Life Beyond Emo Spidey

The forthcoming Spider-Man reboot has been met with varied reactions, though most tend toward the dismissive or confused.  People feel that the character's cinematic rebirth is happening too soon after the original trilogy, but I disagree.  After the epic mess that was Spider-Man 3, a bunch of new blood is just what the franchise needs.  I honestly don't think I could take Tobey Maguire seriously in that role again after his embarrassing dancing.

The fact that Marc Webb, director of one of my all-time favorite movies, (500) Days of Summer, has taken the reins, is incredibly exciting.  (500) Days was his feature debut, and the nuance, humor, and emotion he brought to the screen is astounding, especially for a first-time director.  I hope and believe that he'll bring similar power to this superhero tale.  With James Cameron serving as a sort of 3-D supervisor, the new Spidey will also be a visual feast, fitting for one of the most acrobatic heroes around.

And, of course, the cast is shaping up very nicely.  First, we got Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.  Garfield is an incredible actor who has really come to the public's attention this year, first in Red Riding, then more recently in Never Let Me Go and The Social Network, for which he very well may receive an Oscar nomination.  He also appeared in Spike Jonze's touching short, I'm Here, which is available to view online.  Garfield's roles so far have tended toward the sensitive, meaning he should easily embody Peter Parker's nerdy roots, and will be exciting to see how he handles the character's growth into an action hero.

Rumors were swirling that Emma Stone was joining the cast as Mary Jane Watson, but it was only half-true.  Yes, she's in the film, but as Gwen Stacy.  What's really important is that she's in.  Stone is a beautiful, bold talent who finally got the role she so deserves in Easy A, and I'm glad she'll be getting an even more attention by joining the Marvel-verse.

Today's casting announcement was the most surprising of all: Rhys Ifans is booked to play a villain, but which villain is a mystery.  Guesses include Vulture, Electro, and Scorpion.  I personally would love to see Scorpion on the big screen (or Lizard), but Electro's powers would be pretty awesome to behold in 3-D, too.  Ifans is a talented actor who tends to deliver through his droll, dry humor, so it'll be interesting to see if he goes more over-the-top as a super-villain.  Of course, it may not seem so strange after seeing him as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I'm definitely onboard for this movie.  A fresh director and creative casting should help to remove Spider-Man 3's awkward taste from audiences' mouths.