After all, what is Peter Parker if not a kid who’s trying to figure out who he is, who he needs to be, and how he’s supposed to fulfill the expectations placed upon him? And while that has made for some frustrating stops and starts along the way (and three different Spider-Men in the span of 14 years), it almost works to the character’s advantage. Whenever Spidey’s web has started to sag under its own weight, the studios have felt free to just wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. Of course, the smallness of his character has a tendency to clash with the Hollywood ethos that bigger is better. It’s nice to guard the galaxy, but somebody has to keep an eye on Queens. Spider-Man is a friendly neighborhood hero in an age of foreboding cinematic universes.
