Fourth MCU ‘Spider-Man’ Film Gets a Title, Release Date

 

If you saw the news Tuesday morning you might have thought it was a bizarre April Fool’s joke, but Sony Pictures wasn’t foolin’ when they revealed that their anticipated follow-up to smash-hit Spider-Man: No Way Home would be called Spider-Man: Brand New Day and that it would be hitting theaters on July 31, 2026.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day 🕷️ July 31, 2026. pic.twitter.com/R6OY8tAHOb

— Spider-Man Movie (@SpiderManMovie) April 1, 2025

The Brand New Day subtitle might be slightly triggering for longtime Spidey fans, as it references a mostly maligned story arc that began in 2008. You see, in the comics, Peter Parker’s beloved Aunt May was shot, and Peter made a pact with the actual Marvel devil – Mephisto if you’re nasty – in order to keep her alive. In exchange for May’s life, Peter sacrificed his marriage to Mary Jane Watson. To this day, Peter and MJ’s marriage has yet to be restored. So, yeah, it’s a bit of a sore spot.

The ”Brand New Day” storyline served as the hardest of soft reboots for the comic book Web-Slinger, introducing new romances, characters and villains in a reset continuity. Given the events of No Way Home, during which Tom Holland’s Peter sacrificed his non-Spidey life to save his universe, it seems like the MCU could be pushing the character in a similar clean-slate direction: low-tech suit, street-level storytelling and new relationships. And this could be a fantastic change of pace, since Holland’s Peter has unfortunately been often overshadowed by other Avengers and other Spider-Men in his prior MCU outings. With the promise of a more Spidey-centric narrative I’m excited to see what’s “Brand New” for my favorite superhero  in 2026.

In other Wall-Crawler news, Sony’s animated Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, is officially hitting theaters on June 4, 2027.

‘Spider-Man 2’ is My Game of the Year

 SPOILERS AHEAD

As someone with limited “free time,” I’m not ashamed to admit that I completed Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man 2 twice since its Oct. 20 release. Yes, I’m aware that was only two weeks ago as of this writing, and yes, I’m aware that there are other games out there worthy of my time, including Baldur’s Gate 3 and the spectacular-by-all-accounts Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Nintendo Switch. I’ll get to those, surely, but after an initial jaunt through Insomniac’s lovingly crafted Marvel epic, I needed to swing through it again. But I had a legitimate reason to run it back … honest.

Last week, after spending just a few hours with the game, I vowed to take my time with it. But, of course, certain story and gameplay elements – nearly all of which involved some ridiculously fun, slimy, Symbiote powers – compelled me onward. I ignored prompts to explore optional side stories as I launched myself toward an inevitable and emotional confrontation with Venom/Harry Osborn. Ignoring chances to gain and upgrade abilities for both Peter Parker and Miles Morales (including those tied to health, enemy damage and all-important Focus meters), I haphazardly turned a relatively straightforward action-adventure game into a white-knuckle Dark Souls-like experience. I made it through the story on the default Amazing difficulty, but with no shortage of expletives or urges to hurl my controller across the room. The thrill of completion (which happened 3 a.m. last Wednesday, by the way), quickly turned to regret, as my desire to complete the game before it got spoiled for me on social media robbed me of the fun I could have had with it. Congratulations, Past James, you played yourself.

So, the next night, I started a new game determined to explore as much of the optional content as I could and to level up both Spider-Men accordingly. I was introduced to a pre-Symbiote Cletus Kasady. I helped a woman find and reconnect with her grandfather. I experienced the world as Miles’ Deaf love interest Hailey, in one of the coolest and most thoughtful side missions I’ve ever played. Oh, and I also saved New York City and the world from alien slime monsters. All in a work for your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man(s).

I’m certain we’ll get more content via DLC, as was the case with 2018’s Spider-Man, and perhaps we’ll even get a shorter follow-up like Insomniac’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, which brought the franchise to the PS5 for the first time. But even as it stands, Spider-Man 2 is my favorite game in this series and, for me, is the best game of 2023. From the intricate story to the satisfying traversal to the ways in which the combat gets increasingly fun the more you play, I have not had more fun with any other game this year. And I might even play through it again before the New Year. 

 Granted, I’m wearing Spider-Man socks and staring at a shelf of Spider-Man action figures as I type this, so take all of this with a massive grain of Spider-Salt before you come at me on X (formerly Twitter). Thwip, thwip.  

Sticking Power: ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’ First Impressions

 

There are only a few games in the past five years or so that have completely captured my imagination and my free time – I’m sure plenty of folks riding out the final days of their 30s can relate. But of that handful of titles, three stand out above all others: Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and, most recently, Spider-Man 2 on PlayStation 5 (officially named  Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, but I think you’ll know what game I’m talking about even if I skip that formality moving forward).

Developer Insomniac Games has cracked the code as far as what makes Spider-Man compelling not only as a fictional character – that efficacy has been proven across just about every medium known to man except maybe Broadway – but as a playable character in a video game. Never before has it been so fun to aimlessly explore a virtual environment as it has been with these three games. And Spider-Man 2 is easily the best one yet.

The game looks beautiful, and whether I’m swinging between buildings as Peter Parker or Miles Morales or soaring above them with the use of the game’s brand-new Web Wings mechanics, I’m in love with the exploration, and many of my waking hours not spent playing the game have involved thinking about it … and that’s just the traversal!

Without getting into spoiler territory (you’ll get their soon enough if you scroll your TikTok FYP long enough), Spider-Man 2 weaves together the various threads from the original game, its DLC and Miles’ spectacular spinoff title to craft a massive narrative that pulls from a half-decade of Spidey lore to create something fresh. If you think you know Venom’s story already, you don’t. And because we’ve all gotten so comfortable with a Spider-Man multiverse many times over in recent years, it’s not at all jarring when Insomniac decides to make a massive departure from the source material. It’s refreshing! New is good! Stop complaining! 

Equally refreshing is the combat, which retains the frenetic, controlled chaos of previous entries while giving both Miles and Peter new, distinct abilities. Miles gets a strange upgrade to his Venom Blast abilities, while Peter … well, let’s just say his movements get more fluid this time around.

But perhaps the most impressive thing about Spider-Man 2 is how excited I am to TAKE. IT. SLOW. With many recent games that I actually quite enjoyed – including Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, God of War: Ragnarok, and Final Fantasy XVI – I’ve been compelled to move through the main story as fast as possible to absorb it and move on because of that “adulting” (ugh) thing I alluded to earlier. But I’m enjoying just being in Spider-Man 2’s world that I’m in no rush to get to the ending. Much like the titular Wall-Crawlers, I think I’ll stick around in Spider-Man 2 for a while.

Why ‘Spider-Verse’ Might Become One of Our Greatest Trilogies

 

I have a confession to make: I wasn’t all that excited about 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse in the lead-up to its release. At the time, Marvel fans were still reeling from Avengers: Infinity War, and with Tom Holland’s Spidey claiming his rightful place as one of the central figures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an animated multiverse movie about Miles Morales felt like a side dish. Ancillary. Unimportant. Kids’ stuff.

Then, of course, I saw the movie, which not only changed what I thought a Spider-Man film could be, but what animated films were capable of in general. Much like Spider-Ham eating a hot dog, I was wrong. Way wrong.

Meanwhile, the MCU’s Spidey story would continue beyond Endgame with Far from Home and No Way Home, the latter of which brought classic Peter Parkers Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield back into the tights – alongside some familiar villains – in what became the most crowd-pleasing Spider-Man story ever brought to film … until this past Friday when Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse premiered.

I’m clearly not alone in loving the film, directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson. In fact, in what is a statistical near-impossibility, social media seems united in their praise for the sequel, which somehow distills a multiverse-spanning narrative into a rich character study for main characters Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Miguel O’Hara (Oscar Isaac). Marrying swaggering bombast with careful craftsmanship, this film honors 80 years of Spider-Man canon across media while telling an all-new story about heroism, found family, identity and – since this is a Spidey flick after all – great power and the responsibility that comes with it.

But of course, that story is far from over. In a move that knocked us all back from the edge of our seats, Across the Spider-Verse ends with a big ol’ “To Be Continued,” forcing us to wait until the next issue sequel arrives next March in the form of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse. And without getting into spoiler territory (because even a few days after release, that would be criminal), Miles and friends find themselves in a precarious spot (ha!) before the credits roll, so the next few months are going to be excruciating as we wait to see what happens next. But until that point, I plan on watching Across the Spider-Verse many, many more times. From the wide variety of animation styles on display to the sheer volume of activity and characters filling the frame at times, this film demands repeat viewing.

It's admittedly rare these days to find myself truly compelled to watch a Marvel film more than once. The aforementioned No Way Home aside, the post-Endgame MCU stories have felt more like DLC than bonafide superhero epics – secondary to the already-completed main quest that reached its logical conclusion four years ago. Fortunately, the outstanding Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 changed all that by bringing us one of the best MCU films ever last month (thank you, James Gunn!) and the non-MCU-but-very-much-still-connected-to-the-MCU Across the Spider-Verse kept that momentum going in a major way. And if Miles sticks the landing next March, we might be considering the Spider-Verse trilogy not only one of the best superhero trilogies of all time, but one of the greatest movie trilogies PERIOD.

So yeah, about Spider-Verse being a side dish? There’s been a change to the menu. Now, True Believers, we feast.

How Did Electro Show Up in ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’? (SPOILERS WITHIN)

 

IF YOU HAVEN’T SEEN SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME, STOP READING!!!

Spider-Man: No Way Home is among the most exhilarating, satisfying and emotionally exhausting films I have ever experienced. The highs are incredibly high in Spidey’s eighth live-action solo outing, which not only elevates the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Peter Parker (Tom Holland’s best MCU performance to date), but also wraps a bow around 20 years of The Wall-Crawler on the silver screen.

But no film is perfect, especially one as ambitious as this one. Director Jon Watts and writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers spun a tale that brings different cinematic universes together in a bombastically satisfying way, but there’s one detail that continues to captivate and confuse moviegoers, sparking much debate on social media.

Here’s a refresher. To undo Mysterio’s Far from Home revelation that Peter Parker is Spider-Man, our hero enlists the aid of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to make the world forget The Web-Slinger’s identity. Peter tries to change the parameters of the spell a few times during its casting, drawing people who know Peter’s identity from other universes into his. Prior Sony Spidey villains Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) against their will, united in the fact that they all know Peter Parker is Spider-Man (albeit versions played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy and the Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man films, respectively).

But there’s just one problem: Electro never knew Peter Parker was Spider-Man.

This issue has been on my mind since a friend brought it to my attention a mere two days after the film’s release, and based on the collective complaining of the internet, I’m not alone. But there are several explanations for the apparent inconsistency – two being that we’re overthinking it and that any way to get Foxx back to knock it out of the park as Electro is worth it whether or not it really makes sense. 

Rational thinking aside, though, let’s dive into three theories as to how Electro could have known Spidey’s identity, even though he had never seen The Wall-Crawler with his mask off (as evidenced via dialog near the end of the film) or heard his full name.

FIRST-NAME BASIS
Near the conclusion of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, moments before Spidey defeats Electro, Gwen calls our hero “Peter” out loud as they are devising a plan to defeat the super-charged villain. The exact rules for Doctor Strange’s spell aren’t exactly clear, and he himself states that the Multiverse is still something no one fully understands. Assuming Electro heard Gwen, was that knowledge enough to cross over?

IDENTITY THEFT
Moments before his apparent “death,” Electro was absorbing an immense amount of data from the grid, which would presumably give him access to all kinds of information stored on the internet and digital devices. Could Electro have perhaps gained access to text messages, Oscorp files or other encrypted information that would grant him knowledge of who his “best friend” Spidey truly is?

VARIANT EDITION
The Multiverse is host to a seemingly limitless number of realities, many of which could be like ones we’ve seen but with slight differences. What if this Electro is from an adjacent reality from the one we witnessed in The Amazing Spider-Man 2?

In any event, until we get an official answer from the director, writers or Sony itself, theories will continue to abound. Until then, I guess I’ll keep crawling up the walls … metaphorically, of course.

'Spider-Man: No Way Home' Trailer Reaction

It’s here. Following an ultra-low quality “leak” over the weekend, we finally have the official first trailer for Spider-Man: No Way Home, the third Spidey flick in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that promises to crack the MCU Multiverse wide open.

For True Believers, there’s plenty to digest in the 3:03 clip (which also accounts for a PlayStation 5 end tag. After Mysterio outed him as Spider-Man in Far from Home, The Wall-Crawler’s world is thrown completely out of whack. Enter Doctor Strange, who bends some space/time rules despite the warnings of others (sorry, Wong) to make everyone forget who Spider-Man is. Mistakes are made, and villains from other realities – it seems – invade the MCU. Enter Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus (“Hello, Peter”) and Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, who can be heard cackling offscreen as we see his signature pumpkin bomb explode. Yellow lightning evidently heralds the arrival of Electro, with Jamie Foxx confirmed to be reprising his Amazing Spider-Man 2 role as the zap-happy bad guy. 

Whether or not these are the same versions of the villains we have seen in prior Sony Spider-Man films remains to be seen. After all, (spoiler alert) they’re pretty dead by all accounts. But as we’ve seen in comic books and the MCU itself as of late, death is more a suggestion than anything else when it comes to these characters.

And speaking of those prior Sony Spidey films, the trailer doesn’t so much as hint at the appearance of prior celluloid Webslingers Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, both of whom are heavily rumored to appear in the film. Of course, this is outrageous to the most vocally venomous denizens of social media. For the rest of us, it’s welcome restraint. If they do appear in the film, their big reveal will be powerful. And as Uncle Ben says, great power something something.

As for me, I have a deep connection to the prior Sony films – specifically the Sam Raimi trilogy. I’ll never forget seeing the 2002 film with my friends during opening weekend, which was one of our last moviegoing experiences before high school graduation. Spider-Man 2 just two years later was one of the first things I wrote about for UConn’s Daily Campus newspaper. My high school marching band appeared in Spider-Man 3, which I covered for the Westmore News in Port Chester. I have more action figures of Spider-Man than perhaps any other character in my collection, most of which are likely from the films. So yeah, this means a lot to me, and I’m glad to see the Raimi films and the largely underrated Amazing films canonized in the current storytelling in such a fun way.

Plus, there’s some fun comic history being remixed here. The storyline of No Way Home seems to be a mash-up of the “One More Day” and “Spider-Verse” arcs, both of which had long-reaching implication for Peter and his supporting cast. Although it would be unfair to pit this one against the phenomenal Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse animated film, No Way Home has the potential to similarly web up our imaginations when it arrives on December 17.

How Old is Marvel Studios' Spider-Man?

In an interview with Empire, director Jon Watts revealed that Peter Parker in the forthcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man reboot will be 15 years old, which is great news for comic book fans that prefer their Webslinger to stay in high school for a while.

This new version of the character, played by 19-year-old Tom Holland will debut in next year's Captain America: Civil War, which will be followed up by Watts' solo Spider-Man flick on July 28, 2017.

For more on the Empire interview, head over to Den of Geek by clicking here.

Marisa Tomei is the New Aunt May

Imagine you're a mutated spider. You're crawlin' along, you get hungry, you spot a nerdy, little teenager. You put your little spider lips down to his cool, soft skin ... BAM!

Sorry, but the latest Spider-Man casting news required at least one My Cousin Vinny joke on my part. Variety reports that Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei will play Aunt May in Marvel Studios and Sony's forthcoming Spider-Man reboot. Tomei will star alongside 19-year-old Tom Holland, who was recently announced as Marvel's new Peter Parker. Obviously, with Tomei just entering her 50s, we're skewing younger all around, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

You can next see Tomei in Amy Schumer's Trainwreck, which hits theaters next week. For the full story on this Spider-Man casting, head over to Variety by clicking here.

Thoughts on the New 'Spider-Man' Casting

Although my mind has been focused on another hero from another publisher over the past 24 hours — Batman: Arkham Knight owns me at the moment — I couldn’t help but sit up and take notice that Sony and Marvel Studios have chosen a director and a Peter Parker for their forthcoming Spider-Man reboot.

English actor Tom Holland, 19, will step into Spidey’s tights in the 2017 reboot, with relative newcomer Jon Watts directing.

I can’t really speak to Watts’ abilities as a director — I’ve never heard of Clown, Cop Car or Eugene!, which are among his previous credits — but I will say that Holland fits the bill quite nicely as a high school-aged Parker (especially since he's actually a teenager). The key is for Parker to be believable as both a socially-awkward nerd and a quippy costumed hero when he's behind the mask. This kid looks like he might be able to pull that off.

My sincere hope in general for this reboot of a reboot is that it avoids the pitfalls that sunk the last two iterations of the franchise: namely an excess of both antagonists and melodrama.

Holland has already been confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter as being rushed to the set of Captain America: Civil War, in which he’ll make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut next May. The Webslinger’s solo film, meanwhile, will hit theaters July 28, 2017.

For the full casting announcement, head over to Marvel.com. 

Is Matthew McConaughey the New Green Goblin?

You know what I like about comic book characters, man? I get older, they stay the same age. Alright, alright, alright.

The Spider-Man rumor mill seems to be in full swing these days. After various media outlets reported that Ender's Game actor Asa Butterfield will be the Webslinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe starting with next year's Captain America: Civil War, it's now rumored that Matthew McConaughey is being eyed to play Norman Osborn/Green Goblin in the forthcoming Spider-Man solo flick in 2017.

MConaughey has been pretty good at playing a total slimeball since 1993's Dazed and Confused, so he shouldn't have too much difficulty stepping into the role of a billionaire-turned-criminal mastermind. What do you think? Would McConaughey be an "interstellar" choice, or is this reboot already a "failure to launch"?

Thwip! The Amazing Spider-Man Comes Home

Man, why did news like this have to drop on a Monday night? Don't studio execs know I was working?

If you've gotten eyes on a computer or a smartphone screen in the last 24 hours, you already know that Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures have reached an agreement to share Spider-Man, meaning that the Wall-Crawler will be swinging alongside Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and the rest of the The Avengers in the very near future.

Marvel.com has the full press release on this amazing development, but here's what we know:

• The new Spider-Man will debut in a forthcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe film, which The Wall Street Journal has confirmed to be Captain America: Civil War.
• After the all-new Spidey appears in the MCU, Sony will release its next Spider-Man film on July 28, 2017. The new film will be co-produced by Marvel Studios' Kevin Feige and Sony's Amy Pascal.
• Sony will continue to finance, distribute, own and have creative control over the property.
• Characters from the MCU might appear in Sony's Spider-Man films.

So what does this mean? Well, it seems like we'll get yet another Spider-Man movie reboot, its second in just 13 years. It also means that the continuity of Sony's Spider-Man films will fit in line with Marvel Studios' flicks, so Spidey will be a part of that shared universe with Sony still being able to take ownership over the franchise. It's the ultimate win-win for our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Who's going to play Peter Parker? Will we have to sit through yet another origin story? Will Spidey play an integral role in Captain America: Civil War, as was the case in the comics? The questions continue to mount in the wake of this announcement. Yet, if one thing's certain,  it's a damn good time to be a True Believer. 

On Wars, Both Secret and Civil

We're just days removed from New York Comic Con, and geeks are all abuzz about several developments coming out of Marvel, namely that The House of Ideas is not only bringing us an all-new Secret Wars event next summer, but that 2015 will also see the release of another Civil War series. Whether the two events will occur simultaneously remains to be seen.

I was mere months old when Marvel launched its first Secret Wars crossover in 1984, so the announcement didn't necessarily bring about any pangs of nostalgia (even though I do thumb through my softcover trade paperback of that campy "all the good guys vs. all the bad guys" yarn every now and then), but the Civil War revelation is another story entirely.

Civil War, Marvel's politically-charged tale about a rift in its superhero community, kicked off in July 2006, a time when the idea of an Iron Man film seemed laughable while Spider-Man 3 was poised to be the biggest comic book movie of all time. I started working in Manhattan that fall, and my office was right between Midtown Comics' Lexington Ave. and Times Square locations. I hadn't been a regular consumer at a comic book store since the mid-1990s, when locales like The Dragon's Den in Greenwich, Conn., and The Spider's Web in downtown Port Chester, N.Y., served as nerdy refuges before superheroes were "in." With so many comic book stores in my area shuttering in the wake of the industry's 1990s boom period, I wound up getting my fix from the limited selection of new titles at bookstores like Barnes & Noble and Borders before my interest in the medium reached a low point in my teens. A chance lunch hour visit to Midtown Comics changed all that. I immediately gravitated toward Civil War and its numerous spin-offs. I was hooked again.

Although the bleak tone of the Civil War miniseries wasn't for everybody, the tight narrative by Mark Millar and the striking artwork by Steve McNiven kept me enthralled during my Metro-North commutes, and I was genuinely heartbroken when Captain America was assassinated after the series' conclusion the following year. My fandom only grew from there, and I went on to amass countless single issues and trades from Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Image and just about anything else that I could get my hands on. Now, I'm a weekly regular at my local comic book store (A Timeless Journey in Stamford, Conn.) and my collection of current series and back-issues getting out of hand, to put it lightly. And it's all because of Civil War, for better or for worse.

Eight years later, Marvel is revisiting Civil War, with a teaser image that's evocative of the original. With rumors of a Marvel Comics reboot and recent speculation about how the Civil War storyline might be adapted in a future Captain America or Avengers film, there's lots for geeks to debate and wonder about. I'm proudly standing among them.

Norman Osborn Cast in ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ Sequel

Despite not being entirely disappointed by Sony’s The Amazing Spider-Man, I don’t really find myself craving the sequel. Perhaps it’s because my interest in Spider-Man as a character just isn’t there anymore — see the Superior Spider-Man comic book series to see why — but it’s more likely that Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, the forthcoming Avengers sequel and Guardians of the Galaxy are more promising films in the oh-so-capable hands of Marvel Studios. Nevertheless, the film rights to Spidey apparently remain in Sony’s hands as long as they keep cranking out sequels, so The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is on the way. Introduced this time around are Jamie Foxx as Electro, relative unknown Shailene Woodley as Mary Jane Watson and — apparently — Paul Giamatti as Spidey’s massive horned nemesis Rhino.

Because nothing bad ever happens when you introduce too many villains in a superhero narrative, Sony will be adding Norman Osborn into the mix as Baddie #3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Oscar winner Chris Cooper (Adaptation, The Muppets) will play the nefarious executive-turned-criminal mastermind in the 2014 sequel. For those keeping score, all three villains in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 have earned Academy Awards, so kudos to director Marc Webb and his team for aiming high. That being said, one wonders whether Cooper — talented though he may be — will be able to top Willem Dafoe’s performance as Osborn/The Green Goblin in Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy.

In other Amazing Spider-Man news, Marvel has released a first look (pictured) at Peter Parker’s new threads in the sequel. As you can see, the design is far more traditional than the suit sported by actor Andrew Garfield in the first film, and it actually bears a stark resemblance to Tobey Maguire’s suit in the Raimi flicks. It’s definitely a step in the right direction, but it’s also a reminder that the Amazing Spider-Man series represents the most needless reboot in the history of cinema. Oh well.

‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ to Spin New Trilogy

 I’ll admit, The Amazing Spider-Man is a lot better than I expected it to be. Considering the fact that it’s a completely unnecessary reboot of a franchise launched just one decade ago—retelling an origin story that we already know by heart—the movie’s action sequences are superior to anything in the Sam Raimi trilogy, and the film sets the stage for even better Spidey films.

Speaking of those better films, Sony Pictures has confirmed that The Amazing Spider-Man is the first of a trilogy. A post on the film’s official Facebook page stated the following:

“It's finally here! The Amazing Spider-Man is the first installment in a movie trilogy that will explore how our fave hero's journey was shaped by the disappearance of his parents.”

If you’ve seen the film, you know that Peter Parker’s parents play a much larger role than they did in Raimi’s trilogy. That said, what do you think the remaining films will reveal? Furthermore, who will Spidey be squaring off with next? My money’s on the Green Goblin, especially since filmmakers went to great lengths to hide what Norman Osborn actually looks like in the first film.

To learn more about where this  franchise is headed, “Like” The Amazing Spider-Man on Facebook by clicking here.

On Blogging, Movies and Other Things

It’s officially summer, which for most people means vacations, barbecues and lazy weekends by the pool. And while it’s entirely likely that I’ll be able to enjoy at least one of those things in a few weeks, right now my nose has been to the grindstone working on a variety of different projects for work. That being the case, finding time to blog consistently has been borderline impossible, so here’s a quick update:

• I saw Prometheus, and while I enjoyed it for the most part as I was watching it, I dislike it more and more the more I think about how the characters acted throughout and where the story ended up. 
• As critical as I’ve been about Sony rebooting the Spider-Man franchise with The Amazing Spider-Man – retelling Spider-Man’s origin a mere decade after the Sam Raimi original – the more I see from the film the more impressed I am. In fact, director Marc Webb and his team might have made the best Spider-Man film yet. Look for an article on that very subject very soon right here on The Wort Report.
•  I finished Mass Effect 3, and I join the legions of gamers online who were dissatisfied with the ending. I’ve invested a lot of time into this series since 2007, and I expected a bit more payoff when I saved the galaxy from utter destruction. I know that BioWare is putting out a downloadable epilogue on June 26 that will give the trilogy some necessary closure, but that’s something that should have been considered when the game was released back in March. For shame, BioWare.
•  Comic books are a necessity when you travel as much as I do, and I’m really enjoying a lot of what I’ve been reading lately. My “must-reads” at the moment include Mark Waid’s Daredevil, Greg Rucka’s The Punisher, Matt Fraction’s The Invincible Iron Man and Scott Snyder’s Batman.

That’s all for now. Be sure to follow me on Twitter for bite-sized nuggets of Wortman, and check out my photo-centric Tumblr, “Wortmania Unleashed!” by clicking here.

Revamped ‘Spider-Man’ Musical Opens on Broadway

After taking a three-week hiatus for significant retooling, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark resumes previews this week, with producers promising that the troubled $70 million Broadway musical will now stick closer to the character’s comic book roots following the departure of previous director Julie Taymor, The New York Times reports.

Says Taymor’s replacement, Philip William McKinley, the show’s lighter tone aims to appease the “8-to-88-year-old market,” with an additional $5 million going toward five new flying sequences, new and rewritten songs by Bono and The Edge and expanded roles for Aunt May, Uncle Ben and Mary Jane Watson.

According to the article, the bizarre character of Arachne—previously a villainous goddess—has been scaled back and altered drastically, becoming, in the Times’ words, Peter Parker’s “guardian angel figure.”

“In Turn Off the Dark 2.0, the myth of Arachne does not overpower the reason people are there,” Bono told the newspaper via email, “to discover what makes Peter Parker a superhero, which in the end turns out not to be his spider senses, but his personal integrity and especially his humility—something something I hope all of us in this process have learned from.”

That sounds all well and good—especially that last bit about humility in light of the show’s disastrous history—but this shiny and new iteration of Turn Off the Dark evidently features a musical number in which the Green Goblin makes fun of voicemail.

...

No, I don’t think it’s fixed yet.

For the full story, click here.

'SNL' Spoofs Julie Taymor's 'Spider-Man' Departure

Mercifully, Julie Taymor has been ousted from the troubled Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark. This week, Saturday Night Live gave Ms. Taymor a proper send-off on “Weekend Update.”

Watch the clip below.

Has Julie Taymor Left ‘Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark?’

Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor has evidently exited Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark as producers plan to shut down the seemingly cursed musical for drastic retooling, the New York Daily News reports.

“Taymor is out. She’s left the building” an anonymous source told the newspaper. At this time, it’s not yet clear whether she quit or was fired. In any event, she’ll finally have the free time to read some of those Spider-Man comic books she’s heard so much about.

While the show was scheduled to open on March 15, its producers’ plan to overhaul the $65 million production will push the opening back yet again to June.

It looks like the people behind Turn Off the Dark are determined to salvage whatever they can. But is this Broadway debacle really worth saving? After all of the cast injuries, technical issues and brutal critical thrashings, does anyone honestly think there is anything remotely redeeming about this show save for its increasingly abundant trainwreck appeal?

By my estimation, attempting to resurrect this disaster doesn’t make a lick of Spidey sense.

For the full story, click here.

'Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark' Gets a Rewrite, Another Delay

Oof. There are troubled productions and then there’s Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which has experienced a crippling combination of financial difficulties, on-set disasters and critical maulings since it began previews late last year. Now, Deadline.com is reporting that the producers have hired Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to rewrite the book penned by director Julie Taymor and Glen Berger. Extensive rewrites will likely result in a sixth opening night delay for the $65 million production, as there’s no way this bizarre take on the Webslinger can be wrangled into coherence by March 15. Hell, from what I hear, the play features a supervillain fashion show and a Mary Jane-sung song about shoes. Thanks, Bono and The Edge!

But there is a flicker of hope in hiring Aguirre-Sacasa, who actually wrote several issues of The Sensational Spider-Man back in 2006-2007. Unfortunately, the playwright’s credits also include a recent reworking of the questionable 1960s Man of Steel musical, It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman. Don’t expect much.

For the full story, click here.

What the F is the FF?

Well, that didn’t take long.

Just weeks after fans mourned the loss of the Human Torch, Marvel has announced that Spider-Man will join the surviving members of the Fantastic Four—along with some “top secret” heroes—to form the Future Foundation. What’s the Future Foundation, you might ask? Well, according to Marvel.com, their ongoing mission is as follows: “Save the Marvel Universe from its greatest threats and prevent future dangers from arising. “

Wow, Spider-Man is in another book? Between his solo gig, his Avengers membership and now this, I’m guessing ‘ol Peter Parker is feeling a bit strung out. Get it? Because…webs.

FF #1 arrives on March 23. For more info, head over to Marvel.com.