Spider-Man: No Way Home is here and fans are loving every second of it. One of the most anticipated films of all time, the third movie in the Marvel Studios/Sony Pictures deal that brought the iconic Friendly, Neighborhood Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe has people simultaneously living for the future and basking in the nostalgia of the previous two film iterations. Of course the comic book movie landscape changed forever thanks to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films starring Tobey Maguire. It brought so much of the page directly to the screen – but it did make some changes.
One change was quite a big one that has been debated at length – the organic webbing. Let’s look at way Raimi made this change.
*SPOILERS AHEAD FOR SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME!*
Back in 2002, many fans were shocked by Peter Parker obtaining organic webbing from the radioactive spider bite in Spider-Man. In the comics, Spidey had to use mechanical web shooters as he never developed webbing when he gained spider powers. These web shooters showcased Peter’s genius, even as a teen, as well as worked as a valid plot device from time to time, whether it was because he ran out of web fluid mid battle or had to develop special webbing for a particular villain/problem.
So when Sam Raimi abandoned them for organic shooters, fans weren’t all on board right away. Especially when the previous iteration of this movie, the James Cameron version that luckily never got made, also had the organic webbing, but with loads of crude puberty based metaphors that people groaned at in unison.
Raimi had two good reasons for his choice. Firstly, he did attempt the mechanical web shooters. They even had props made and some shots done with them that they showed off to promote the film early on. Raimi, however, felt that even though Peter was a genius, he would never have access to the hardware or chemicals necessary to create something that not even the government or military had done at the time.
He also felt that Peter would have gained a spider’s key tool for hunting if he was bitten and his body was evolving due to the radioactive venom. Raimi handled the organic webbing in a much more tasteful and subtle way that Cameron had planned.
The organic webbing is still a dividing topic amongst fans, but it was handled amazingly in Spider-Man: No Way Home in one of the best interactions between the three Spideys. They, in a very meta way, handled the immature side of organic webbing as well as the logistical side. This scene also just emphasized the instant connection between all three Peters on a familial scale.
The organic webbing in the Tobey Maguire movies will probably always be debated, even after this film and the many iterations that have made their way into the comics, but it’s a debate that fortunately tends to not end up toxic and is moreso a fun discussion for all.
What are your thoughts on the organic webbing? Let us know in the comments below!