Spider-Man Is Literally Me

Over the past few months, it seems like everyone has suddenly become a Spider-Man fan.

If you’re like me and spend way too much time on social media (specifically Tik Tok), you’ve probably noticed the sudden influx of Spider-Man edits being reposted by people who have never mentioned a Marvel movie in their lives.

But maybe there’s a reason why even chronic Marvel haters became Spider-Man lovers overnight.

Peter Parker

Despite decades of arguments over who the best Spider-Man is, I think the one thing we can all agree on is that Peter Parker himself has never felt like a traditional superhero.

Unlike other superheroes who were born with extraordinary powers, born with golden spoons, came from another planet, or were given access to unlimited resources, Peter is just a kid who happens to be bitten by a radioactive spider. From relationships, overcoming his awkwardness, insecurity, and loss – Peter Parker has always been a normal teen navigating life. In the same way, every Spider-Man has gone through the inevitable: the death of Uncle Ben or Aunt May, falling in love with MJ or Gwen Stacy, and more. Every Spider-Man learns the same lesson and goes through the same tragedy in slightly different ways.

Toby Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland all portray Peter Parker in their own way, but somehow, they still manage to make him feel like Peter Parker, not another stand-in actor because Toby got too old for the role.

However, while the first two Spider-Man movies focused on Spider-Man himself and his struggles as a superhero, Tom Holland’s version is different. His version focuses on what happens after the superhero moments such as his personal growth and finding the balance between being a cool, aura farming superhero and being a normal teenager with no one to rely on.

These two identities cause internal conflict which is summed up perfectly in the latest Spider-Man movie when Jean Grey asks him a simple question: “Are you Spider-Man or Peter Parker?”

On the outside, it sounds like... a very simple question, but underneath it is something more complicated.

Mental Health

Now onto my main point, mental health. This theme sits quietly beneath Peter’s story, but is woven into the character without it being blatantly obvious.

In recent superhero movies, whether it’s Marvel, DC or something else, I’ve noticed that mental health is becoming a more prominent part of the stories. I noticed this in both Thunderbolts and the upcoming Clayface movie. While all superhero characters or villains always have a backstory, mental health has started to feel less like brief context for the characters and more like something that drives the story forward.

One of the most uncomfortable examples of this in the recent Spider-Man movie comes during a scene where Spider-Man is swinging between buildings and during one of his swings, he hesitates and delays the swing.

This act alone made me question why he did that considering Spider-Man always knew where to swing next and the direction in which he was going. Could this have been when the dual identities started to clash?

The scene is easy to dismiss, however as someone who has seen many Spider-Man movies, Spider-Man doesn’t ever hesitate to swing let alone stop mid-air, so could this be an indication of his declining mental health?

I have heard various interpretation of this action, from him simple being distracted, showing his physical exhaustion and some as far to say it’s a representation of his suicidal thoughts;

I believe the different interpretations say something about how different we view Peter.

Different Characters, Different Stories, Battling Their Own Demons.

Peter isn’t the only character carrying some type of emotional weight. Characters such as the Hulk, Jean Grey, and Frank each bring their own struggles into the story.

Jean seems to be caught between the past and present – trying to avenge her sister while living a life without her. Her grief influences how she sees herself and the choices she makes.

Frank also represents a kind of internal struggle... the kind where the person you know yourself to be doesn’t match the person everyone else thinks you are.

At first, I didn’t really like Frank. I found him difficult to understand at first, but by the end of the movie I began to understand his point of view. Frank represents individuals who are misunderstood and sidelined to the point where they begin to accept the narratives placed onto them by society, their communities and people around them.

Frank knows who he is; a loyal, honest friend. But society decided that he was a bad guy who could never change.

This made me think “Do we eventually become the person people expect us to be, or do we stay true to ourselves even when nobody else sees us that way”.

But all it takes is one person to believe in us to remind us of who we really are. For Frank that was Peter, who saw him as the person Frank knew himself to be. And in the end, Frank repays that belief in the most powerful way possible – by giving his life for Peter.

Lastly, the easily ragebaited: Bruce Banner (Hulk).

Bruce represents a more internal struggle. He has suppressed anger from childhood abuse (which we learn in his comic) and represents the most extreme versions of mental health. He doesn’t simply dislike what other people think of him – he dislikes a part of himself. Hulk is a part of Bruce that he spent years trying to distance himself from and he would rather destroy himself than surrender completely to the part that he fears.

This raises the question:

Do we have to reach our breaking point before we finally allow ourselves to let everything out?

In comparison to Peter who does the opposite, Bruce spends so much time fighting the monster inside of him, while Peter learns to accept that both sides of him can coexist, at the same time.

Jean Grey even mentioned it to him when she telepathically controlled Hulk: “You and Banner have a lot in common. Both fighting the losing battle against the monster that lives inside you”

Why Does Peter Hit Close to Home?

Obviously, Peter Parker’s story was shown more as he is the main character, however I also believe it is because Peter’s character is deliberately ordinary. From dealing with grief and loss, questioning himself, trying to mend relationships, and trying to work out what his future looks like – we are watching Peter live with these experiences that we go through in our own personal lives.

Peter’s biggest struggle is growing up...

He’s changing which means that he has to let go of the life he’s used to and grew up with. This reminds me of a quote from one of my favourite cartoons growing up, Adventure Time:

“Does growing just change your body, or also your soul? Maybe I could just stay the same forever.”

In this context, it makes me wonder:

When we change, do we try to hold onto the person we used to be or does growing up mean becoming someone different?

Peter also deals with regret. When MJ said she’s not the same girl he remembers from the letter, we’re reminded that he’s lost her again (the first time being in Spider-Man: No Way Home).

He’s stuck on the MJ he knew in the past, not the one of the present.

On the surface, Peter, Jean, Frank, and Bruce couldn’t be more different. But underneath their powers, personalities and histories, they’re all fighting a similar battle.

And maybe that’s why a lot of people keep reposting Spider-Man edits. They aren’t pretending to be Spider-Man fans, I think a lot of people just see a character who transcends the screen, and represents what we experience and feel on a daily basis.

Who’s your favourite Spider-Man? Why?

Which character do you relate to the most?