Spider-Man: Homecoming swung into theaters in 2017 as the second reboot of the web-slinger and the 16th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Jon Watts directed from a screenplay by three writing teams. Tom Holland plays Peter Parker, a 15-year-old balancing Midtown School of Science and Technology with the mask. The tagline says it plainly: “Homework can wait. The city can’t.”
Trailer, via Sony Pictures Entertainment.
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker
Holland built the role around the ordinary. He spent a few days at the Bronx High School of Science, where students did not believe he was cast as Spider-Man. That disbelief carries into the film, where nobody suspects Peter. He took inspiration from Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield but wanted something new: Peter “dealing with everyday problems that a 15-year-old deals with as well as trying to save the city.” It took 25 to 45 minutes to get into the suit, depending on the stunt harness. Holland signed for six MCU films.
Michael Keaton and the Vulture
Keaton’s Adrian Toomes is a salvager forced out of business when the Department of Damage Control takes over his cleanup contract. He keeps the Chitauri technology and sells advanced weapons, flying a suit with mechanical wings. Watts wanted a “regular guy,” closer to John C. Reilly’s Rhomann Dey than Thanos or Ultron. That choice keeps the Avengers away and leaves Peter a villain he can actually reach.
The Best Parts of Homecoming
Three things make Spider-Man: Homecoming work:
- Peter quits the academic decathlon team, then rejoins it to chase a tracking signal to the national tournament in Washington, D.C.
- Ned, played by Jacob Batalon, discovers Peter’s secret identity and becomes his partner in the suit’s advanced features.
- Toomes is revealed as the father of Liz, Peter’s love interest.
The Queens setting and the high school comedy give the film its footing. Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark mentors and warns, but never solves the problem for Peter.
Where the Film Slips
The Vulture’s arms-dealing thread drags in the middle, and the film leans on Stark as a safety net when Peter should fail alone. Still, Watts keeps the scale small, which suits a hero who is still learning.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is a confident reset, not a reinvention. It works because Holland plays a kid first and a hero second, and because Keaton gives the villain a reason. The film earns its place.
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