Spider-Man is one of the most popular superhero characters that we have loved watching while growing up. The character has a ton of adaptations, from animated series to live-action films, each representing their own iterations of Peter Parker and the Web-Head.
Although the portrayals of Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland are considered to be fan favorites, both versions featured a major flaw in the film. While Andrew Garfield’s stint was considered to be the worst among the three versions, The Amazing Spider-Man solved a problem that neither of the two versions of the film could solve.
Well, in both films, the character of Flash Thompson was wrongly showcased. Hence, fans of the superhero were not delighted because of the variation, which wrongly portrayed the side character.
Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man Solved an Issue That Other Versions of The Character Couldn’t Solve
All three cinematic versions of Spider-Man showcase different interpretations of Peter Parker’s bully, Flash Thompson. In Sam Raimi’s version of the film, the character is showcased as a young adult who is always ready to throw hands at Parker.
The rendition could not be any more wrong because the character was showcased as a character full of brute strength and arrogance, making the lives of other teenagers a hell. However, the character was not perfect because it only focused on the physicality of the character, making him poorly written.
Tom Holland’s franchise noticed this issue, and they tried to modernize the character by adding their own twist to it. In Holland’s series, the character is drastically different from Sam Raimi’s version, as he is also another teenager.
However, he is not any better because he torments Peter Parker through his quirky insults, showcasing the change in the dynamics of bullying in the current high school setting. Nevertheless, the writers thought of adding depth to the character by showcasing vulnerability and insecurities that compelled him to get attention, which led to bullying Parker and other students.
Both iterations of the high school bully were significantly different, undergoing a massive change. However, in Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man, he is written in a much more complex manner. While he was the typical bully, he showcased remorse and sympathy for our protagonist after Uncle Ben was murdered.
However, that’s not all, because in Sam Raimi’s version, Thompson was a one-dimensional, low-key villain; in Holland’s version, he was nothing but a comic relief in the film. Garfield’s franchise decided to enhance their storyline by modernizing the high school setting and by giving people a second chance to change.
Hence, a major problem was solved that allowed Flash Thompson to redeem himself for his actions. This idea was quite thoughtful because it not only allowed room for character growth but also shed light on the complex human relationships that Peter Parker has built over the years.
Fans Are Tired of Watching a Disappointing Portrayal of Flash Thompson in The Spider-Man Franchise
While the three versions of the film decided to showcase their own versions of Flash Thompson, which were perfect according to the settings of the film, fans are debating on social media which iteration of the character was the worst.
An Instagram page uploaded a reel where they showcased that the character has downgraded over the years, and fans of the three franchises shared their opinions in the comment section of the post.
@jesse_souza_1 commented, “The best version of flash has to be from amazing spider man”
@enriquetheblack commented, “This Flash looks like he could be fold by a 10 year old”
@frmitch1 commented, “Chad that’s actually what high school students look like. Not 40-year-olds who got held back 10 times”
@exile976 commented, “He’s not even a bully. All he does is heckle Tom’s Spiderman with some minor insults.”
@savon_thesaint commented, “He got updated this generation dont got the average bully we got wannabe thugs, online trolls and people that talk alot of shi”
While fans had different opinions, some agreed that the Hacksaw Ridge actor’s franchise had the perfect portrayal of the high school bully, but that it could not get any more perfect and was misrepresented in the other two franchises.
The Amazing Spider-Man can be streamed on Netflix.
