If you’re any self-respecting hero, then there is a good chance that your parents are dead. It’s a sad but true fact. Many of the most iconic heroes in pop culture came about their profession after being orphaned at a young age. You’ve got some classic examples with folks like Bruce Wayne, Luke Skywalker, Frodo, and Harry Potter – and that’s just scratching the surface.
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When it comes to superheroes, you are lucky to find a character whose parents are still alive. Marvel fans have pitied their fair share of orphans over the years, but few have invoked more sympathy than Peter Parker. The poor kid’s parents died when he was a small boy only for Peter’s uncle to then be murdered when he was a teen. Whether he pops up in a movie or comic, the legacy of Spider-Man‘s orphanhood is one which follows him wherever he goes.
And, now, the character’s creator has explained just why he made Peter Parker parentless.
Speaking with CinemaBlend, one director was able to share Stan Lee‘s explanation for Spider-Man’s orphan status. Marc Webb sat down with the site and said he asked the geek icon about the hero’s family when he was directing The Amazing Spider-Man.
“He’s the smartest man. He’s legitimately brilliant — I mean talk about gifted. He’s a storytelling master obviously, a master of character. He plays this kind of funny, goofy guy, but when you get into the real nitty-gritty of storytelling, he has an incredibly sophisticated understanding of how to put a story together,” Webb said.
“My big question for him was why are all superheroes orphans. You know, Spider-Man, Superman, Harry Potter… they’re all orphans! And he sat and thought about it, he’s like, ‘I don’t know!’ ‘Well why did you make Peter Parker an orphan?’ And he said, ‘I didn’t think about it much. I just wanted to get him out of the house!’”
So, there you have it. Spider-Man was made into an orphan to make sure he had reason to go outside. Of course, fans know that the loss of Peter’s parents are not what make him go full-on vigilante; Rather, it is the tragic murder of Uncle Ben that lights a fire underneath the superhero. With so much loss present in his past, Spider-Man has some heavy baggage that comes with his red-and-blue suit.
But, hey – at least his father isn’t Darth Vader. There’s always that.
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.
MORE: Tom Holland Wants To Take On Venom / Uncle Ben’s Role Revealed / Spider-Man Has His Own JARVIS
Spider-Man: Homecoming will be released on July 7, 2017.
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