With all of the sequels and spin-offs following THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 this summer, it is hard to keep track of where Sony is taking their franchise. While we know that Andrew Garfield and Marc Webb will be returning for at least one more go round with Peter Parker, the future beyond that is a big question mark. As Garfield gets older, Sony is having the same issue they had with Tobey Maguire as he aged out of the role. But, is a reboot the wisest decision for the future of a unified cinematic universe?
Instead of re-casting the role of Peter Parker, Andrew Garfield told Comic Book Resources that he would be open to doing what Marvel Comics did in their Ultimate universe and have a new character inherit the mantle of Spider-man. Namely, getting rid of Peter Parker and introducing Miles Morales as the new webcrawler.
“I have given that thought. I think one of the amazing things about Spider-Man is that you don’t see skin color when he’s in the suit. You don’t see any religious beliefs. You don’t see any denominations. … Miles Morales was a huge moment in this character’s comic book life. And I do believe that we can do that. It’s something I’m really interested in figuring out; an eloquent way of coexisting, or passing on the torch.”
The introduction of Miles Morales, a Latino/African-American kid, was met with mixed reaction in the comics world with some praising the multi-ethnic character while others complained about it being a publicity stunt. The character himself led to many lobbying for actor Donald Glover to be cast as Spider-man before Andrew Garfield got the role. With the formula created by Oscorp in THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 and surrounding films making it possible for anyone to become a new superhero or villain, it seems the easiest direction to continuing the story well past Garfield’s involvement.
But, it all depends on how well fans react to THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2 when it hits theaters this Friday.