New Spider-Man Movie Title TRIGGERS Fans! Here’s Why…

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Finally, the fourth movie featuring Tom Holland as Spider-Man (the ninth live-action Spidey film in total) has been given a title, but not without stirring up some debate. The upcoming MCU Spiderman film will be called “Spider-Man: A Fresh Start.” In contrast to the previous trilogy, Sony and Marvel Studios have decided to abandon the “Home” theme for this new installment. However, the controversy surrounding the title doesn’t stem from this change. Instead, “A Fresh Start” was the name of a comics era for Spider-Man where Marvel Comics essentially rebooted his adventures, seemingly erasing years of storylines. But as readers later found out, it was more about modifying rather than completely undoing the existing stories. Here’s some background on why comic book Peter Parker ever needed a “Fresh Start” in the first place.

“Do You Take This Wallcrawler as Your Lawfully Wedded Husband?“

Over approximately two and a half decades since his debut, Marvel portrayed Spider-Man as a character who endured persistent hardships. As a blue-collar adolescent, he acquired his powers and faced constant financial struggles and difficulties in staying afloat. His personal life, including romantic relationships, also proved challenging for him. Despite numerous girlfriends throughout the years, tragic incidents like Gwen Stacy’s death and less dramatic cases such as Felicia Hardy prevented him from sustaining long-term commitments. However, things took a turn in 1987 when, following years of flirtation and dating, Peter Parker married supermodel and actress Mary Jane Watson – marking the start of his troubles instead.

Spider-Man and MJ’s Marriage Causes Storytelling Problems

Initially, Marvel attracted widespread attention by having their iconic character mascot get married. They even held the wedding at Shea Stadium, with Stan Lee presiding. However, the comic book authors found it challenging to keep the Spider-Man series going as a continuous drama, especially since the lead character was now happily wedded to a stunning and lively woman. They attempted to replace Peter with a bachelor clone, but this move was met with fan disapproval. Following that, they seemed to kill off MJ, only for fans to dislike it too; she eventually returned. This predicament persisted for two decades. Instead of opting for a divorce between Peter and MJ, Marvel didn’t want Spider-Man portrayed as a bitter divorcé either. Perhaps some unconventional solutions were needed.

The Controversial “One More Day” Story Undoes 20 Years of Peter and MJ’s Marriage

In 2007, Joe Quesada, who was then the Editor-in-Chief at Marvel, took drastic actions during the “Civil War” event series. Under Tony Stark’s guidance, Peter Parker publicly unveiled his Spider-Man identity, which had dire consequences. One of these consequences was Aunt May being shot by some of Peter’s enemies, a direct result of his revelation. The demonic figure, Mephisto, Marvel’s equivalent of Satan, then offered Peter a deal: he would erase Peter’s identity reveal from everyone’s memory and undo any actions stemming from that reveal, such as Aunt May’s shooting. However, this came at a cost – Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson had to give up their marriage, as if it never existed. Both Peter and MJ agreed to this deal, which became known as “One More Day.” This controversial development was so disliked by longtime Spidey writer J. Michael Straczynski that he requested Marvel to remove his name from the story, but they refused to do so.

Marvel’s “Brand New Day” Gives Peter Parker a Fresh Start

Following “One More Day,” there came about a fresh start titled “Brand New Day.” This new phase in Peter’s life is characterized by a return to simpler times, effectively wiping out years of his adventures. Aunt May remains hale and hearty, untouched by harm. Harry Osborn, who had previously perished, was miraculously brought back to life. Peter is once more single, never having wed Mary Jane (MJ). This development left fans disgruntled, questioning the relevance of Spider-Man’s extensive history. Given MJ’s pivotal role in the previous twenty years of narratives, this change was particularly contentious. Many “Brand New Day” stories, primarily penned by Dan Slott, were well-received, but the narrative reboot left many fans unable to fully appreciate them. The term “Brand New Day” became a sensitive topic for fans.

From 2008 onwards, many of the apparent inconsistencies in “Brand New Day” have been addressed. Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson didn’t get married but lived together for a long time instead. So, all their stories from the late ’80s/early ’90s and 2000s took place. However, they broke up rather than getting divorced. Also, Harry Osborn’s “death” was just a trick by Mysterio. Despite these changes, Marvel’s rule remains: the mainline Peter Parker in the 616 universe must stay single. In contrast, the Peter Parker in the current “Ultimate Spider-Man” series is married to MJ.

The MCU Already Adapted “One More Day,” Very Loosely

In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), Peter Parker, akin to but not identical with the “One More Day” comic storyline, employed magic without involving Mephisto or annulling his marriage. Instead, the world learned of his identity as Spider-Man, which resulted in Aunt May’s death. To make matters worse, Doctor Strange erased everyone’s memory of Peter Parker, including his girlfriend MJ (played by Zendaya). This means that she no longer remembers dating him. Despite not having a marriage to rectify, Peter suffered greatly in the MCU, with no revived Aunt May as consolation.

In essence, we anticipate that the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” will follow a similar pattern of loose adaptation seen in “One More Day”. Although Peter Parker is no longer remembered at the end of “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, the world acknowledges Spider-Man’s existence, as even Wilson Fisk makes indirect references to him. It’s likely that Peter will have a new group of allies, and he might be struggling again without MJ (or Ned) by his side. However, we believe these similarities will only go so far; it wouldn’t surprise us if the story veers off in different directions. In fact, given that MCU Spider-Man has only been featured in six movies over five years, there isn’t a vast amount of source material to rewrite or undo. Nonetheless, fans shouldn’t worry too much. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is one of the most cherished films within the MCU, despite being based on a disliked comic storyline. Therefore, it’s possible that “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” could mirror this pattern.

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2025-04-02 00:33