While it isn't the most anticipated Marvel release (that prize goes to Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2), Spider-Man: Homecoming is still one of 2017’s most enticing offerings. It’s Spider-Man’s first (sort-of) solo outing in the MCU, and will also feature a villain who promises to be one of the very best. Sure, that isn’t saying much, given the MCU's previous big screen villains, but if Vulture is as good as Loki, we couldn't ask for more.
We’ve already seen a number of clips from Spider-Man: Homecoming. After repeated viewings, we feel that we know quite a bit about the movie (especially if these clips are paired with reveals from journalist set visits).
So, if you want to find out more, check it out!
The Stark costume
We learned from Captain America: Civil War that Peter Parker had been active for a couple of months before Tony Stark recruited him. He had just a homemade costume, but he receives a new one when he joins Iron Man. However, the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailers revealed that the Stark suit had quite a few aces up its sleeve.
Perhaps most exciting, the Spider-Man logo on the chest is not just for show. It enables the costume’s wearer to fly (like all spiders do), and it becomes a spider-tracer. It’s unclear how Peter Parker will use it in the movie, but it’s a great addition.
The webbed wings aren't just for show, either, since Spider-Man can use them to either glide or to slow down a quick descent.
Set visits have revealed that Stark's creation also has its own AI. However, Parker is still a kid, and he doesn't know the right questions to ask, so comedic moments can be expected from Spider-Man’s interaction with the AI.
Or, at least, until Tony takes the suit back…
The homemade costume
In the trailer, Parker becomes involved in quite a confrontation, during which innocent civilian lives are threatened. Stark scolds him and takes his suit back, which means that Peter Parker will have to rely on his homemade suit for the rest of the film (including the climactic fight with the Vulture).
How will he fight without Stark’s help? He'll have to be pretty inventive. However, we can say that the homemade Spider-Man suit really does look homemade. Unlike costumes in previous Sony franchises, it looks like something an actual kid might come up with.
Basically, it’s just a hoodie that wouldn't cost too much to make.
This adds a bit of originality to the character and makes him feel real. Come on, did you really think that Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man created that suit on his own?
Iron Man
We know that Robert Downey, Jr. is the face of the MCU. In 2008, Iron Man put the shared universe on the map. But ever-greater numbers of fans say that Spider-Man: Homecoming needs to be Peter Parker’s show, and maybe Iron Man’s role should be limited to some extent. From what we've seen in the clips, Tony Stark is featured prominently, including in one of the flick’s bigger action pieces.
But does that mean that Spider-Man: Homecoming is an Iron Man flick? Not really. Based on what we’ve seen, Stark's role might end with the ferry scene. And he may pop up at the end of the movie to give the suit back to Parker.
How many scenes in the trailers feature Tony Stark?
Vulture
And now we come to Vulture, the film’s main antagonist and yet another reason for fans to suspect that this is an Iron Man flick in disguise. Sure, Vulture is one of the oldest Spider-Man villains. But the MCU’s Vulture seems to have too much in common with the Iron Man version.
Vulture is a businessman (not as successful as Stark), he has a way with technology, and his suit is basically a souped-up Falcon suit. Plus, he has a grudge against Tony, not Peter.
But this could make Spider-Man an even more compelling character, a character who deserves to be a part of the Avengers. If he’s able to take on an Iron Man villain, than he must be worthy of joining the big team. Right?
Maybe Kevin Feige’s decided to adapt Vulture in this way to prove that Spider-Man is a superhero, rather than just a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
Adrian Toomes
Earlier in this piece, we said that Vulture could be one of the better MCU villains because of Michael Keaton, and because of the character's motivation. Unlike other MCU villains, Vulture doesn't want to take over the world. He just wants to provide his family and his employees with the best the world has to offer (in this case, everything that comes from salvaging technology from the various big MCU clashes).
Stark makes it hard for him to achieve that.
We could view Toomes as a guy who goes against the establishment, and Stark as a corrupt character. So much has happened because of Stark, but his wealth and fame continue to grow.
The trailer seems to indicate that Vulture wants to show the world who Tony Stark really is. As Michael Keaton said, Vulture is 99 percent good. But that remaining one percent is what really counts. He’s similar to Zemo, who took on the Avengers not because he wanted to rule the world, but because he wanted to see them torn apart.
Will people change their opinions of Tony Stark/Iron Man after seeing Homecoming?
Through Europe
While Spider-Man: Homecoming will focus on Peter Parker's life as a teenager, the movie’s introduction will revisit the Civil War. The film will open with a montage showing how Parker wound up in Germany and what he did after the epic airport showdown. This will answer quite a number of the fans’ questions.
What’s interesting is that Peter Parker’s life is framed by two heroic acts, further emphasizing how different this new Spider-Man is from the other Avengers. If the rumors that Peter Parker’s entire MCU lifespan will take place in high school, this difference will become even more obvious.
All of this sounds very good to us, since we found it hard to relate to a billionaire, a demigod, and a super-soldier.
Villains
The biggest problem with both Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 was the number of villains. Because the studio wanted to cram everything into a single movie, the franchises needed a reboot.
Can this be said about Spider-Man: Homecoming, too? Well, one might think so. After all, Vulture is the main antagonist of the movie. But two versions of the Shocker - one portrayed by Logan Marshall Green and another portrayed by Bokeem Woodbine - will also appear.
An additional comic-book villain, the Tinkerer (Michael Chernus), is set to appear as the Vulture’s minion. The villains are to be adapted and dumbed down, but there are quite a few of them. So having Iron Man in the movie makes sense to a certain degree (of course).
Worst. Secret. Identity. Ever.
We know…In the MCU, especially after the events of Captain America: Winter Soldier, secret identities aren't a thing. And Tony Stark broke the mold when he revealed his Iron Man persona from 2008’s first MCU movie.
However, unlike the big guys, Peter Parker is just a kid. As such, he’s vulnerable; in the trailer, the Vulture threatens everyone he loves. It would make sense for him to hide behind the mask. This is why he made that awesome Spider-Man suit in the first place.
However, as in the previous franchises, he annoyingly can't keep his secret identity secret. And this is revealed in the silliest possible way. In Homecoming, Ned discovers Parker's superhero alter-ego (sure, it might be funny, but it’s still kind of stupid). And we also know that Adrian Toomes unmasks Spider-Man.
Who else knows about him? We have no idea. Maybe Marvel and Disney should have stayed away from this comic book movie trope.
Damage Control
Tony Stark has a just-in-case fund he can access in the event of super villain battles that destroy property. Spider-Man: Homecoming reveals that it actually bankrolls the Damage Control team, which is tasked with cleaning up after third-act MCU battles. This puts Stark on a collision course with Toomes, who is a scavenger.
According to director John Watts, Tony Stark's Damage Control team is called into action more often after the Civil War (which points to the maturity of Tony Stark, who has become increasingly concerned about collateral damage).
At this point, we don't know how much time will be spent on the team. However, we do know that it was founded after the failed Chitauri invasion of New York, as we learn in the beginning of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Click here to learn more.
It may be weird that we’re just finding out about Damage Control. But we can assume that its appearance in the MCU signals the death of the planned TV show.
Homecoming
Enough about heroes! The Homecoming Dance is the driving force in Peter Parker's teenage life. We know this because the latest trailer shows Liz putting up posters for the event.
Besides that, we know next to nothing about what happens in Peter Parker's everyday life. We know that he has a crush on Liz (there's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene in which they kiss, or almost kiss), and we know that Aunt May (who won't hook up with Tony) worries a lot about Peter.
Beyond that (and what we’ve said here), we’re completely in the dark. So, no matter how much we believe we know, there are plenty of unknowns about Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Who knows? Maybe the rumors that Peter Parker will don the symbiote suit for the first time in this movie are true. That’s how it happened in the Homecoming comic (wishful thinking, we know, especially since Sony is moving forward with a Venom flick). After all, if Tony Stark doesn't return the high-tech costume, Peter Parker will need a proper superhero suit.
