A standalone "Spider-Man" film is not exactly a new thing. The web-slinging superhero has gone through multiple castings and franchise reboots that almost everyone already knows the tale of how Peter Parker and how his alter ego came to be. But the difference in this new iteration of the lore, "Spider-Man: Homecoming" that stars Tom Holland is that it will be the very first time that Marvel Studios will have their spin on the fan-favorite character. And at this point that the $10 billion franchise can seemingly do no wrong, an endless list of possibilities can happen in the film.
Case in point is the addition of Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark in the film. After a sample of what could be a budding relationship between the genius billionaire and the whiz kid from Queens was seen in "Captain America: Civil War," the company decided to delve more into their relationship which admittedly seems very interesting.
While Iron Man's appearance in the Jon Watts-directed film is exciting in itself, a slew of new characters, very different from what Peter had in previous iterations, are set to debut alongside him when the film rolls out next year.
No official character descriptions have been announced outside of Marisa Tomei who is playing the new version of Aunt May and Michael Keaton who will portray the big baddie of the film — Vulture. However, a casting sheet made accessible to fans has allowed them to formulate their own spin on who plays who in the movie. One of the most interesting roles in the ensemble belongs to Zendaya, whose character can be basically anyone at this point. Nevertheless, there is strong buzz that the former Disney star will eventually be the new Mary Jane Watson — something that the actress refuses to confirm or deny.
"People are going to react over anything. But nothing [about who she is playing] is fact. It's like, you guys are just making s*** up at this point and then reacting to it. Whenever we were on set, one of us gets some random character name [on the call sheet]," Zendaya told The Hollywood Reporter in a recent write-up featuring her and Holland. "It's funny to watch the guessing game."
As it turns out, Marvel seems to be deviating from the usual plot arc that previous "Spider-Man" movies have treaded and decided to focus on an entirely different time and aspect in Peter's life. Aside from the fact that it will not retell Uncle Ben's murder, a romantic relationship for Peter may also be off the hook which makes more sense if Zendaya is really not playing Mary Jane.
"My character is not romantic. My character is like very dry, awkward, intellectual and because she's so smart, she just feels like she doesn't need to talk to people," the 20-year-old clarified. "She comes off very weird. But to me, she is very cool because she's deep. She's always thinking about something, always reading. I like that. And I also like that I don't really have to do anything for hair and makeup. I just get to walk in and walk out."
Whether this new character turns out to be someone entirely new or a spin on someone who is familiar, fans can rest assured that she will fit well in the high school-themed a la John Hughes vibe that "Homecoming" is pining for. And with the movie's first trailer rumored to be arriving in next month's "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," it is only a matter of time until everything is finally revealed.
"Spider-Man: Homecoming" is set to hit theaters on July 7, 2017.
