After months of speculation, Disney finally released the first official photo from the set of their upcoming Spider-Man movie. The photo provides our best look yet at the web-slinger as he appears in the 2015 movie. As the character hasn’t been portrayed on screen before, it may be difficult to compare the photo to previous incarnations.
Setting The Movie In Film Noir
While it’s well-known that producer Jon Avnet has a specific vision for the characters in his Spider-Man Universe, it wasn’t until recently that we started getting a clearer idea of the world in which this version of Spider-Man thrives. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Avnet opened up about the process of translating his vision to film and the influence that the classic noir films of the ‘40s and ‘50s had on his storyboarding.
“I always say that a lot of my favorite films are Noir films. There’s a reason for that. It’s a very dark, dystopian universe. That’s the world that I want to live in, and a film noir is the best way to do that. So, that’s what I try to do, is take those ingredients and put them into my own little version of a film noir.”
The Jon Avnet Spider-Man Universe centers on one of Marvel’s most popular characters and has been described as a “noir-adjacent” take on Spider-Man. It follows the titular character as he attempts to balance his life between his career as a masked crime fighter and his personal life. While the character has appeared in several acclaimed and popular films, most notably the 2012 blockbuster, The Amazing Spider-Man, the Jon Avnet Spider-Man Universe is set in a darker and more noir-inspired environment.
An Unusual Casting Choice
While many fans were quick to point out Benicio del Toro’s resemblance to The Wolf man in the photo released by Disney, the role that del Toro is set to play in the Jon Avnet Spider-Man Universe is actually that of a human being. The studio decided to go with an unusual casting choice in order to achieve that noir feel, and it seems to be working. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, del Toro revealed that playing a werewolf in a Spider-Man movie isn’t something that he’s particularly interested in.
‘I would love to do something more on the emotional side’
If we were expecting to see the Marvel Comics character Wolverine in some kind of disguise, we’re in for a big surprise. While the role that del Toro is set to play in the movie is still classified as “a secret”, the actor revealed in an interview with Screenrant that he will be portraying a high-profile crime boss. When asked if he had any fun scenes with which to work, del Toro laughed and replied, “No, none at all. It was all very serious.”
A Different Take On Spider-Man’s Environment
When it comes to the environment that Spider-Man calls home, we’ve already been given an idea of what to expect. Spider-Man: Far From Home marks the fifth consecutive appearance of Benicio del Toro’s character in a live action movie, and it looks as if the setting will be drastically different from that of the previous movies. While previous adaptations of Spider-Man have taken place in outer space or in various other alternative universes, the Jon Avnet Spider-Man Universe is set a few hundred years in the future.
The film begins with Nick Fury warning that “something is coming” and that “it’s bigger and more dangerous than we thought.” In a cinematic first, Spider-Man makes an appearance in the form of a holographic projection and sets the scene for the upcoming conflict. The image of the hologram provides a glimpse into the more technologically advanced society that our favorite web-slinger comes from. With the help of some friends, he has created “a society that rewards bravery and punishes weakness,” and in the process, he has become a living legend. Now it’s up to us to follow in his footsteps and protect the city that he loves so much. This is the story that the Jon Avnet Spider-Man Universe is going to unfold. So far, so good.
That’s all the information that we have at the moment. More details about the setting and characters will undoubtedly be revealed as the production continues to progress. Until then, we’ll just have to make do with the limited information that is available here on Marvel Cinematic Universe.