What Did Spider-Man: Homecoming Do Right?

While not as widely beloved as the impressive crossover that is Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Homecoming is considered one of the best solo films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This is because this movie features Tom Holland as a more relatable Spider-Man and Michael Keaton as a compelling villain while also establishing a new Spider-Man in a larger universe.

What's more, Spider-Man: Homecoming is an engaging story about growing up and finding oneself. Together with Ned Leeds, Tony Stark, and Aunt May, Peter starts to form his own superhero path. The movie does this while avoiding trite tropes and creating a story that's funny, heartwarming, and tragic all at the same time.

Casting Michael Keaton as the Main Antagonist

One of the aspects that made Spider-Man: Homecoming such a spectacular movie was casting Michael Keaton as the bad guy. As everyone knows from incredible roles such as Birdman (which earned Keaton a Golden Globe Award), Keaton's acting skills are outstanding, and they truly shined in Homecoming. In fact, he might still be the best villain in the trilogy.

Adrian Toomes/ The Vulture is a street-level antagonist, but he's also a strategic villain and, more surprisingly, a great parent. The counterpart to Peter's naivety, Keaton's Vulture is scary, intelligent, and even sympathetic at times. Keaton imbued the villain with great depth, making him truly compelling for the audience. Vulture was also the perfect villain to begin the trilogy, relevant enough to cause excitement among comic fans but not as powerful as to be too much of a challenge for Peter's first antagonist.

Showcasing the Consequences of the Battle in the Avengers Movie

Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe pays a lot of attention to an aspect that superhero movies usually leave aside: the consequences and damages caused to regular people during battle. While the Avengers saved the world in the first Avengers movie, there was a lot of chaos in New York City, including several pieces of alien technology that were left behind and neglected.

Not every battle is about saving the world or the universe, and Spider-Man: Homecoming focuses on the regular person affected by the battle against the Chitauri. The incorrect disposal of extremely dangerous weapons allowed the greedy Vulture to use them for his own benefit and caused several people to get hurt. However, the Avengers consider this part of their duty below their pay, so it takes heroes like Spider-Man to step up and do the right thing (even if everyone tells him to stay put).

Introducing Ned as a Sidekick

Spider-Man tends to be represented as a very lonely superhero. Both Andrew Garfield's and Tobey Maguire's iterations of the character mainly work on their own. Even in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse, Miles Morales is pretty lonely when he loses his multiversal friends.

Introducing Jacob Balaton as Peter Parker's best friend and the guy behind the computer was a refreshing take on the character. Not only is Ned an incredibly funny and lovable character, but he also adds depth to Peter's regular life. Most importantly, he's a constant source of support for Peter even when he's at his lowest.

Bringing Martin Starr Back Again as Mr. Harrington

While a lot of people tend to dismiss The Incredible Hulk film with Edward Norton as part of the MCU, it's undoubtful that the movie is what truly launched this universe back in 2008. Even if Bruce Banner was recast with Mark Ruffalo, several characters from The Incredible Hulk later appeared in several films of the MCU: Thunderbolt Ross, Tony Stark, and, of course, Mr. Harrington.

Played by Martin Starr, Roger Harrington appeared in The Incredible Hulk as a science student at Culver University. Later, he comes back as Mr. Harrington, Peter's science teacher, in Spider-Man: Homecoming. This was an amazing detail that excited fans and that once again connected The Incredible Hulk to the rest of the MCU.

It Changes the Bully Archetype with Flash Thompson

Joe Manganiello's and Chris Zylka's versions of Flash Thompson in the previous Spider-Man movies portray the typical big high school bully who uses violence to intimidate the much smaller Peter Parker. Usually, these versions of Flash serve to add to Peter's sense of justice and for the audience to notice Peter's change from a weak teenager to a powerful superhero.

However, this bully has become a cliché on television, and it was a good idea for Spider-Man: Homecoming to shake things up with Tony Revolori. While Tony humiliates and makes Peter feel bad in his high school years, the audience can also clearly see his insecurities. Revolori brings a new bully archetype, one that not only is more three-dimensional but also shows the audience that bullies aren't always the popular jock guy.

Casting Tom Holland to Play Spider-Man

No one can deny that casting Tom Holland for Spider-Man is one of the best decisions that the MCU has ever made. While everyone loves Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's iterations, Holland brings to the big screen a more teenage and relatable version of the friendly neighborhood superhero.

Tom Holland has a tremendous amount of range. He portrays the Spider-Man conflict outstandingly: the languid nerd who suddenly obtains superpowers and a need to prove himself to the world but quickly realizes that it isn't so simple and that he might lose much more than he ever intended. Holland goes from comedy to heartbreaking drama in a beat, making him one of the best actors in the MCU.

Avoiding Spider-Man's Repetitive Origin Story

Spider-Man's origin story is arguably one of the most iconic narratives in both comics and TV. Peter Parker is bitten by a radioactive spider and suddenly obtains spider-like superpowers. Peter stops needing glasses, develops strength, and at times, produces his own spider web. All of this gives him the push to empower himself in his regular life and create his own superhero persona.

While a great allegory for a coming-of-age story, it's also a tale that people have already memorized. The MCU cleverly introduced their version of Spider-Man during the fight in Captain America: Civil War. Spider-Man: Homecoming then begins with Peter's videos of the event, as he fanboys over all the superheroes. Marvel Studios created a new version of Spider-Man, one who has already been a part of the big action and needs to find his purpose in his now seemingly small life. While keeping the same coming-of-age themes, the MCU avoided falling into the trite trope.

Bringing Iron Man to Mentor Spider-Man

Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man is still one of the most iconic superhero characters, not only from the MCU but also from popular culture. Having him in Spider-Man: Homecoming was a treat for all Marvel fans. The character didn't only have a simple cameo, but he developed a realistic mentor-student relationship with Spider-Man.

Dynamics like Peter and Tony are why the MCU is so good. Homecoming was the beginning of a relationship that would become more complex and emotional as the Infinity Saga unraveled. The duo was so beloved that the MCU tried to emulate this dynamic with Kate Bishop and Clint Barton or Captain Marvel and Kamala Khan.

Introducing Zendaya as MJ, Creating a Different Love Story

While Spider-Man: Homecoming falls into the commonplace trope of the nerdy guy falling in love with the popular girl, it quickly disarms this plot for a better one. Throughout the movie, the audience sees Michelle hanging around as a cool and intelligent girl who is beyond social status.

When she uses the initials "MJ" as a sort of wink to Mary Jane Watson, the fandom quickly realizes she's going to become Peter's romantic interest. Peter moving from Liz to MJ shows a certain maturity, which is kind of the point of Homecoming. Peter goes from dating the first girl he develops a crush on as an impressionable teenager to having a relationship based on chemistry and deep feelings.

Giving Peter Parker a Deep and Emotional Journey

Spider-Man is about making mistakes, growing up, and a path with the hand a person has been dealt. Spider-Man: Homecoming lays the ground for what is going to be a heartwarming yet harrowing series.

Throughout this film, the audience sees Peter go from an inexperienced and naive superhero teen to a mature hero who better understands the path he needs to take to become the best version of himself. This is only the beginning of Spider-Man's rocky journey, but viewers can already see where Peter's flaws and strengths lie and how he's going to become the Spider-Man from Spider-Man: No Way Home.