One of the more controversial choices in 2002’s Spider-Man proved that a great superhero movie can simultaneously be a faithful adaptation of its comic source material, appealing to both general audiences and longtime followers of the comics. 2004’s Spider-Man 2 kept the momentum of its predecessor, but Spider-Man 3, unfortunately, was divisive due to a myriad of reasons.
Although the live-action Spider-Man movie retains many of its predecessors' best aspects – Sam Raimi’s direction and Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst’s definitive Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, for instance – the film is often seen as overcrowded, with too many villains and plotlines. The film is also widely mocked for its portrayal of Peter Parker under the corrupting influence of the Venom symbiote. Arguably one of the more understated issues with Spider-Man 3, however, is its decision to retroactively tamper with Spider-Man’s origin from the original film. While this should be sacrilege, it arguably makes sense in context.
There Is Only One Story Every Version Of Spider-Man Must Get Right
Spider-Man’s origin story is the most important part of Peter Parker’s characterization. Spider-Man was originally conceived as a one-shot character in the 15th issue of Amazing Fantasy, by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Peter Parker’s entire story boiled down to an ordinary – albeit brilliant – teenager who received superpowers by accident and did not use them responsibly, which directly led to his Uncle (and father figure) being murdered by a criminal he should have stopped. The popularity of Spider-Man’s debut quickly turned him into one of Marvel’s flagship characters, and Peter Parker’s origin remains essential to understanding his character.
The underlying message of Spider-Man’s origin – “with great power, there must also come great responsibility” – was originally simply narration in his Amazing Fantasy debut. The phrase – sometimes spoken as “with great power comes great responsibility” – was later retconned to have come from Uncle Ben himself.
Spider-Man’s origin story has been adapted by numerous most accurate version of Spider-Man’s origin. This gave Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man the best possible foundation for his characterization.
Spider-Man 3's Uncle Ben Retcon Made Peter More Susceptible To The Symbiote's Influence
Spider-Man 3 seemingly ruins this foundation early on by revealing that Flint Marko – the Sandman – was Uncle Ben’s true killer. The film reveals that Marko was an accomplice of Dennis Carradine – the criminal Peter Parker did not stop – and initially implies that Marko murdered Ben Parker in cold blood and would have done so even if Peter stopped Carradine. Spider-Man 3’s retcon completely invalidated Peter Parker’s lesson of great power and great responsibility, undermining his motivation for using his abilities to help people. Yet this choice was actually a clever move, considering what follows this retcon.
Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man Universe Secretly Has Way More Superheroes & Villains Than You Realize
Canonical Raimi Spider-Man spinoff materials reveal that Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man shares a universe with many Marvel superheroes and supervillains.
The Venom symbiote bonds with Peter Parker shortly after he learns about Flint Marko’s supposed role in Ben’s death. The symbiote, of course, has a corrupting influence on Peter, making him a more brutal and selfish version of himself. While the symbiote would have been a bad influence on Peter anyway, the fact that it bonded with him right after Peter’s most important moral lesson was seemingly invalidated recontextualizes his abhorrent behavior as the symbiote-influenced Spider-Man. Not only is Peter corrupted by the symbiote, but he also no longer believes in Ben’s lesson about great power and great responsibility.
Spider-Man 3 Fixed Everything In The End
By the end of Spider-Man 3, however, the Venom symbiote is dead and Peter learns about what truly happened the night Uncle Ben died. A guilt-ridden and remorseful Flint Marko reveals that Ben was talking him down from stealing his car when Dennis Carradine bumped into him, startling him and causing him to fatally shoot Ben. Marko clearly had no intention of harming Ben and if Peter Parker stopped Carradine beforehand, Ben would not have died. As such, Spider-Man 3’s final reveal restored the lesson of great power and great responsibility, despite its retcons.
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