Andrew Garfield in "The Amazing Spider-Man" (Columbia Pictures)
Moviegoers have seen Spider-Man swing across Manhattan in three hit films already, but when the hero returns next July, there will be a big change in the webs he uses. The franchise’s aptly named new director, Marc Webb, is going back to the traditional comic-book portrayal in which the super strands are a product of web-shooter devices built by the young and inventive Peter Parker.
When Sam Raimi took Spider-Man to the screen in 2002, he made a major departure from the classic mythology of the character by portraying the webbing as a organic substance created by Parker’s mutated biology. The move seemed to smartly streamline the origin but some purists complained that it tampered too much with tradition. Webb says that when he took on the reboot project he wanted to go his own path, which meant breaking from the Raimi movies in places where it made sense — and when it came to the webbing he sought out some very specialized counsel.
“I had a meeting with Stan Lee and we talked about the web-shooters,” Webb said. “I was curious about the incarnation of them [because] of course in the previous films [they went away from them] and we wanted to reestablish ourselves. That was one thing but the other thing was the fact that the web-shooters were able to dramatize Peter’s intellect and I thought that was really cool. … It was in the comics and we have a different design but it’s a cool element to have. It’s not something we over-use or over-exploit. To me, it’s something I remember from when I was a kid and thinking ‘It would be cool if I could build those.’”
Webb said the webbing issue was bundled in his mind with the Spider-Man costume.
“We paid attention to the question of ‘How would a kid make it?’ And obviously we took some license with it. We also wanted a design that would make the body longer and more lithe, more of an acrobat, someone incredibly agile, and the legs of the spider [symbol on the chest] were something we used to emphasize that. We made a bunch of different suits for different lighting conditions. I wanted something that worked in the night a little better. We paid attention to that and also made the webbing [on the costume] a little bit darker. With the costume and the web-shooters we wanted to emphasize that these are things that Peter Parker made and that he is special himself even if he feels like he’s an outsider.”
For more on Webb’s thoughts on Peter Parker, read the extensive Hero Complex Q&A with Marc Webb.
– Geoff Boucher
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What was wrong with the other Spiderman movies?
Spiderman 2 is right up there with The Dark Knight as one of the best superhero movies ever made.
i agree
Nothing wrong at all with Rami & Maguire's Spider-Man flicks (1 & 2, anyway.) I consider Spidey 2, Iron Man and Dark Knight to be the New Classic Super hero movies.
this is for the creaters of spiderman 4 it is like you are recreating spiderman why web shooters in 1 2 and 3 he has webs of his own now he has web shooters did he get bit by a spider that takes away his powers or something
you are a moron…it's a reboot…pay attention
I was looking to Spiderman 4 with Ethan Embrey as Electro and John Malkovick as the Vulture. I didn't think it needed a reboot… the cast was excellent as is with MaGuire as Spiderman.
Whatever or whenever Ethan Embrey is (almost) by default a good thing. A vastly under-rated actor.
aside from the fact that the original spiderman movies are just fine, it's simply far too soon to be remaking it.
Really? You should work for the studios.
can i have my money back?
Unless this leads to the end of a Brand New Day, I'm not interested. As a long time Marvel collector; until that BS is done with, make mine Jonah Hex… lose man boobs huh?
It's too soon for another Spider-Man movie franchise. Marvel has a huge stable of characters to choose from so this rendition smacks of a money grab before the public gets tired of super-hero movies and, ironically, this is the sort of nonsense that will make the public sick of super hero movies.
It's not Marvel making this movie, but Sony, which owns the movie rights to Spider-Man in perpetuity. Marvel Studios/Disney has no say in the matter and nothing to do with the movie. The same is true of X-Men and Fantastic Four, both of which belong to Fox. If Marvel DID control Spider-Man, they would be producing a far superior movie. Sony is aiming to milk as much money from the billion-dollar Spidey cash cow as it can, just as Fox has been pulling at the X-Men teat of late.
The reason that the movie is being made so soon (and I'm surprised no one has noticed this) is because Spider-Man is "the newest Avenger". Release a reboot Spider-Man now and have him integrated in time for Avengers 2.
Yeah, that's exactly how it's played out. "The Avengers" – Big Flop, "Amazing Spider-Man" – Big Flop. Mike, don't quit your day job.
Ok —- I predict this "Reboot" to be a multi million dollar FLOP!—-
Wow, are you psychic? It's a HUGE FLOP! ("flop" means "hit," right?)
The movie is out and, as I predicted, YOUR prediction was what flopped here, Johnny.
Jeez guys, give the movie its time have it's day in the spot light. They brought the web shooters in, which I think is great! I hated how the "Originals" took them out. If you don't give the movie its deserving chance to breathe, of course it will die. Wait 'til next July to bash the crap out of it, at least watch it first.
Organic web shooters make sense as a power gained from being bitten by a radioactive spider. It's like being bitten by a radioactive cobra and getting everything BUT venom as a power.
read the comic dude' web shooters were the original design, an so was gwen stacy insted of mj, and lets face it toby maguire just did terrible as spider man, an I for one am glad they are remaking this movie with the origins it should of had in the "originals" wich is a very loose term. and another thing the original batman movies were crushed under the greatness of batman begins and i think the amazing spider man will do the same
But, Raimi explained that he took out the artificial webs because he didn’t aw t to get hate from movie goers that there was no way a college nerd could make something that complex. However, Webb said that A.) it was a classic comic love and B.) like this said, had to emphasize Parker’s intelligence. This is a fantastic idea.
I cannot say the same about the costume:( It’s Peter Parker, not Ben o’Reilly!!!
Organic web shooters make sense as a power gained from being bitten by a radioactive spider.-replica Piaget Emperador
As much as I'm curious about how this movie will turn out, I am going to wait until it's on video simply to make a point to the studios. It's too soon for a reboot, and the other Spidey films were good- the francise isn't dead!
Great idea. That'll teach 'em (sarcasm)
Because your single viewership will send ripples through the film industry? And we all thought James Cameron had a huge ego… at least he's got a couple of mildly successful movies under his belt.
As a Spidey comic reader, I hated Maguire and the previous 3 movies. Nothing make sense. Gwen was supposed to be Peter's first love.. web don't just shoot out from your skin.. of all the places in the world, the alien syndrome (venom's custome), it landed on spiderman.. Sandman killed Spidey's uncle?? W…T…F….!!! Toby Maguire was a horrible choice for spiderman! I don't usually like remakes but if it's going back to the original story..somethings that although, science fiction, makes some sense.. I'd go for it. This new kid is perfect for playing young spidey.. the comeback of web-shooting device.. and Gwen as the first gf.. I like!!!
I agree with everything you said, money talks bs always walks and makes it to the big screen! The stories that made the comics great! They ignore, makes sense to me! Someone will get it right someday, but I don't think it will be this time. Too bad, because the web shooters were always one of my favorite parts of Spiderman. Swinging through the city, chasing a bad guy,… wha? my webshooters are out of fluid! …Spiderman falling to his death,.. what to do? You can't get any better than that.. "…as he lands in a garbage can".
I agree. I remember reading the comics when i was a kid. I read the same 8 or so comics almost every day for 2 years! I had a book that had them in it and it was by best pal. Although the trilogies in their own sense were "good". They did what they could with what they had and I must give them credit for making Spider-Man 2 an amazing movie. I sort of went into the trilogy with the mind set of "Okay, this is Spider-Man (Same characters, basic concepts, ect.) but it will be almost a quick run through of a few key bits. I am hoping this movie gives me that same rush of excitement and action I had when I was a kid. (Btw, I sorta like the artificial web shooters. Ironically more unlikely than the organic webbing, but it still has that warm spot in my heart. )
dont hate on the actors, i thought they were good. its sonys fault for ruining the 3rd spider man. also i read your comment and you only talked about the third. the first two were good and sam raimi quit because sony wouldnt let him make spidey 4 the way he wanted.
From the trailer I'm really looking forward to the movie. It looks amazing. Darker and grittier like the dark night. The characters look more developed in this one. I liked Maguire but this was the third one was just whatever for me.I actually didn't even watch it through I got so board with it.
The problem with the web shooters is that if someone could invent a device which launches hundreds of 50 foot strands of fiber from a little pressurized canister (that are strong enough to support over 200 pounds and can stick to anything), then why didn't he do it before becoming Spidey and make millions of dollars on the patent rights!…And if he can make such a thing, then he can make a bunch of ingenious gadgets that would garner all kinds of rewards.
Also, running out of web fluid at the most inopportune times seems to be a tired plot device. I hope we won't see this sort of thing in the movie. Because why wouldn't he just add an audible alarm to the cannister letting him know when the thing was almost empty…
The webbing is Huge for Spiderman. He had to make special batches for different villains. That should have been in the originals. I liked the 1st 2 Spiderman films but Topher Grace as Eddie Brock? Come on. Brock was a huge body builder. And don't get me started with "New Goblin". That should have been the Hobgoblin. Plus symbiote on Parker was supposed to really make him mean and instead they made it funny. After the last movie they really needed something better. Maybe not a reboot, but something.
dude im peter spiderman you know never mind
@ Angel… first off to answer your statement on how is it he can create the shooter to be like real webs and all… and not create other things… he can if he really wanted too being a science wiz and all, but thats not the whole point to having his web shooter… and another thing he was able to know how to create the web shooters not only cause of him being a scientist but cause being bit by the spider gave him the knowledge of how the webbing is and how it is he is suppose to create it… if you follow the comics it even explains that in it.
@ Angel… Also if you think about it… every hero needs a weakness or else if you give them so much an advantage then it wouldn't be an interesting story so in all reality it actually makes things more excitting to see how it all in folds if he doesn't have enough web fluids on him… come on would it be interesting at all if Super Man didn't have criptanite to infact him at all!?… No… he would be to impossible to stop.
Criptanite? Co e on, you couldn't make the effort to spell kryptonite right?
Web Shooters. Thank you for bringing them back! Garfield seems to have a great grasp on the Spider Man character too, humor and all. Can't wait.
I'm okay with the artificial self-made web-shooters,
as long as in the future we ahve soemthing got look forward to, where eventually Peter's powers mutuate further / or he further unlocks the inner spider, and he discovers his own organic web-shooters! pow!
This movie is gonna suck! A new spiderman, really, keep it normal okay! The webshooters is the worst idea anyon e could possibly come up with! The original 3 movies were amazing a reboot right now would be the worst idea movie makers could have! Oh and spiderman did have a weakness his emotions!
Yeah… According to the storybooks and novelizations of "Amazing Spider-Man" the movie, Peter Parker doesn't invent the web fluid in this film— He FINDS it at OsCorp.
FINDS it.
That right there just ruined the whole thing for me. Pete's a genius. He INVENTED the web fluid formula. He didn't just stumble on it like a goon.
I really wish Sony would sell the film rights to Spider-Man back to Marvel Studios, where he belongs. Sony just keeps screwing him up.
No he doesn't. Watch the film
Seriously I am not watching this at all I am a huge fan of the old spiderman movies and was looking forward to spiderman 4 with Tobey as spiderman. I had tears in my eyes when I saw this. It's bullcrap!!!!!!!
Boo-hoo. You don't have to see any movie you don't want to see. Why should any of your fanboys care about who makes what movie staring whom? Don't see it. Re-watch the versions you like. And move out of your parents' basement.
Stupid fanboys, it was an EPIC movie. FAR superior to the “original” (its not even original in SO many ways) the amazing spiderman IS the ORIGINAL spiderman you fools
YES YES YES. I agree with you. It was soooo much better than the 'originals'. Although, I'm not going to dis them too much, they were my childhood!
no is not the amazing spider man sucked ass what would happen is his web shooters ran out of web huh explain that sherlock he'll be in big trouble ill bet you there will be no more amazing spiderman movies cause tobey will always be spiderman
That’s the fricking point. He needs to have some sort of setback or else he wouldn’t be interesting enough.
In the history of time has a movie ever been good when it comes to theaters one week after the game is released?
Actually the comic book explanation by Stan Lee, the original writer of Spidey was as follows: Peter was already one of those brainy genius kids to begin with. He was in accelerated classes and already learning at the college level while in High School. After being bitten and gaining his powers, he also gained an "Innate" knowledge of how spiders create their web. As such, he combined his new knowledge with his previous interest in science and polymers and came up with an intuitive formula which he put to work. Hence, the reason he did not create said web-shooters before becoming the hero we know and love.