The trailer for the averagely-anticipated Spider-man: Homecoming was just released, which you may or may not be excited about, depending on how many Pop! figures you own. I, for one, own four, so I was looking forward to it with modest anticipation. However, after having viewed the trailer, my sort-of excitement was completely superseded by a fresh, steaming pile of disappointment. Why? Because I’m tired, that’s why.
The trailer begins with our sprightly new Spider-man, Tom Holland, taking down a group of petty thiefs wearing superhero masks. Of course, this scene is accompanied by some lighthearted banter on Spidey’s end while he then saves the day. He’s surprised about this outcome, though, so don’t forget how boyish and relatable he is. Actually, you can’t, because the trailer then goes into Peter watching a pretty girl from afar, bumbling around Tony Stark, but, as always, still managing to set aside his quirky, nerdy ineffectuality long enough to be a super-badass and save New York from doom. All while MGMT plays in the background (because that’s what kids listen to these days, right?). Now, we come to the point where I am tired. A white guy who is also a nerd that has trouble talking to girls, yet also a hot superhero with the power to save an entire city. This same, tired plot/vessel for white nerd-male escapism gets continuously recycled movie after movie, and I need something new. Sure, the movie’s minor characters are racially diverse, but when considering all the flack Marvel received for deciding not to cast a black Spider-man, this seems more like appeasement than a genuine attempt at equal representation. To film industries, however, true progress does not sell. Beautiful stories, powerful minority main characters, female heroes that actually don’t need to be wearing skin-tight leather, this doesn’t sell. To me, however, this ideaology will not be able to continue for long. For better or for worse, recent political events have indicated that the world is desperate for change, and believe it or not, this social desperation extends into our media, too. With this in mind, I hope our films will be able to progress positively, away from the superfically comedic white center. If not, I guess we’ll all be needing a hero.
Watch the Homecoming trailer for yourself here.