The most iconic MCU. When comic book fans think about Peter Parker, there is one quote in particular that always comes to mind. “With great power, there must also come great responsibility,” was a sentiment first shared in a narrative caption in Marvel Comics’ Amazing Fantasy in 1962. The line got popularized after Uncle Ben said it as a life lesson to Peter, advising his nephew to make sure he was not abusing his power and to use it to help others instead.
Since the line was introduced in the comics, it has been a consistent lesson in the various the MCU timeline would interpret the line, and the franchise took a somewhat unique approach. However, the exact history of the line in the MCU has become more confusing since the canon confirmation of another Marvel hero.
The Defenders Becoming MCU Canon Means Jessica Jones Beat Spider-Man To His Most Iconic Line
The Line Was Said In Jessica Jones Season 2
When the Netflix Marvel shows first premiered, many assumed that the projects would stay contained in their own universe. Speculation started to grow about The Defenders Saga’s canon status when the shows got added to Disney+ until it was finally confirmed that they were canon to the MCU. Marvel Studios Head of Streaming Spider-Man’s MCU timeline.
In Jessica Jones season 2, Jessica says the iconic phrase attributed to Spider-Man’s story. It is not in the same context as it is for Peter, with Jessica instead telling someone, “If you say ‘with great power comes responsibility,’ I swear I’ll throw up on you.” The line felt like meta humor from Marvel, perhaps poking fun at the fact that so many people use the line as a go-to life lesson and that Jessica was probably sick of hearing it. It could’ve been a throwaway reference, but the Defenders’ MCU canon status makes things confusing.
Jessica Jones' "Great Responsibility" Line Coming Before It's Said In The MCU's Spider-Man Story Is More Confusing
The Line Wasn’t Said In The MCU Until Spider-Man: No Way Home
The MCU’s iteration of Spider-Man doesn’t hear the “great responsibility” line until Spider-Man: No Way Home. Since Uncle Ben was cut from MCU Peter’s story entirely, it made sense that the person who would end up saying a version of the famous line would be Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May. Just before her death, she tells Peter that “with great power, there must come great responsibility.” Fans had waited for three movies to finally hear the line in the MCU, and while the build-up did pay off within the trilogy, there is some confusion when factoring in the greater MCU timeline.
Spider-Man: No Way Home takes place in 2024, but the line was first said in Jessica Jones season 2, which takes place in 2017. It’s strange to consider that Jessica’s version of the iconic phrase predates the actual MCU Spider-Man use of it. Especially in the context that the line was said in the show, it was clearly meant to come off as a meta joke. Though viewers might’ve been aware of the context from the past Spider-Man films, the fact that line had not been said in the MCU yet doesn’t make the reference as effective.
Spider-Man: Homecoming Gave Peter Parker His Own MCU Version Of The Great Power Lesson Before Jessica Jones
Tony Stark Gave Peter A Similar Lesson
Even if fans didn’t get to hear the iconic line in the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy until the third film, Peter did get his own version of the “great power” lesson in 2017. The entirety of Spider-Man: Homecoming was about Peter adapting to his newfound status as a superhero with Iron Man as his mentor. When Peter started abusing his powers past what he could handle, Tony told him that “if you’re nothing without the suit, then you shouldn’t have it.” Though “great power” wasn’t directly mentioned, it was essentially the same lesson.
Since Homecoming takes place in 2017, Peter’s “great power” lesson likely would’ve happened before Jessica Jones season 2. That somewhat helps out Jessica’s “great power” reference, as fans could’ve just assumed that Tony’s mentorship was how the MCU was going to interpret the line. While hearing it fully referenced in Spider-Man: No Way Home feels strange knowing that Jessica Jones beat them to it, all that truly matters is that the MCU’s Spider-Man got his valuable lesson in the end.
