Credit: Edited by Inside the MagicOf all the Marvel characters to exist in cinematic form, one would think that Spider-Man would be the quintessential figure to adapt. However, it seems that studios keep rebooting and revamping the wall-crawler.
Although Tom Holland might be the golden boy at Marvel Studios, a new take on Peter Parker’s perilous journey as Spider-Man won’t see him in the title role. Fresh off the success of The Walking Dead, Chandler Riggs exchanges zombies for radioactive arachnids in the upcoming adaptation of the Marvel comics.
Below, the official trailer for The Spider (2024) lends a different, more intense flavor to the familiar Spider-Man mythos. Those familiar with Sam Raimi’s adaptation might notice a few similarities, but there’s also something very sinister afoot in this dark retelling of everyone’s favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
The Spider: A New Breed of Spider-Man
Although it comes with a distinctly darker vibe, the imagery presented in the trailer above harkens back to Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of the iconic superhero. However, focusing on the mutation element gives this character variant a monstrous quality that will grab many viewers’ attention.
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Chandler Riggs’s portrayal of Peter Parker definitely feels more in step with the original cinematic Spider-Man, but there’s also an extra surge of adrenaline through the hot little we see in the very short teaser. There hasn’t been so much of a hint of his costume, but even going in blind, most will be able to recognize just what kind of character they are dealing with.
What We Know So Far
Written and directed by Andy Chen and produced by Locust Garden, The Spider is an upcoming non-profit short film described as “a new horror take on Spider-Man.” The film also stars Caylee Cowan, Matthew Vorce, Kyra Gardner, Holgie Forrester, Carl Addicott, David Rice, Andrew Hernon, Kealani Kitaura, Ronan Arthur, and Ben Thomas in the official cast list.
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It should also be noted that Chen fully admits in the trailer description that while The Spider is based on the comics, the project has no association with Marvel, Sony, or Disney. That being said, the official Spider-Man studios should pay attention to how this film is being handled.
Sony and Marvel have attempted darker, horror-inspired adaptations with mixed results. While Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022) was an impressive superhero acid trip, adaptations of inherently dark source material like Venom (2018) and Morbius (2022) simply didn’t go hard enough with what they were given.
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Spider-Man wasn’t designed as a dark and brooding character, at least until the Symbiote Suit story arc, but Chen’s adaptation seems to nail the horror-comic aesthetic that Marvel and Sony can’t seem to reach. Hopefully, the other studios will be paying attention.
What do you think of this new take on Spidey? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!