One of the inversions that we see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe from the Marvel Universe is the relationship that Spider-Man develops with the Avengers. In the comics, Captain America is the Avenger Spider-Man develops a mentor-mentee relationship with, while the MCU shows use a Spider-Man who is more closely associated with Iron Man.
Tom Holland has revealed how the relationship between Tony and Peter, one that the characters cultivated, was inspired by another mentor figure and mentee, one which caused Holland to aspire to be the character this generation looks up to. The main inspiration for Tony Stark and Peter Parker’s relationship, according to Tom Holland, was inspired from that of Doc Brown and Marty McFly from the Back to the Future franchise.
Tom Holland wanted to be the Marty McFly of this generation
While in an interview with The Hot Ones, Tom Holland talked about his inspirations for his version of Spider-Man. Talking about how so much of the Spider-Man film’s DNA comes from films made by John Hughes, Holland opened up about how the film takes inspiration from coming-of-age films from the 80s:
“They have this kind of happy-go-lucky, teenage, coming-of-age high school movie vibe, which I have never really seen before in a superhero film. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, for me, was the one that has the most inspiration for Spider-Man.”
He continued to open up about his personal inspiration for the character, Tom Holland spoke about how a classic science fiction character was important for his role, and was also a goal he set for himself:
“The biggest inspiration for me, and my biggest goal in playing Spider-Man, was that I really wanted to be this generation’s Marty McFly”
Tony Stark and Spider-Man’s relationship in the MCU is reminiscent of that of Doc and Marty (not to mention that Tony and Doc are both responsible for the invention of time travel in their respective universes). While Tony, with his technology, tries to help Peter with his responsibilities, their interactions play out like a mellowed version of that of Doc and Marty.
Can Spider-Man maintain the John Hughes aesthetic going into his second trilogy?
Spider-Man: No Way Home leaves Peter Parker in a very dark place in the MCU. While Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home were a lot more cheerful as compared to the wider MCU, Spider-Man’s next adventure is bound to be a little more traumatizing than what we are used to in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With no friends and family to aid the character in his escapades, the John Hughes vibes of the Homecoming trilogy might not be reflected in what follows.
There is also the fact that a symbiote has been let loose on this earth, one that could go looking for Peter Parker (given that is what Eddie wanted to do before he disappeared back to his universe), the upcoming Spider-Man trilogy is bound to be a little darker as compared to the other films in the MCU.
