According to Marvel, Deadpool is due to make his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in all his R-rated glory. As I think of all his shenanigans, swearing, gratuitous violence, and his favorite catchphrase, "Maximum effort!" I am reminded of another one of my favorite wise-cracking superheroes. While not as inappropriate as the "merc with a mouth," the amazing Spider-Man, in a lot of ways, is very similar in terms of the humorous ways he goes about knocking their enemies off balance. Growing up, it was almost a natural progression for me to go from reading the "web-head" comics as a child to reading the "crimson comedian" comics as an adult.

This article will take a look at a more mature and darker Spider-Man movie within the MCU. I am not suggesting an assassin Spidey as seen in Edge of the Spiderverse as that might be a step too far for the character. Perhaps we could bring in "Kraven's Last Hunt" storyline where Kraven seemingly kills Peter, and takes on the mantle of Spider-Man in an attempt to prove himself better than the web-slinging hero. While I do love this particular arc personally, I do not think it is dark enough for our purpose.

Spider-Man: Reign, in my opinion, is one of the best Spider-Man stories every told. It epitomizes why Cable states that Peter Parker is regarded as the greatest superhero of all time. This story is similar to Frank Miller's take on Batman where we look at an older Spider-Man. In Reign, Peter has long since hung up the red and blue spandex, a decision he made when his wife Mary Jane passed away from cancer caused by exposure to his radioactivity. He is now working as a simple florist in New York City. At this time, New York is seemingly safe from crime. There are no more supervillains or superheroes. On the other hand, the city is a literal hellscape under the control of a corrupt police organization called "The Reign" with Mayor Walters at its head.

Good old J. Jonah Jameson sends Peter a package containing the mask from his black suit along with an apology for all the years of abuse. He had sold the Daily Bugle when he realized that it had been running on lies. As Jameson leaves, he starts a riot with some Reign enforcers. Peter comes to his rescue in only his black mask and underwear. Enraged at the return of the web-head, Mayor Walters releases supervillains Electro, Mysterio, Kraven, Sandman, Hydroman, and Scorpion from prison, and orders them to take down their former adversary in exchange for being allowed to leave New York.

What follows is an unbelievable tale that goes above and beyond in proving that Peter Parker is the greatest hero the world has ever had. He has no problem going head to head with his former foes, now dubbed the "Sinner Six," even though he is in his seventies. At one point, he is buried in his wife's grave with her where he is forced to face his inner demons. He then emerges in his famous red and blue suit that he has buried with her. The story culminates in a clash with the greatest villain of Spider-Man's rogues gallery, Venom. After saving the day, we see Peter visit the grave of Mary Jane one more time. He tells her that he will join her one day in peace, but for now he has responsibilities. As the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility."

Spider-Man: Reign is the perfect dark story for a more mature Spider-Man within the MCU. It is not so dark as to alienate younger audience, but it hits the right notes for a grittier movie for the character. The depth of the story shows why so many people love this character. While an adaptation of Reign would likely include flashback scenes with Tom Holland, I think it would be amazing to see an older action star take on the role of the mature Peter Parker. I think the image above just screams Clint Eastwood (and he would absolutely nail the role).

Source(s): Spider-Man Wiki

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