Sony released the second trailer for Spider-Man: Homecoming and it’s made adamantly clear this won’t be like any of the previous Spider-Man movies for one very important reason: there will be other Marvel superheroes in it.
A large part of the new Homecoming trailer focuses on conversations between Tony Stark (Iron Man) and Peter Parker (Spider-Man) as Peter tries to make his way in the world. He wants to be an Avenger, but he doesn’t know how to become one, and Tony wants him to be a “friendly, neighborhood Spider-Man.” Since Spider-Man debuted on the big screen, he’s been alone. He hasn’t lived in a world populated by other superheroes because of logistics between Marvel and Sony. As such, Spider-Man has been isolated; the city’s only hero, with no one he can talk to.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is trying to rectify that by bringing in as much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as it can. Besides the moments shared by Peter and Tony, there are references to Captain America, which Peter talks about proudly, and shots of Avengers Tower overlooking the Manhattan skyline.
There’s even an adorable shot of Peter and Tony, who will act as a mentor to the young Spider-Man, flying through New York.
The effect is immediate. This is an unusual Spider-Man movie, but it still feels like a natural addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. From what we’ve been able to see in the few trailers that have been released, the relationship between Peter and Tony doesn’t feel forced. Having Marvel Studios CEO Kevin Feige overlooking the project has also resulted in a couple of differences for the character.
This isn’t going to be a typical Spider-Man origin movie. There won’t be a radioactive spider that bites Peter’s hand. There won’t be as many scenes following the awkward character as he tries to understand what’s going on with his new body. Instead, Spider-Man: Homecoming operates under the assumption that people know Spider-Man’s story. It picks up right where Captain America: Civil War left the character. In the scene where Peter and his friend, Ned, are watching the Captain America infomerical in class, Peter leans over and whispers that he stole the superhero’s shield, directly referencing the events of Civil War.
When Marvel and Sony first announced they had come together to share the character, the goal was always to “bring Spider-Man home,” as Feige said, and that’s extremely clear from the new footage Sony has released. Whether or not the theme of Marvel welcoming its prodigal son home after being away for decades continues throughout the movie is debatable, but for now, that looks like the ultimate goal.
Spider-Man: Homecoming will be released on July 7.
