The Spider-Man community is already in an uproar revolving around the potential return of Gwen Stacy. Last week, Marvel released a teaser that strongly hinted at the original version of Gwen Stacy's rise from the grave. Marvel has yet to confirm what's been speculated, but promises to release additional details any day now.

The mere implication that Spider-Man's tragic lover could make a comeback has sparked backlash from the fanbase. Social media reactions have ranged from confusion to bittersweet anger, with few, if any, celebrating the prospect of Gwen Stacy returning. If anything, the idea that Gwen Stacy could return to the fray speaks to a larger complaint the Spider-Man fans have accused Marvel of doing for years: refusing to move on from Spider-Man's past.

Spider-Man readers have been vocal about what they actually want Marvel to do with the Spidey IP, but bringing back Gwen Stacy is the furthest from fan demands.

What Do Spider-Man Fans Want From The Franchise, If Not The Return Of Gwen Stacy?

Readers Cite Zeb Wells & John Romita Jr.'s 2022-2024 Amazing Spider-Man Run As A Low Point

Marvel's Spider-fandom have been critical of the comic book publisher's handling of Spider-Man as far back as the infamous "One More Day" story arc, but the community's low morale reached its zenith during writer Zeb Wells and artist John Romita Jr.'s run of The Amazing Spider-Man. While the run did occasionally yield ideas that were intriguing – such as Peter's black-suited Green Goblin form – most of the run's storylines featured moments that were more discouraged than celebrated. The run frequently went viral for not catering to anything the readers were constantly begging for.

The Amazing Spider-Man run first sparked controversy by reiterating that Marvel has no desire of rekindling an order from Kevin Feige to help create serendipity with Kamala Khan's MCU counterpart) was even more controversial.

Marvel keeps Peter miserable to maintain a safer, familiar status quo.

Even beyond what Wells' and Romita Jr.'s run didn't offer, Spider-Man fans have wanted more out of the character for years. Common complaints revolve around Spider-Man being stagnant, creatively. He felt stagnant because Marvel seldom steers away from the character's status quo. For instance, Peter Parker has been broke, alone, and depressed practically since his inception. The closest he comes to being more than that is his short-lived Parkers Industries run that briefly made him rich. In-universe, he's a victim of "Parker Luck," but editorially, Marvel keeps Peter miserable to maintain a safer, familiar status quo.

Why Do Spider-Man Fans Not Want Gwen Stacy To Make A Contemporary Comic Comback?

Marvel Fans Want The Spider-Man Franchise To Progress, Not Regress

If readers can give Wells and Romita Jr.'s Amazing Spider-Man run any credit, it tried to push Spider-Man forward, even if it wasn't a direction that fans wanted to see. Yes, everyone wants to see Peter and MJ together, but as a writer, Wells at least tried to usher in a new love interest for Peter in Shay Mitchell that, if nothing else, advances Peter past his old flame. Rather than dwell on the past, Wells gave readers a character who Peter might love more than crime-fighting, helping him progress as a character better than he has in years.

Pushing toward the future gives Spider-Man at least a modicum of the character development and change that fans have been begging to see for years, whereas revisiting Gwen Stacy risks bringing Spider-Man back to stagnation. The memory of Gwen Stacy has served as a way for Spider-Man to feel guilty about how he feels he failed the woman he loved, as well as a prime motivation for him to work harder as a superhero so that he never makes such a fatal mistake again.

Marvel Might Not Have Moved On From Gwen Stacy, But The Spider-Man Franchise Has

The Publisher Has To Acknowledge That

As a result, there is little basis of storytelling for Peter. Bringing her back to living flesh won't change that and offers little new to do for Spider-Man that hasn't already been achieved while she was dead. Bringing Gwen back to life only gives physical shape to his guilt, which isn't needed and, again, doesn't achieve anything that wasn't touched on while she was in the grave. Besides, Spider-Man fans moved on from Gwen a long time ago.

Hardcore Gwen Stacy fans should pick up Giant-Size Gwen Stacy #1 – written by Christos Gage, with art by Todd Nauck, focusing on her pre-Spider-Man origins and life before dating Peter Parker.

If readers want more of Gwen Stacy in the main Marvel canon, they have the alternate reality's Spider-Gwen who just moved to Earth-616. If readers want Gwen to be redeemed as a character with more agency beyond her tragedy, there are plenty of non-canon stories centered around Gwen Stacy that achieved that, as well as canonical stories that focus on her life outside dating Spider-Man. Gwen Stacy fans have options to explore the character further, which do not sacrifice the present or future of both the Spider-Man franchise and Marvel canon as a whole.