Fans Claim ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ Outshines All Other Superhero Films in This Aspect

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 wrapped up the original Spider-Man trilogy, but not in the most satisfying way. Sony had ambitious plans for the franchise, including three more films and spin-offs. However, after Spider-Man 3’s critical and commercial disappointment, Sony put the franchise on hold before eventually revisiting it.

Years later, with the release of The Amazing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield took over from Tobey Maguire as New York’s beloved superhero. Despite high hopes, this series was shorter than its predecessor and ended after just two films.

Many fans believe the series didn’t deserve such a swift cancellation, and although Tom Holland now carries the mantle, some still argue that The Amazing Spider-Man series excels in one key aspect compared to all other superhero movies.

Unlike the original trilogy, which featured Mary Jane Watson as Peter Parker’s main love interest, and the MCU, which presents a reimagined Mary Jane through Zendaya’s MJ, The Amazing Spider-Man introduced Gwen Stacy as Peter’s primary romantic lead. While Gwen also made a brief appearance in Raimi’s trilogy, Emma Stone’s portrayal in The Amazing Spider-Man had a significant impact on the story and Peter’s development.

Felipe Rangel, in his ScreenRant article, notes that unlike Kirsten Dunst’s MJ, who was often relegated to a secondary role and a damsel-in-distress, Gwen Stacy played a central role in shaping the plot and Peter’s journey.

Dunst’s MJ was important but didn’t deeply influence the trilogy’s main narrative, which focused more on Spider-Man and his villains. Zendaya’s MJ, while crucial, had a different role shaped by the broader MCU concept, with Mysterio having a more substantial impact on her Spider-Man life.

Gwen Stacy, on the other hand, had a profound and lasting effect on Garfield’s Spider-Man, both positively and negatively. The complex relationship with her father and her tragic death left an unresolved scar on Spider-Man, as suggested in No Way Home, where Garfield’s Spider-Man is still struggling with the loss.

Additionally, the on-screen chemistry between Garfield and Stone was exceptional, surpassing that of Maguire and Dunst and even Holland and Zendaya. This difference in chemistry is partly due to the unique portrayal of the characters and their relationship.

As Rangel concludes:

I would argue that Gwen Stacy’s death is the saddest in any superhero movie. The sequence brings the romance between Garfield’s Peter Parker and Stone’s Gwen Stacy to an utterly tragic ending that packs an enormous emotional punch.

I don’t believe any other romance in a live-action superhero movie has managed to get closer to the level of love, emotion, laughs, and sadness that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 did. While I wanted to see the franchise continue after the movie, I was happy in a way about its cancellation, as a future without Gwen would not have been the same.

Source: ScreenRant

And that’s accurate. The strength of this romance made Gwen’s death hit harder than any other.

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