1 Terrible Hot Take on a Beloved Spider-Man Variant Has Fans Pitting Comics Against Spider-Verse Films for Ruining the Character Arc
- Spider-Gwen came into the mainstream media after the Spider-Verse movies.
- Recently, a debate broke out on where users argued over Spider-Gwen’s arcs in the comics as compared to her in the movies.
- Fans believe her arc was destroyed as she entered Earth-616.
Probably one of the most loved and admired superheroes from the Marvel comics is Spider-Man. The character has been around for generations and garnered a massive fan following. Eventually, when the animated Spider-Verse films premiered, fans were overjoyed to witness multiple versions of their favorite Marvel hero.
The web-slinging hero has a plethora of variants spread across different dimensions and alternate universes. Some places see Peter Parker becoming Spider-Man while others have the likes of Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy donning the iconic suit.
Fans debate over Spider-Gwen’s character in comics vs Spider-Verse movies
Gwen Stacy plays a different role in every universe. In some, she is the central love interest for Peter Parker’s Spider-Man, whereas in others, she is no more than a secondary character. For Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man, Gwen was his everything. Her death makes him change his perspective on his powers and the world as a whole.
On the other hand, Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland’s Spider-Men have MJ as their partners, while the Gwens of their universe are not that closely linked to them. However, in the comics and the animated Spider-Verse flicks, we see Gwen becoming a variant of Spider-Man and harboring the web-slinging powers herself.
Recently, a debate broke out on X (formerly Twitter) where users argued over Spider-Gwen’s arcs in the comics as compared to her in the movies. Surprisingly, the movies have done a splendid job of showcasing her life and her personality. The comics, on the other hand, fail to highlight her persona in a better light. The other Spider-Women characters have more substance and potential for greatness.
Spider-Gwen is the absolute WORST thing to happen to Spider-Man media as we know it. https://t.co/8exJnWsWRx
— Dan (@simplydanart) August 4, 2024
Comics were cool until they had her start showing up in 616 because earth-65 was what made them interesting
— Sness – 2% 🪓 (@sness_64) August 4, 2024
of the five "big" spider-women (her, jess, 1610!jess, silk, mayday) she's probably the least interesting and her popularity has led to some of the most boring cash grab shit from marvel i've ever seen but at least her design kicks ass and she's super fun in the spiderverse films.
— hassoutobi (@HassoTobi) August 4, 2024
I liked her when she was just in the Spider-Verse events and then her own solo series when she was on her own earth. She’s better when she’s separated from the main marvel universe
— Steph – The 4th Robin (@DCUSpoiler) August 4, 2024
I wouldn’t say the worst but the more they forced her into 616, the worse she got. She was fine as a stand-out variant in Spider-Verse… didn’t like her first solo book too much and dropped that. And anytime I hear about how they shoehorn her into 616 stuff I roll my eyes
— Darnell ate the last slice of pizza (@DarnellBebop) August 4, 2024
Even if the fans can agree that Spider-Gwen is a good character if not extraordinary, they feel that her entry into Earth-616 was meaningless and could have been avoided. Earth-65 is a place where Gwen is interesting and has a unique personality. This shift in locations has entirely shifted the focus of the characters, thereby reducing their potency in the narrative.
When will Beyond the Spider-Verse be released?
The first two movies in the franchise have successfully delighted fans with their concept of Spider-Man variants across multiple dimensions and universes. Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse broke records to become two of the most loved animated Marvel and Sony projects.
However, the main anticipation for the threequel has left fans feeling queasy. It has been 2 years since the second movie was released and the producers have given little update as to when Beyond the Spider-Verse will hit cinemas. The makers repeatedly reassure fans that the movie is still happening, as if they will cancel such a money-making movie, but fans are not convinced. Now, the fandom is hoping for the film to be worth the wait as the entire narrative might eventually be wrapped up in the upcoming movie.
Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse are streaming on Netflix.
