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Warning: This article covers all the key plot spoilers of Spider-Man: Homeless, please read them as appropriate!
Warning again: This article involves all the key plot spoilers of Spider-Man: Homeless, please read them as appropriate!
All along, Peter Parker wanted a father most. In any Spider-Man work, Uncle Ben's death is the original sin that Peter can never let go of, and it is easy to ignore Peter's other powerless to change - his parents disappeared long before the beginning of the story. As a result, the loss of Uncle Ben becomes another blow to his heart, deepening Peter's desire for the image of his father, so much so that the supervillains he has fought against are unqualified "father substitutes".
For example, Norman Osborne and Dr. Octopus, who are like life mentors in Sam Remy's version of the film, and Kurt Connors, who are like teachers in The Amazing Spider-Man, are all transformed from potential father roles into evil people due to their sudden power. There's also Adrian Tumus from Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Mysterion from Spider-Man: The Hero's Quest.
In the plot of the latest work, Spider-Man: Homeless, the opening paragraph seems to have nothing to do with any of its history, and the theme of this movie seems to be about the chaos of the multiverse, a contest between the current MCU version of Spider-Man and many villains in all previous Spider-Man movies.
At first, the film seemed like an exciting fan-to-life work, without the familiar Spider-Man-style emotions. But then, starting with the novella, Spider-Man: Homeless begins to delve into Peter Parker and his inner flaws.
One detail that sets peter in the MCU version apart from previous versions is that his story no longer tells the well-known regrets of the original setting. Like the classic passage of being bitten by a radioactive spider to gain superpowers, we've seen it too many times to dwell on it.
However, Tom Holland's version of Peter Parker witnesses the parting of another friend and relative, Aunt May being killed by the Green Devil. This became the last straw that crushed the camel, especially when he experienced the sacrifice of idol Iron Man in Avengers 4: Endgame, and then was framed by the short-lived friend Mysterion at the end of Spider-Man: The Hero Expedition, who was at the lowest point of emotion.
Peter, who has a broken heart, leaves his friends and is encouraged by the previous two generations of Peter in his most helpless period (played by their respective protagonists Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield, respectively). Thus, the real "meta-magic" of Spider-Man: Heroes Of No Return began.
What surprises the film is not the appearance of Maguire and Garfield, but the plot they unfold in the second half of the film. They not only support the story of the current Peter, but also mention their bittersweet memories of the past.
Although "Toby Worm" continues to make various sacrifices for the responsibilities of Spider-Man in his trilogy, he also shows the two young people the meaning of "pain and joy". The "Garfield Worm" film series was stopped before it was finished, his story is far from over, and there is still a long way to go. Judging from his plot in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, he once gave up his identity as Spider-Man because of anger.
These are not only the lessons that the two of them have taught to this generation of Peter, but also the mutual support and connection between the three generations of characters. One of the most touching episodes of Spider-Man: Homeless is that once the Dutch Bugs were not present, the "Toby Bugs", as the best mentally adjusted Peter Parker, encouraged the "Garfield Worms" to say that he was great and made him so self-motivated. He told Garfield, "You are extraordinary, and I want to hear you tell yourself that." Although Garfield didn't say anything in the end, in that moment of vulnerability, we could see that he was actually very eager to do so.
This kind of plot design makes it impossible to fully interpret Spider-Man: Heroes of No Return from a cynical perspective, because it is not just using the previous two generations of Peter to come through the scene to earn affection, but to try to make people feel the pain of Peter Parker's character from different angles, and how their encounter will help each of them grow together. After all, they all still have room to grow, and they are all so lonely.
However, the contemporary character differs from the previous two generations in that he was not alone for a while. He was recruited by the Avengers and had a man who was always angry with him but still supported him. He became part of that team, and he should share the experience with these two close friends.
He was treated differently because he had a wealthy "patron," which gave him a glimpse of things that Midtown High School couldn't teach him at a young age. In addition, he has Aunt Mei, who knows his true identity and supports his heroic behavior. However, when the tragedy of Spider-Man: Homeless takes place, this Peter also realizes that others will not be able to help him truly heal his inner grief after all, and will not be able to help others understand him more deeply.
The multiverse brought new pain to Peter, but also mercy. In that brief encounter, when he acted with his own self in the other two universes, he finally felt understood. In that brief encounter, he gained brotherhood.
With this emotional catharsis, Spider-Man: Homeless reaches the end of this intricate path that begins with Peter Parker's debut in Captain America 3: Civil War, before Peter gets his fancy suit, and even before he fights the first alien.
Leaving aside the cold jokes and sometimes confusing plot settings, Spider-Man: Homeless director Joe Watts, screenwriters Chris McKina and Eric Sommers ultimately chose to portray the heart of a child hidden under a mask who strives to play an adult. This is clearly not a story about Spider-Man, but a story about Peter Parker. This time, Peter still needs to learn the lessons of competence and responsibility, and when you know you can help others but choose not to do it, bad things are bound to happen.
Spider-Man: Homeless is in a sense the end of the story, and although it draws Doctor Strange, magic, and multiverse visitors from other Spider-Man films, it deprives Spider-Man of all the equipment he got in the previous MCU's story. To avoid a multiverse catastrophe, Spider-Man lost all his fancy gadgets and the support of groups of friends and family.
When Peter asks Dr. Strange to erase his memories from the world, he loses his Avengers who know and recognize him, all his friends who know his name, and his family that he can rely on. At the end of the film, Peter Parker wears a homemade suit and holds a police scanning app to do what he can, just because he has the ability to do it.
In this regard, the plot of Spider-Man: Homeless can be interpreted as a warning. The continuity or intersection caused by the interaction between superheroes, as well as the fancy little equipment, did not help Peter get back on his feet after falling, and neither could he define who he was. Perhaps, only when he chooses to move with his heart can he become the best version of himself.
Peter Parker will never get the father he craves, just as he can never see an ideal world that does the right thing and doesn't pay a terrible price. However, he still has the option of persevering every day to put his beliefs into action and believing he can make a difference. More importantly, he firmly believes that his actions can have a positive impact on others.
Translation 丨 Yv
Edit 丨 Zoe
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