#like the most vitriolic critics of kids shows and films in general are often the ones that really need the base lesson being taught

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Spider-man: Far from Home spoilers ahead

The plot twist at the end of Spider-man: Far from Home as well as how the MCU has handled Spider-man in general and how much it has deviated from the comics, something MCU fans will never admit to, just highlights the difference in expectations and treatment of Marvel films and DC films.

In the comics, Spider-man’s identity was voluntarily revealed by Peter himself in support for the Registration Act in Civil War and at the behest of Iron Man, whose relationship with Peter had been built for years prior. It was intended as a major moment, Peter doing the thing he had once considered to be his worst nightmare and opening himself up to untold consequences. It was also intended as a big moment for his supporting cast, particularly J Jonah Jameson.

It forced Jameson to confront how the same kid who he, for all his jerkish behavior, always regarded with a degree of affection and saw as a son to him, even if he had difficulty expressing such feelings, had secretly been his most hated enemy the whole time. It showed the complicated feelings of betrayal he experienced and anger towards Peter.

It was a moment that would change Peter’s life forever as all the teachers who saw him as shiftless and unreliable, the bosses and landlords frustrated at how his brilliance was so often undermined by his apparent laziness were forced to confront the truth that had been hiding under their noses the whole time. 

The MCU handled Spider-man and the arc in a completely different way. Peter is introduced in the MCU and Tony in Civil War while the comics had built up their relationship for years prior and the film, due to only taking the basics from the source material, doesn’t have Peter forced to confront his feelings of betrayal as Tony goes off the deep end in his support for the Registration Act and eventually switch to working with Captain America.

Peter’s identity is also revealed by a J Jonah Jameson with whom he has no relationship and whose hatred of Spider-man has never been established in this continuity and in a way that robs Peter of his independence in making such a decision and the consequences he must face as a result.

None of this bad in itself. I don’t think writers are absolutely indebted to the source material and I think “they changed things from the comics” is a useless non-criticism masquerading as a smoking gun. Some of my favorite villains in recent comic book adaptations came from writers ignoring the source material and adding their own spin. The issue is in how the MCU is allowed to build Peter’s arc in a way that only deviates from the comics but contrasts how people insist these arcs should be developed which is influenced by the MCU but give the DCEU shit for taking the same liberties and not sticking to the rules that they insist are absolutely unbreakable.

Part of this is due to the DCEU working with characters and stories people know and have seen great adaptations of before so they don’t understand why writers wouldn’t just do that again in contrast to the MCU which has worked mostly with lesser known characters and adapting stories people don’t know as well or like as much (The Dark Knight Returns is considered a classic while Civil War is seen as an embarrassment to Marvel).

Fans will say that this is due to the MCU having amassed so much good will that they are granted more freedom to take such liberties but that kind of confirms what I and other DCEU fans have said, that our franchise is being held to a much harsher standard with less margin for error.

This is the core of a lot of frustration DCEU fans experience, not only at the difference in how the films are treated compared to the MCU but in the staunch refusal of MCU fans or detractors to acknowledge any such differences or that the DCEU is being treated in any way unfairly or even that such mistakes were more understandable when put into context. 

Instead, they cling adamantly to the idea that every bit of vitriol and criticism directed at the films, no matter how extreme or irrational when examined, is both earned and fair, occasionally adding that they wouldn’t face such issues if only they had done whatever action that is useless unless time travel has been invented, and that any defense of the films or attempt to offer another perspective that undermines the negativity is simply blindly loyal fanboys who refuse to hold the studio accountable.

People will snark and respond that this is due to the DCEU not pulling off those changes very well but that’s my point. It means the usual complaints about deviating from the comics is meaningless as that’s not an issue in itself. It also means they don’t need to abandon such ideas or avoid it in the future, merely improve the execution. They don’t need to recast or reboot Lex Luthor, just improve the execution of how they have reimagined him. The same is true with other characters and stories.

The MCU can take as many liberties as they want, even with major story lines and characters, and no one cares. But the DCEU is not granted the same privilege or level of creative freedom.

It’s a double standard, plain and simple.

#dceu #mcu #spider-man #spider-man: far from home #spider-man far from home spoilers