enamored! Countless people were surprised to see the Sorcerer Supreme, Dr. Stephen Strange appear in the trailer. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Dr. Strange plays as a supporting character to help assist Parker’s pursuit to keep his identity secret. After the events of a failed spell, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is set on a path to save his reality from merging into the different versions in the Multiverse. MCU fans were freaking out immensely to see their favorite Spiderman villains referenced in the trailer. Fellow actor Alfred Molina, who plays Dr. Octopus in the Sam Raimi Trilogy, Jamie Foxx as Electro from the Amazing Spiderman 2, and Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin are all reported to reprise their roles in the upcoming movie. Thomas Hayden Church as the Sandman, and Rhys Ifan as the Lizard are yet to be confirmed. But the moment fans had been waiting for is a collaboration of the big three. Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have recently leaked photos appearing together on set for the movie. But why the silence? Why doesn’t Sony confirm their places in the movie? That’s an easy question. Though not confirmed, we can only assume that their anonymity is made to keep things interesting. This movie, after all, is going to be a once in a lifetime experience. Telling the crowd would ruin the massive surprise. The suspense, however, still remains as people were thrilled to see their favorite supervillains wreak havoc across New York. Dr. Octopus’ “Hello Peter” was enough to get people screaming in awe for the film. But who knows what else could be coming? The movie hasn’t been released now, hasn’t it? Life is full of surprises and cinema is certainly amazing in keeping us captivated by its curiosity.