a kick in the face for people

Film The announced reboot of the Spiderman film franchise may be a surprise -- and to an extent a kick in the face for people who've invested in the imagining of the characters that have appeared in this version of the story over the past decade. But to an extent, much as Spider-man 2 is a classic comic book film, narratively the series was broken from the beginning by trying to rush through too much story (decades worth of comics) in the first film (which left him with nowhere to go in the third).

Perhaps if he'd been gifted the three films from the start, Lord of the Rings-style, the first film would have been what is being proposed this time around -- all about Peter getting his powers and dealing with high school (which was all mushed into the first hour of the first film). Flash Thompson and Gwen Stacy with elements like Mary Jane Watson and the Daily Bugle foreshadowed, perhaps with one of the subplots being Pete's attempts to get his photos in the paper, to get JJJ to take him seriously (paid off with the first Spiderman photos). Uncle dies half way through, Gwen at the close at the hands of the Green Goblin to cement his need to become a superhero.

The second film should have been about him moving to the city, working for The Bugle, Mary Jane Watson, Jean De Wolff, Black Cat and if Daredevil hadn't stolen him away The Kingpin at the head of a crime syndicate. Loads of different villains in cameos, Mysterio, Sandman, the Sinister Six essentially, the key being that we don't mess about with seeing their origins (which is what led to SM3 becoming overlong). At the close, he proposes to Mary Jane, who by then has discovered his secret identity and she accepts.

The third film. Married life. But it's not going too well. Pete's never home, between his superheroing and job. Plus the Black Cat is still around. Pete loves being a superhero but knows it's changing him -- the mundanity of MJ's life isn't satisfying. The Cat's exciting and brave and they connect. Eventually Pete's put in a position where he has to choose -- normal life or Spider-life? Threat from the sky -- something alien. Galactus is too big, Venom is too small. The Skrulls? Something goofy and overblown enough that we understand why Pete's attracted to the life.