5 Classic Spider-Man Stories To Adapt Following The Release Of No Way Home
As Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are mere months away from releasing their latest superhero venture Spider-Man No Way Home under the direction of Jon Watts (Clown, Cop Car), the joint partnership between the two massive studios is up in the air.
Spider-Man is perhaps the most lucrative Marvel superhero in the pop culture market, yet it's unclear what the future holds for the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), following the Tom Holland starring trilogy. Peter Parker is not getting any younger and 25 years old Holland only has a few films left in him before he begins to outgrow his high school years.
However, Spidey leaving high school for a college career in the original run of Amazing Spider-Man comics to entering adulthood begins a new era of adult and darker storytelling for Marvel's web-slinging icon.
5. Kraven's Last Hunt
Perhaps the darkest storyline in the history of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man,1987's Kraven's Last Hunt by writer J M DeMatteis and artist Mike Zeck sees Marvel's wall-crawler coming face to face with death itself.
Initially a zany Spidey antagonist, the six-issue storyline sees the disgraced and aging big game hunter Kraven finally best his prized target. A story with mature sensibilities, Kraven's knack for hunting the greatest game would be fitting for an older and seasoned Spider-Man down the line.
Bearing a lion's vest and a spear, Kraven isn't the flashiest supervillain around but one with the psychological edge and strength needed to torture a kid early (or later) into his superhero career.
While a Kraven the Hunter solo film is on the way with former Quicksilver Aaron Taylor Johnson in the role, Kraven is truly at his best when paired with the greatest hunt... Spider-Man.
4. The Death of Jean Dewolff
Another of Spidey's darker affairs, The Death of Jean Dewolff published in 1985-86 by writer Peter David and artist Rich Buckler, sees Spider-Man lose trusted confidant and beloved police captain Jean Dewolff to the costumed serial killer known as Sin-Eater.
What follows is a never-ending crusade of pain, which takes the superhero through New York City coming across several fellow street-level heroes, on his path of vengeance. The previous Spider-Man film franchises included a major law enforcement figure in the form of Captain George Stacy, the father of Peter Parker's former girlfriend Gwen Stacy.
With the story of the Stacys done to death quite literally on film, introducing a new form of law enforcement through Jean Dewolff would provide Spider-Man an ally in uniform rather than tight spandex.
The tragedy is just as important to the Spider-Man mythos as his supporting characters and villains, with Jean Dewolff's demise being one of the most crushing defeats.
3. Gang War
Unlike stories of the past, 1987's Gang War from writers Tom Defalco / Jim Owsley involves several crime figures vying for control of the New York City underworld with Spider-Man and a handful of costumed vigilantes from Daredevil, The Punisher, and even Sam Wilson a.k.a. The Falcon caught in the middle.
The epic five-issue series is a culmination of decades worth of Spidey's affairs with the criminal underworld featuring notorious crime lords Hammerhead, Silvermane, and Wilson Fisk a.k.a. The Kingpin. As Spider-Man has yet to face street-level crime within the MCU, a Gang War adaptation could help place Peter Parker in familiar yet new surroundings.
While The Avengers and deal with aliens and time-traveling warlords, it's easy to forget the barrage of crime that occurs on the street. With comic Kingpin having a hand in several aspects of the Marvel Universe, it would be a shame to see the character merely confined to the small screen.
2. Enter The Hobgoblin
If the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever matches their Spider-Man with a Goblin, the Hobgoblin may be the best option. Initially lacking the psychotic nature of the original variant, writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr. introduced Hobgoblin into the 1980s Amazing Spider-Man comics as a means to avoid yet another Green Goblin arc.
The Hobgoblin is infamous for having his identity shrouded in mystery for decades, which could make for an intriguing cinematic enigma that can appease both Spidey fans and general audiences. The Green Goblin maybe Spider-Man's greatest nemesis, but the MCU has currently ditched repeat villains in favor of underrated yet classic Spidey foes such as Vulture (Michael Keaton) and Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal). A future Hobgoblin appearance would only continue the trend while continuing to build upon the arcs of past films.
1. Audition For The Fantastic Four
Perhaps the two biggest names in Marvel during the early 1960s, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four came to blows in only the debut issue of Spider-Man's first original comic series The Amazing Spider-Man from co-creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko.
A teenage and relatively inexperienced Spidey sought the Fantastic Four for employment while providing an exhibition on his astonishing abilities on the celebrated team of explorers firsthand. Spidey's defeat of the Fantastic Four proved impressive but ultimately fruitless, as the group was a non-profit organization.
Now that The Avengers is all but defunct for the time being, New York City and the world are in need of a new team of skilled superheroes to answer the call. As director Jon Watts transitions from the Spider-Man franchise to Marvel's upcoming Fantastic Four reboot, the opportunity for a crossover between Marvel's First Family and New York City's famous web-slinger seems inevitable.
In the history of the Spider-Man character, the arachnid-based hero has ventured from Midtown High School to the offices of The Daily Bugle before attending classes at Empire State University and returning to his own school to teach chemistry.
The coming-of-age nature associated with Spider-Man presents Marvel and Sony with an ever-evolving franchise capable of allowing the audience to truly age with its characters, who transition from teenagers to full-grown adults. Spider-Man was nearly dropped from the MCU canon in late 2019, but the wall-crawler's adventures in the MCU are far from over.
Opinions and Perspectives
The Gang War storyline could be the perfect way to ground Spider-Man in the MCU.
I'm excited to see how they handle Peter's transition to adulthood in future films.
Tom Holland has the acting chops to handle any of these stories. Let's see what he can do.
The street-level focus of some of these stories is exactly what the MCU Spider-Man needs.
Combining elements from different stories might be the best approach.
The Fantastic Four crossover seems inevitable but I hope they don't rush it.
I love all these suggestions but I doubt Sony would go for anything too dark.
These stories would be perfect for showing how Peter deals with real consequences.
We've seen enough origin stories and high school drama. Let's get to the more mature content.
The Jean DeWolff story would be a great way to show the human cost of being Spider-Man.
I think they need to establish Peter more as a solo hero before trying any of these bigger stories.
Imagine the potential for crossovers with the Gang War story. We could see so many characters interact.
The Hobgoblin mystery could be really engaging if they plant clues throughout multiple movies.
These all sound great but what about some of the more recent comic storylines?
I'm worried they'll try to make these stories too light and lose what makes them special.
We need to see Peter face more personal stakes rather than just world-ending threats.
The Fantastic Four story seems like the safest bet, but I'd love to see them take a risk with Kraven.
Tom Holland could definitely pull off the emotional depth needed for the Jean DeWolff story.
These stories would be perfect for showing how Peter balances his normal life with being Spider-Man.
I just want to see Spider-Man dealing with street-level crime for once in the MCU.
Maybe they could combine the Hobgoblin mystery with the Gang War storyline? That could be interesting.
The problem with adapting these stories is that they require a more mature Peter than we currently have.
A Fantastic Four crossover would be fun but I'd rather see these other stories first.
The MCU needs more grounded stories like these. Not everything needs to be multiverse-level threats.
I remember reading Kraven's Last Hunt as a kid. It completely changed how I saw Spider-Man stories.
The Gang War storyline could tie in perfectly with the street-level heroes we're seeing in the Disney+ shows.
We need to see more consequences in these Spider-Man movies. The Jean DeWolff story would be perfect for that.
A college-aged Peter Parker dealing with these darker themes would be perfect for the next phase.
I've always felt the Hobgoblin was more interesting than Green Goblin. This could be their chance to prove it.
The Jean DeWolff story would be a great way to show the impact of crime on Peter's world.
Let's be realistic here. They're probably going to do something completely different from any of these suggestions.
I'm concerned they might water down these complex stories to fit the MCU formula.
The Hobgoblin story could be stretched across multiple films, building up the mystery.
These darker storylines would be perfect for showing Peter's growth into adulthood.
I've read all these stories and honestly the Gang War arc would translate best to screen.
Just imagine Tom Holland's Spider-Man trying to join the Fantastic Four! The comedy potential alone would be worth it.
We need more street-level crime fighting in these movies. Not everything needs to be about saving the universe.
I actually think combining elements from several of these stories could work really well.
The mystery aspect of Hobgoblin would be so refreshing after all the villains we've already seen revealed.
These are all great suggestions but I worry they might be too ambitious for where the MCU is right now.
A Fantastic Four crossover feels inevitable with Jon Watts directing both franchises.
I really want to see Peter in college. We've had enough high school Spider-Man at this point.
The Gang War storyline sounds perfect for introducing more street-level heroes into Spider-Man's world.
That's exactly why we need Kraven's Last Hunt! Spider-Man stories should be able to grow up with their audience.
Kraven's Last Hunt would be way too intense for the current MCU audience. My kids would be terrified.
The Hobgoblin mystery would be perfect for keeping audiences guessing between movies.
I think the Jean DeWolff story could work if they modernized it properly. It would give us a different kind of police presence in Peter's life.
The Fantastic Four crossover could be amazing if done right. Remember how fun the original comic interaction was?
I'd honestly prefer to see them do something completely original rather than adapt any of these stories directly.
You're missing the point. These stories aren't just about being dark, they're about Peter growing up and facing more complex challenges.
Why is everyone obsessed with making Spider-Man darker? I love the lighter tone of the current movies.
The article makes a good point about Peter aging with the audience. That's what made the comics so relatable.
I love the idea of seeing Spidey cross paths with Daredevil and Punisher in a Gang War adaptation. The street-level focus would be refreshing.
Not sure about adding Fantastic Four into the mix right now. Let Spider-Man grow on his own first.
Tom Holland isn't too old! Look at how long Tobey Maguire played a high school Peter Parker. I think he could easily do more films.
Anyone else think the Jean DeWolff story might be too similar to what they did with Captain Stacy? I want to see something completely fresh.
The Hobgoblin suggestion makes a lot of sense. We've seen enough Green Goblin, and the mystery aspect could work really well in a movie format.
I actually disagree about adapting Kraven's Last Hunt. I think it's too dark for the current MCU Spider-Man tone they've established.
The Gang War storyline would be amazing to see on screen. Imagine Tom Holland's Spidey dealing with street-level crime for a change instead of just world-ending threats.
I love how they included Kraven's Last Hunt! It's such a dark and compelling story that would be perfect for an older Peter Parker.