Spider-Man: Homecoming, which swung into theaters this past weekend, has been praised by many for its fresh, genuine take on the wall-crawler. That included, as it turns out, giving the character some very authentic fears.
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Spoilers for Spider-Man: Homecoming follow.
In the film, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is tasked with saving his Academic Decathlon teammates, who are trapped in the Washington Monument. As he attempts to do so, he grows anxious about the height he could drop from.
And as screenwriter Jonathan Goldstein explained to The Hollywood Reporter, the goal of that scene was to make Homecoming’s portrayal of Spidey – one who doesn’t have a full grasp on his abilities yet – feel even more authentic.
“We wanted the movie to focus on him coming to terms with his new abilities and not yet being good with them,” Goldstein revealed, “and carrying with him some real human fears and weaknesses, like a fear of heights, because nobody ever dealt with that before. You just sort of assumed, ‘He gets bitten by a spider, he’s totally comfortable on top of tall buildings.’ But why did that have to be the case?”
Fellow screenwriter John Francis Daley echoed that sentiment, adding that the choice made in the Washington Monument scene gives Peter plenty of room to grow.
“Also, when you start small, it gives you such a place to go.” Daley explained. “Even within the context of this movie, I don’t think you would feel that fear of heights or even the vertigo the audience feels in that scene if you establish him as swinging from skyscrapers at the top of the movie.”
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A young Peter Parker/Spider-Man (Tom Holland), who made his sensational debut in Captain America: Civil War, begins to navigate his newfound identity as the web-slinging super hero in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Thrilled by his experience with the Avengers, Peter returns home, where he lives with his Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), under the watchful eye of his new mentor Tony Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter tries to fall back into his normal daily routine – distracted by thoughts of proving himself to be more than just your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man – but when the Vulture (Michael Keaton) emerges as a new villain, everything that Peter holds most important will be threatened.
The cast includes Tom Holland, Michael Keaton, Zendaya, Donald Glover, Jacob Batalon, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, Tyne Daly, Bokeem Woodbine, with Marisa Tomei, and Robert Downey Jr. It also includes Jon Favreau, Martin Starr, Kenneth Choi, Michael Mando, Selenis Leyva, Isabella Amara, Jorge Lendeborg, Jr., JJ Totah, and Hannibal Buress.
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