Back in November 2015, the MCU was the subject of an intriguing twist. After all these years, Spider-Man would finally be joining the same world as Iron Man, Captain America and other beloved Stan Lee characters just in time for the biggest chapter yet: The Infinity Saga.
Both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home have been big successes, both among fans of the franchise and critics, too. Yet we'll now take a look at five changes we'd make to Peter Parker's two Marvel entries so far.
More Money Shots
The posters for Spider-Man: Homecoming suggested that he'd be swinging through the city. All promotional material appeared to have the webslinger sitting on top of the Avengers Tower or perched on top of a skyscraper. However, it wouldn't be until the closing scene of Spider-Man: Far From Home that we'd get to see Peter Parker really soaring through the city and scaling dizzying heights.
This meant we felt the posters sold us a tad short. While it's not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, swinging through New York is kind of what Peter is all about. And we felt this was certainly an oversight on Disney's behalf.
Better Shockers
When it was announced that Shocker would be one of the villains in Homecoming, fans were excited. We'd seen the Green Goblin (twice), Doctor Octopus, Sandman, Venom, the Lizard and Electro all appear on the big screen. And now it was time for a different villain entirely.
Alas, Shocker was disappointing. There were two versions of the bad guy but both were equally bad. The first was disintegrated by Adrian Toomes while Bokeem Woodbine's version was even worse, getting defeated by Ned.
Lame Liz
Liz was Peter's love interest in Homecoming but, while she seemed a nice and friendly enough character, she was also extremely forgettable.
As a character she was bland, offering precious little to the blockbuster. And that's a shame given she was the daughter of the much-more interesting Adrian Toomes. While we appreciate the twist, we feel Liz could have been given more of a purpose rather than just exist for the sake of the plot. Zendaya's MJ has more character to her - and that's saying something given she spends the bulk of the movie being moody.
Spider-Man CGI
Obviously, CGI is used for a lot of things these days. Even the weirdest things - such as Henry Cavill's mustache in Justice League - can be altered due to the constantly evolving technology. But while we appreciate it's importance, it's definitely been overused.
And that's because of the suit. The first suit Peter wore in Captain America: Civil War looked realistic enough. But the Iron Spider suit and outfit he creates in Far From Home just don't look realistic. They're too bright, too colorful and far too cartooney. Some fans much prefer the classic outfit from the Sam Raimi trilogy, or simple number donned in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
MJ More Comic Accurate
Most fans are completely fine with MJ being the MCU's own spin on Mary Jane Watson. But, given Mary Jane was the inspiration for the character, some believe there should be more nods to Stan Lee's source material.
An obvious way of doing this would have been to give MJ some red hair, especially when that's a trait closely-associated with Mary Jane. Or by making her a faithful sidekick, rather than a damsel in distress. Maybe some more references will be included further down the line and, for fans of the comic character, that's a big necessity.
Logic Needs Applying
We totally get that Peter Parker is a schoolboy and, consequently, prone to bad decision-making. But, given he's somebody whose brain is bigger than just about everybody he meets, it makes some of his choices illogical.
For example, in Far From Home. Peter is bright and intellectual enough to know that he's the owner of EDITH and, therefore, can withdraw a drone strike at any time. He also wouldn't be foolishly tricked into believing he's got another Tony Stark on his hands in Mysterio. Many of Peter's choices in the two movies actually betray the character and this is something fans would certainly change.
Less Love Jokes
While we found the relationship with Ned and Betty Brandt entertaining and amusing, it did get a bit tiresome. Especially as it amounted to nothing. We were quite looking forward to Bet and Ned perhaps having a meaningful relationship but, alas, it wasn't to be. If they'd stayed together perhaps we'll feel differently but, instead, it feels like it was a pointless side-plot to help make the movie that bit more comedic.
Clarification On Other Heroes
This one applies strictly to Far From Home. Obviously, we totally understand why Disney didn't want to let out any secrets on Thor, Captain Marvel, and other superheroes following the events of Avengers: Endgame. But, while that's the case, it still displeased us.
That's partly because fans deserved more. And, also, for narrative reasons. There's no chance the heroes would have turned down Nick Fury (who is actually Talos) in the S.H.I.E.L.D agent's moment of need. And this, to us, was a scene that just made precious little sense.
The Lack Of Osborns
Fans like Ned, with the character bringing light comedic relief to the two Spider-Man movies the MCU have done so far. But while he's a good ally to Peter, he isn't nearly half as interesting as Harry Osborn, his best friend in the source material.
And Harry isn't the only Osborn fans which we'd get to see. There's also many who want to see Norman Osborn brought into the fold, especially given how he becomes the Green Goblin. Whether that happens eventually, further down the line, is something only time will tell.
Peter Parker Less Iron Man 2.0
The fact that Tony Stark was a mentor for Peter Parker has been a really great aspect of Spider-Man's time in the MCU. But, that said, the character has been transformed somewhat into Iron Man 2.0.
What with the CGI suits, the flashy gadgets, and now the EDITH glasses, it seems like Peter has essentially been groomed to become Stark's heir. That's a bit insulting to the webhead and we hope that, further down the line, Spidey is able to become a hero within his own right - instead of playing second fiddle.