Sony seems to be willing to close the book on its patchy Spider-Man spin-off universe, and that change may pave the way to something that fans have long desired. As the studio is reportedly considering a relaunch of its Spider-Man-related properties, there is now an unusual chance to rectify one of the largest missed opportunities of the 2010s.
Rather than going all the way back to the beginning, the smartest move could be to revisit a form of the hero that audiences never actually said goodbye to, Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man.
Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Still Has Unfinished Business
The release of ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and its sequel in the early 2010s caused a lot of controversy among fans. Some viewers enjoyed Garfield’s performance as Spider-Man, his humor, and emotional depth. Others believed that the movies were overburdened with too many plots and villains.
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The second film, especially, attempted to do too much at once. It had several villains, a mystery about Peter Parker’s parents, and some early foreshadowing of a Sinister Six plot. The goal was evident, yet the implementation made the franchise feel hurried and incomplete. Still, it was not because of Garfield’s performance.
Instead, his appearance in ‘No Way Home’ was a reminder to the audience of how popular his interpretation had become. Viewers left that movie feeling that they had just revisited a story that was not given enough time to develop. His cameo was met with enthusiasm that showed that there was never a lack of interest in his Webslinger.
Sony’s Spider-Man Reboot Could Turn Garfield’s Divisive Franchise Into A Success
With Sony allegedly about to set a new course for its Spider-Man universe, the studio has an uncommon opportunity to learn the lessons of the past instead of repeating them. The reboot can be more of a character-driven and contained Spider-Man story instead of overloading the story with villains or rushing to a cinematic universe.
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Garfield’s Peter already has emotional depth, history, and unresolved arcs that can naturally continue. In the meantime, there are other projects like ‘Spider-Noir’ that demonstrate that Sony is venturing into new areas of the Spider-Man mythology beyond the standard formula. Such experimentation would go well with a re-launched Amazing Spider-Man timeline.
To most fans, Garfield’s Spider-Man always felt like a story interrupted rather than a story finished. A re-invention that incorporates that concept rather than abandoning it would turn what was once a divisive franchise into one of the most promising superhero directions at Sony. It is not always necessary to start all over again. Sometimes it’s finally finishing what was left unfinished.
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