There are a number of big comic book movies hitting theaters in 2012. Thanks to the big push of Marvel’s “The Avengers” and the final Christopher Nolan Batman movie with “The Dark Knight Rises,” one movie is getting overlooked. “The Amazing Spider-Man” gets its reboot in the summer of 2012 with a new director, a new actor under the mask, and a new origin retelling. The new website for “The Amazing Spider-Man” went live recently and it reveals a lot of information about the upcoming movie.
The Director and Cast
The director of “The Amazing Spider-Man’ is Marc Webb. He may not be a name many people recognize; his only major film before this was the indie hit “(500) Days of Summer,” starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel. However, looking at the cast he has assembled, Webb is off to a nice start for rebooting the popular superhero franchise.
Golden Globe nominee Andrew Garfield plays Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the movie. It is an interesting casting decision, as Garfield made his name in a number of dramatic roles. However, he showed up at Comic-Con in full costume and seems like he is excited about the possibilities.
A solid cast of actors joins Garfield, including Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Martin Sheen, Sally Field, Denis Leary, and Campbell Scott.
The Storyline
The plot of “The Amazing Spider-Man” takes the story back to Peter Parker’s high school years and re-tells his origin all over again. While this may seem monotonous, since the origin of Spider-Man was told in 2002, there looks to be a twist this time.
While casual readers may not know about them, Peter’s parents were in fact secret agents working for S.H.I.E.L.D., the government spy agency from “The Avengers” movies. This won’t tie in with “The Avengers”; the series are under different studio banners.
But Peter’s parents, never mentioned in the previous three “Spider-Man” movies, play a part in his origin this time. As a matter of fact, Campbell Scott plays Richard Parker, so it is clear they will be seen onscreen in some way. It is also interesting to note that, in the comic world, they died believed to be traitors to their country.
In the Ultimates universe, Richard Parker was a biologist instead of a spy. With the absence of S.H.I.E.L.D. from this world, this might be the direction the movie goes. However, the synopsis on the website states that Peter discovers a secret his father held that shapes his life. For the first time, Peter’s parents play a large role in the “Spider-Man” universe.
The Characters
Mary Jane Watson, the girlfriend from the first three movies, is not in the new “Amazing Spider-Man.” Emma Stone as Gwen Stacey, Peter’s high school girlfriend, replaces Mary Jane in the new reboot. This character was seen slightly in “Spider-Man 3,” played by Bryce Dallas Howard. Dennis Leary plays her father, a police officer.
The bad guy in the new movie is The Lizard, a tragic character portrayed here by Rhys Ifans. Curt Connors is a scientist who wants to re-grow his lost arm and finds a way to do so using lizard DNA. Unfortunately, it comes with the side effect of turning him into a vicious, murderous monster.
The cast rounds out with Martin Sheen and Sally Field playing Peter’s loving Uncle Ben and Aunt May Parker.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” hits theaters on July 3, 2012.
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