10 Things MCU’s Spider-Man Can Learn From the Sam Raimi Trilogy

by

Spider-Man is widely considered one of the best superheroes ever created, and a true masterpiece by Stan Lee. He embodies everything a superhero should be, and has been featured in many successful movies. While recent Marvel films have explored Spider-Man’s story, many fans still consider the original trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire to be the definitive cinematic portrayal of the character, offering lessons for future installments.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has generally been successful, but it’s always possible to improve. While recent movies benefit from a longer storyline for Spider-Man, Sam Raimi’s original films still stand out in many ways. The newer films are developing their own style, but they could still benefit from looking at what made the first trilogy so strong.

10. It’s Incredibly Hard, But Possible, To Balance Relationships With Superhero Life

Peter Parker Eventually Makes Things Work With Mary Jane

Throughout Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, Peter Parker is consistently drawn to Mary Jane Watson, and their relationship has its ups and downs before finally resolving in the third film. Raimi has mentioned he’d like to explore Peter balancing his life as Spider-Man with his personal relationships in future films. This suggests a romantic connection between the MCU’s Peter Parker and MJ could have been successful, though it wouldn’t have been simple.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe might be exploring other romantic interests for Peter Parker to better reflect the comics. However, many Spider-Man fans still strongly prefer him with Mary Jane Watson. While their relationship is often complicated and rarely smooth sailing in the comics, they remain a hugely popular and iconic couple. It would have been challenging, but it’s likely the MCU’s version of Peter could have successfully built a relationship with MJ if he’d put in the effort.

9. A More Mature Web-Swinger Isn’t Always a Bad Thing

Peter Parker’s First Loss Is Extremely Eye Opening

Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, is remarkably young when he begins his superhero journey, starting in high school and initially lacking maturity. However, Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films present a surprisingly mature version of the character compared to other adaptations. While Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man still uses humor and banter, he approaches his responsibilities as a hero with a strong sense of duty, making him a particularly likable and relatable character.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe seems to be building towards a more grown-up version of Spider-Man, letting audiences see him develop into the hero they’ve always known. With a fourth movie now confirmed, many fans feel it’s the right time for that evolution. While the MCU has done a great job with the character, some believe Spider-Man has stayed too innocent for too long. For example, his early adventure in space should have had a lasting impact on him, changing him significantly.

8. The Entire Public Eye Isn’t Out to Get Spider-Man Like in the MCU

J. Jonah Jameson Might Be the Loudest Voice, But He Doesn’t Speak for Everyone

J. Jonah Jameson is a prominent journalist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s convinced Spider-Man is hiding something and constantly tries to reveal his supposed secret motives to the public. In fact, he was the first to publicly reveal Peter Parker’s identity as Spider-Man, which led to a strong negative reaction from the public. Interestingly, much of the ‘evidence’ Jameson uses is clearly made up.

While the public in the comics is cautious of Spider-Man, they’re generally more accepting than depicted in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Comic book versions of Peter Parker frequently interact positively with New Yorkers, and this connection is a key part of his identity. He’s truly seen as a beloved, integral part of the city, much like a famous landmark.

7. Peter Parker’s Main Struggles Come From Within

Peter Struggles to Live Up to His Uncle’s Legacy

Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, is incredibly strong – far more than most people realize. His spider-like abilities give him amazing speed and the capacity to lift enormous weight. While he battles many villains, his biggest challenge often comes from within. He constantly questions whether he’s living up to the important lessons taught to him by his grandfather and fulfilling his role as New York City’s primary protector.

Witnessing the death of Uncle Ben set Peter on a life-altering path. He often performs heroic acts as Spider-Man to remember his uncle. While villains challenge him, his biggest struggle isn’t with them. He can easily defeat foes like Sandman, but battling his own self-doubt is a much harder fight.

6. Peter Shouldn’t Be Overly Selfish After His Uncle’s Last Lesson

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is Only Selfish After Donning the Symbiote Suit

Spider-Man is a relatively young superhero, so some immaturity is expected. However, his selfishness is a recurring issue for many viewers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it’s a fair criticism. A lot of the problems in Spider-Man: No Way Home came from Peter Parker wanting to protect only his close friends. While heroes are bound to make mistakes, his level of self-centeredness feels out of character unless you consider the influence of the symbiote suit.

Peter Parker’s uncle famously taught him that great power means great responsibility. Interestingly, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Peter doesn’t hear this important lesson until his third movie as Spider-Man. It feels a little strange to hold back such a key inspiration for so long. Hopefully, this will now influence how Peter acts as a hero.

5. Spider-Man Is Intensely Focused on Citizens’ Health and Safety

The Hero Would Never Intentionally Risk Citizens’ Safety to Catch a Criminal

Spider-Man is New York’s dedicated protector, and the safety of its people is his top priority. He’s careful to avoid putting anyone in danger, even when pursuing a villain. This is powerfully shown in the famous train scene with Tobey Maguire. Without hesitation, he pushes himself to the limit to save a train full of passengers. He endures incredible strain, tearing his suit and revealing his secret identity, but continues his heroic efforts without pause.

It’s interesting how the situation works both for and against them. The people are shocked to discover their rescuer is so young. They carefully carry the unconscious Peter through the train, determined to keep his identity a secret. Moments like these are rare in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and adding more could make the franchise even better.

4. Spider-Man Is Usually a Somewhat “Low-Tech” Superhero Comparatively

Spider-Man Shouldn’t Have Access to an Iron Man-like Suit Until His Later Career

Credits: Marvel

Unlike heroes like Iron Man, Spider-Man relies much less on advanced technology. While the comic book version of Spider-Man creates all his own gadgets, the movie universe (MCU) version is different. In his first MCU appearance, Peter Parker receives a high-tech suit from Tony Stark, giving him capabilities he didn’t have in the earlier Spider-Man films.

Peter Parker eventually moves away from the high-tech Stark suit and adopts a more traditional, homemade Spider-Man costume. However, this change happens late in the story. While fans are excited to see the classic suit return in the next Spider-Man movie, many believe Peter won’t be wearing it for very long. Because Marvel movies tend to establish their own unique styles, it’s likely Peter will receive another new suit before the film ends.

3. Spider-Man Stories Should Primarily Be a Solo Act

MCU’s Spider-Man Rarely, If Ever, Acts Alone

Spider-Man is a hugely popular Marvel hero who often teams up with other superheroes. However, he frequently faces challenges and learns valuable lessons on his own. While he’s willing to accept help, Spider-Man generally prefers to work solo. This is largely because Peter Parker is determined to protect the people he cares about and avoids putting them in danger by fighting alongside him.

Even though Peter became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe somewhat unexpectedly, it makes his story feel less genuine. Throughout his films, he consistently relies on help from others, and that trend seems set to continue. The recent announcement that the Punisher, Frank Castle, will appear in Spider-Man 4 suggests Peter will once again be prevented from truly forging his own path as a hero, even if the Punisher isn’t a permanent teammate.

2. Epic Cinematography Keeps Fans’ Attention Just As Well as Action Sequences

The MCU ReliesToo Heavily on Overwhelming Action

Action is crucial in superhero movies, and it often overshadows other important elements like visual style. The early Spider-Man films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe weren’t particularly strong visually. While the third film showed improvement, it didn’t fully address the earlier shortcomings.

The movie relies heavily on action sequences, and while the third installment includes some emotional scenes, they don’t quite make up for the lack of emotional depth. We can hope the fourth movie will strike a better balance between action and emotion.

1. Peter Parker Is the Quintessential Marvel Super Hero

MCU’s Spider-Man Needs to Step Up to the Plate

Spider-Man often feels like an afterthought in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s rarely featured in the big team-up movies, and when he is, he doesn’t get as much screen time as other, more popular heroes. With so many original MCU characters now gone, there’s an opportunity to give Spider-Man a more central role, but it might be too late to significantly change his position.

Even though he’s considered a hugely important character in Marvel’s story, this hero didn’t get his own movie until fairly late in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This was largely due to difficulties with who owned the rights to the character. Because of this, he still feels like an afterthought, rather than a core part of the franchise.

Read More

2026-02-22 03:10