From “The Incredible Hulk” to “Buffy, The Vampire Slayer”to “Smallville” and “Supergirl”, there has been a ‘Homecoming’ of superheroes on the small screen over the last four decades. The same on the big screen with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield having the great power in taking on the greater responsibility of playing Spider-Man. Now, that mantle belongs to Tom Holland in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with “Spider-Man: Homecoming”.
The title of the film says it all with Peter Parker coming home to Queens after “Captain America: Civil War”, where the budding web-slinger shows he’s got heart in taking on super-soldier turned “war criminal” Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as a member of Team Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.). Peter/Spidey hopes that his “internship” with Iron Man will lead to his dream job: fighting alongside his mentor as part of the dream team of ‘Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ known as the Avengers. Armored billionaire-playboy-genius-philanthropist Stark knows Petey has the initiative to become an Avenger, but would like the young man to stay humble and grounded in remembering the real reason why Peter Parker became Spider-Man in the first place: to look out for the little guy.
But Spidey doesn’t think of himself as the little guy anymore. He feels like he’s ready to be a big-time superhero player like Iron Man, and tries to prove it by taking on the Vulture (Michael Keaton), who has made a business of collecting scraps of alien technology that was left behind from the battle of New York between the Avengers and Loki. Now, Spider-Man is making it his business to stop the Vulture in hopes of moving his way up to the business ranks of being an Avenger.
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” continues the greater responsibility in celebrating the anniversary of a rebel who is neighborhood friendly, amazing, and spectacular: several of the film’s defining characteristics thanks to Holland. This Spider-Man is a complete breath of fresh superhero air who still maintains both the heart and humor as well as the action – just like the second volume of “Guardians of the Galaxy”.
The wall-crawler might have climb through long walls in becoming an Avenger, but “Spider-Man: Homecoming” has proven that he is worthy enough and mighty enough to become one real soon.