You would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know a single thing about Spider-Man. Peter Parker has held a certain level of cultural dominance for the better part of a century, inspiring web slingers of all ages and backgrounds.
Personally, my first interaction with Spidey came in the form of a Spider-Man 3 DVD when I was 6 years old. That film became my favorite movie for the rest of elementary school. (If that isn’t proof that your brain doesn’t fully develop until your mid-twenties, I’m not sure what is.)
Fans have debated for decades who the best live-action iteration of the character is. Regardless of who your favorite actor to put on the mask has been, a constant across all the movies is Spider-Man’s “friendly neighbor” outlook on the world.
With that, let’s dive into some of the big-screen movie moments where each portrayal of Peter Parker proved you don’t need powers to be a hero. (For any patrons who have yet to swing over to their local cinema to catch Spider Man: Brand New Day, fret not: You won’t find yourself in a tangled web of spoilers for Spidey’s newest outing within this blog.)
Forgiveness Allows Healing – Tobey Maguire in ‘Spider-Man 3’
Listen, I know this blog starts out with a vicious jab at Spider-Man 3, but in all honesty, nostalgia has given me a soft spot for the film. Although the third Tobey Maguire outing is messier than a venomous symbiote, the film ends with a poignant reminder that forgiveness frees the victim as much as it does the aggressor.
Earlier in the film, we find out that Flint Marko (better known to comic book fans as the Sandman) was accidentally responsible for the death of Peter’s uncle Ben. While attempting to pull off a robbery in the hope of paying for his sick daughter’s medical treatments, Flint is caught off guard by Uncle Ben’s patient demeanor. Even as Flint threatens to take his vehicle at gunpoint, Uncle Ben advises, “Why don’t you just put down the gun and go home.” Unfortunately, before Flint can respond, his partner in crime sprints out of the store they’re robbing, causing Flint to accidentally pull the trigger—a mistake that cost an innocent man his life and inadvertently sent Peter down the superhero path.
At the end of the film, Flint recounts the events of Ben’s death to Peter: “I’m not asking you to forgive me, I just want you to understand.”
By this point, Peter has been led by anger for most of the runtime. His choice to succumb to the dark motivations of the alien symbiote Venom has gotten him dangerously close to ruining his relationships. Yet after a moment, Peter responds, “I forgive you.” As Sandman’s guilt, along with his physical form, blows away with the breeze, Peter too lets go of his anger, allowing him to move forward and heal.
Anyone Could Be Under the Mask – Andrew Garfield in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’
While Andrew Garfield had the shortest stint as Spider-Man, his portrayal has certainly drawn many fans, bringing a bit more angst than what audiences had seen before—but not at the cost of Spider-Man’s heart.
The Amazing Spiderman’s standout heroic moment happens during Spidey’s first encounter with “The Lizard,” the film’s main antagonist, on the Williamsburg Bridge. Lizard’s rampage results in a half dozen cars getting launched over the side of the bridge, but Spider-Man manages to stop them from plunging into the waters below with some well-placed webbing. One of the cars dangling over the edge has a little boy named Jack in it, whose fear amplifies when the vehicle becomes engulfed in flames.
Despite Spider-Man’s presence on the scene, Jack is paralyzed by the intensity of the situation. He only finds the courage to begin climbing to safety after Peter offers him his Spider-Man mask: “Put it on, it’ll make you strong!”
A big part of the appeal of Spiderman as a character is his relatability, the fact that it feels like it could be anyone under that mask. The spider bite that gave Peter his powers only happened by chance (at least, in most iterations of the story). Peter still deals with the same mundane problems that the rest of us do.
While Peter’s mask is ultimately for the protection of his loved ones, I’d like to think it helps him to be brave, too. No matter what problems life throws at Peter, when he puts on the mask, he can leave those mundane troubles behind for a while. Sure, he may be trading a parking ticket for a battle with the Green Golbin, but I believe there’s a sweet sincerity to the concept of “Spider-Man” inspiring Peter as much as the hero inspires the citizens of New York.
The mask helps Peter to be brave, just as it gives Jack the courage to begin his climb to safety.
No One Is Beyond Redemption – Tom Holland in ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’
Our final example of the wall crawler’s life-affirming moral code shows up in Tom Holland’s first dedicated Spidey film Spider-Man: Homecoming.
In the last act of the film, Peter and Adrian Toomes, aka “The Vulture,” (are we noticing a theme here?) have beaten each other up pretty badly. Vulture’s mechanical wings are damaged and about to explode—a fact that Peter notices before his foe does. Pete attempts to hold back Adrian in an attempt to stop the man from hurting himself. Toomes disregards the warning, only for his suit to backfire and send him plummeting to the ground.
By this point in the film, Vulture has tried to kill Peter more times than there are Spider-Man action figures on the shelves of your local department store. Even so, Peter races over to pull him from the rubble, saving his life.
Holland’s Peter does this time and time again throughout his run. And in the more recent Spider-Man flicks (including Brand New Day), he doesn’t just stop at saving the lives of the bad guys he encounters: He actively tries to help them find redemption for their past deeds.
A Brand New Day for Spider-Man
Like many of the fictional heroes that inspire us, all three spider-men teach some of the same lessons that Christ does—that forgiveness is essential, that you can always choose to be brave and do the right thing and that all life has value.
Now, Peter is far from perfect, and I would argue his flaws are a more prevalent part of his character than most comic book capers. However, while his shortcomings may temporarily get him down, Peter does his best day in and day out, making the most of his talents and loving his neighbor—just as Jesus asks us to do.
Personally, despite my 6-year-old self trying multiple times, I’ve never been able to climb up a wall or shoot webs out of my hands. Turns out sharing a last name with a fictional comic book character doesn’t transfer their powers over to you. But that seems to be the point of Spider-Man, right? The movie moments that reveal Peter’s character display traits that anyone can emulate: forgiveness, bravery and integrity.
So on days when you feel like you’ve messed up, take a look at everyone’s favorite arachnid-inspired wall crawler: He’ll probably tell you that it’s never too late to start a brand new day.
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