From ‘Civil War’ To ‘No Way Home,’ A look At Peter Parker So Far
The adventure of Peter Parker aka. Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has been one of great interest since his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War. It was a fun time back then, especially given how it was unclear if Spider-Man would ever appear in the MCU again. Since then, the life of Peter Parker has played out in multiple films in the MCU. Let’s take a look at the journey of Peter Parker from Civil War to No Way Home.
Welcome Home, Peter
Captain America: Civil War is the first time we saw Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tony Stark picked him up in the process of forming a team to stop Captain America. It was an odd start for a Peter who was already established as Spider-Man, but it did bring Peter into a wider world of superheroes. It is important to note that this would be the first time Peter is part of a wider universe instead of his own.
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With Homecoming we got the first solo Spider-Man film post-Civil War. We saw Peter began to navigate his way in essentially the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the realm of superheroes in general. All the while, he learned the lessons of responsibility. He also learned that it is not the suit that defines him but himself. It was very poignant that Iron Man was featured in that film since that was very much a lesson Tony had to go through himself in his own arc. By the end of Homecoming, Peter found his own identity, and decided to NOT be an Avenger but help his neighborhood instead.
While some might say that his character took a step back in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, it is more that he continued to help his neighborhood from alien invasions instead of just the local villains threatening it. It also showed Peter taking initiatives and stepping up, proving he could be with the best of the best. Despite being a kid, he was on equal footings with them.
Does Whatever A Spider Can
In the aftermath of Endgame and the death of his mentor figure Tony Stark, Peter took the next step in his growth. He learned to trust himself in Far From Home as he became more of his own Spidey. At first, he made the mistake of putting his faith in the wrong people a la Mysterio. He then allowed himself to trust MJ, and of course, his best friend Ned in order to defeat the villain.
Finally, in No Way Home, Peter truly came into his own. Although the theme of responsibility had been played out throughout previous Spider-Man films, No Way Home took it to a whole new level. Through tragedy, loss, and fighting against immorality but doing the right thing regardless, we saw a Peter Parker finally coming into his own. By the end of the movie, he had gone through fire, and was ready to fully morph into a man, a Spider-Man that someone like Tony saw in him when he first plucked the kid up for Civil War.
With Great Power...
The story of Spider-Man has always been one of growing up. In some ways, his earlier adventures were through the eyes of a child. While he may be called Spider-Man, he was still just a kid at the end of the day.
From Captain America: Civil War to Spider-Man: No Way Home we saw a boy becoming a man, a kid becoming a superhero. They were stories of growth, and self-discovery, learning to truly believe in oneself and feeling comfortable enough to be happy with what they do.
It is an age-old lesson for Spider-Man. At the end of the day, with great power comes great responsibility.
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