Peter Parker Won’t Be “Darker” in Spider-Man: Far From Home

Spider-Man’s costume is trading blue for black in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but don’t expect a grim and gritty web-slinger in the sequel. Peter Parker (Tom Holland) will struggle to live up to the legacy of his mentor, Iron Man, in Far From Home. Despite his state of mourning, this is not going to be the “dark” Spider-Man movie according to director Jon Watts.

“[This] isn’t the start of a new, dark ’emo’ phase for Peter,” Watts tells Total Film magazine. “Even though he’s gone through all these dramatic and traumatic events, he’s still the same Peter Parker we know and love. It’s seeing how he deals with those things that’s interesting for me.”

Peter has been through a lot lately. He was “dusted” by Thanos’s snap. He came back to life five years later only to see his mentor die to stop Thanos. Now he’s expected to follow in Iron Man’s footsteps. Discovering a certain secret that Tony never told him about may help.

Spider-Man did go through an “emo phase” in Spider-Man 3, the final film in Sony Pictures’s original Spider-Man trilogy. Considering how poorly that turn was received, Watts is probably right to avoid walking a similar path in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Spider-Man: Far From Home sees Spider-Man traveling abroad. According to the synopsis for the film, “Peter Parker returns in Spider-Man: Far From Home, the next chapter of the Spider-Man: Homecoming series! Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter’s plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent!”

Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts is returning to direct the sequel. Tom Holland reprises his role as Spider-Man. Returning supporting cast includes Michael Keaton as the Vulture, Zendaya as Michelle, and Marisa Tomei as Aunt May. Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson also return as their Marvel Cinematic Universe characters Maria Hill and Nick Fury, respectively. Jake Gyllenhaal debuts as Mysterio.

Were you hoping to see a darker Spider-Man movie? Or is this news a welcome relief? Let us know what you think about it in the comments!

Spider-Man: Far From Home opens July 2nd. Avengers: Endgame is now playing in theaters.

(h/t CBM)