'Amazing Spider-Man' Images & Wallpaper Tease a Darker Origin Story

Screen Rant

By Sandy Schaefer

Published May 1, 2012

Two new official frames and a wallpaper from 'The Amazing Spider-Man' - featuring a battered, arrested and brooding Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) - stick firmly to the 'darker and grittier' angle of the film's marketing.

Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man is struggling to keep its head above the water right now, what with all the ruckus about Avengers breaking overseas box office records (just ahead of its U.S. debut this week) and the recent premiere of the third Dark Knight Rises trailer.

The Spidey franchise reboot will get an extra push in a few days' time, when its trailer is released online (and attached to Avengers prints). Meanwhile, a couple of new ASM photos and wallpaper have been released - and yes, they firmly embrace the "darker, grittier" philosophy of the film's marketing to date.

For those just tuning in: Amazing Spider-Man is a retelling of the webslinger's origin story that features a new Peter Parker (Social Network's Andrew Garfield) and incorporates several elements found in Stan Lee's classic Spider-Man comics, but not present in Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man flick - such as, artificial web-shooters, Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) as Pete's first love and a greater emphasis on the superhero's high school experience.

However, ASM also borrows from the more recent "Ultimate Spider-Man" comic universe, launched in 2000 - which features a modernized representation of Peter Parker and more backstory on what happened to Pete's biological parents. As evidenced by the film's marketing (see below), the final result looks to be a Spidey film that's (dare it be said) "edgier" than any of Raimi's Spider-Man movies, both stylistically and thematically.

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amazing spider man peter lizard laboratory

As has been mentioned on Screen Rant before, Amazing Spider-Man has somewhat of an easier task ahead than its fellow Summer 2012 comic book flicks, since it isn't saddled with sky-high expectations. Thus, so long as director Marc Webb manages to deliver enough in the way of a refreshing take on Spidey's origins (including, some fantastic 3D set pieces), fans should walk away satisfied.

Of course, those lower expectations are a double-edged sword, as it also means that Amazing Spider-Man has to deal with a lot more skepticism (and less interest among moviegoers in general) than either Avengers or Dark Knight Rises. So, really, ASM is (relatively speaking) the wild card of those three superhero titles.

The Amazing Spider-Man swings into theaters around the U.S. on July 3rd, 2012. Be sure to check back in to Screen Rant later this week, for the final trailer premiere.

Source: iTunes, Stark Industries