As I was sitting in the theatre watching Spiderman: Far From Home last Tuesday, I remembered something from a YouTube video I watched the night before. The video was of a college student studying screenwriting confessing that the reality of the film industry wasn’t as much about independent and explorative artists as it was about businessmen negotiating ‘market appeal’ and ‘resource optimization’ in boardrooms. It’s difficult to deny that a movie franchise as large as the Avengers is based solely on artistic creativity and not on commercial gains. Sitting there, though, enjoying the witty banter between Peter Parker and Nick Fury, knowing fully that those dialogues were more manufactured than written, I realized that I didn’t mind being a consumer of ‘corporate film’. Not even a bit.  

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Over the past few years and even more so in the past few months, Marvel Studios, along with other behemoth production companies, have managed to capture the collective imagination of comic-lovers and haters alike through the release of enormously successful films such as Avengers: Infinity Wars, Captain Marvel, and Avengers: Endgame. It’s interesting to note, however, that all of these films, including the latest installment of Spiderman share many thematic and characterization similarities. Amusing repartee, whether it's between Danvers and Fury, Fury and Parker, Parker and Stark, or Stark and Rogers is seen in most (if not all) of the Avengers films in carbon copy format. Moreover, all of these characters seem to be battling very similar inner demons such as disillusions of identity, feelings of low self-esteem, or lacking a work-life balance. Despite the superficial cosmetic differences between these characters, their essence is very much the same. Of course, many of these similarities are just a byproduct of being common sources of conflict for superhero protagonists but they also clearly point to conscious marketing and script choices. Production companies are doing what they can to boost Marvel’s relevance and that’s what makes this and the other movies in the franchise commercial films. Don’t get me wrong, though. By making these points I’m not trying to take a reductionist view of these films. In fact, I’m appreciating them!

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The similarities across these films in terms of dialogue, conflict, and theme are precisely what unite these characters and make it believable that they all exist in the same cinematic universe! It’s a smart business choice that not only allows for narrative crossovers but also spikes the entertainment value for audiences. As much as the cinematic experience should be about originality, sometimes it’s more important to be about universal appeal. This film is does that, with all of the aforementioned similarities, but also with some refreshing twists. Part of the universal appeal of this film is the way in which it’s able to redefine the same characters in a different era. Spiderman: Far From Home is a show of how older narratives can be skillfully shifted to modern contexts in a lucrative manner.

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One of the first things that jumps out is the antagonist Mysterio. He initially seems to be your average run-of-the-mill superhero but is eventually revealed to be created by a team of highly intelligent ex-Stark Industry employees who grew disillusioned with Tony Stark’s use of their inventions. Therefore, the group, headed by Quentin Beck, developed drones with advanced projectors and AI systems that gave the illusion of exotic monsters invading Europe. These mirages were so powerful that Spiderman himself, upon discovering Mysterio’s true identity, wasn’t able to reveal them and instead ended up almost getting run over by a train. Without being heavy-handed, this film explores current technological realities and extrapolates their misuse. What was surprising is that I could believably imagine these exaggerations and it got me thinking about a redefined notion of antagonism. Mysterio wasn’t a ‘him’/’her’ but rather a ‘they’. He wasn’t simply Quentin Beck, but rather an ideological symbol for a group of radical, but otherwise smart and sane people. I loved how the plot toyed with the idea of what it means to be ‘a villain’ and simultaneously made it so relevant to the current technological context. 

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On another note, I found the characterizations of MJ, Ned, and the rest of Peter’s trip mates to be interesting caricatures of what it means to be a North American highschool student. They were all awkward, fickle, confused, and flawed. Although Peter was the ‘protagonist’, each of these characters had been developed enough to give the audience a sense of their persona. Truth be told, I wouldn’t have minded watching just them, without any of the superhero stuff. However, the way in which this traditional teenage drama was intermingled with traditional superhero action created an enjoyable and thought-provoking narrative. The dialogue and character relationships used humour to normalize this ‘imperfect teenager’ template and also reinforced the unconventional ‘real-world’ identity of Spiderman. By the end of this film none of the characters became any less problemless or unsure or un-awkward, but what they did become was a little more comfortable with how un-okay their lives were. And in my opinion, this was quite a mature closure for a film that was predicted to be just a ‘summer family watch’. 

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What was also inspiring about this film was the balance it tried to strike by paying homage to Spider-Man’s older avatars (and pleasing older audiences) but also evolving the MCU (and pleasing younger audiences). I’ve already mentioned two examples of integrating modern day but the screenplay also included elements of the past through the use of music. This film integrated compositions of Led Zepplin, The Ramones, and The Go-Go’s into its screenplay, reminding the audience that these characters have existed in contexts and avatars very different to those portrayed in this film. It subtly connects the past with the present and is quite satisfying for an audience to experience.

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All in all, Spiderman: Far From Home is a definite throwback to the Avengers movies that preceded it but rather than sticking to those templates, this film sought to venture out of it’s narrative boundaries and explore the social and technological North American contexts of 2019. The box office success and international adoration from young and old audiences alike is a testament to the artistic power in being able to seamlessly blend older narratives into more modern contexts.