Now that Sony Pictures and Marvel Studios are working together on Spider-Man, it means that fans will also be treated to new versions of his supporting cast. Granted, it’s somewhat exhausting to be handed new iterations barely a few years since their predecessors were on the big screen, but this could also be the perfect opportunity for Marvel to take these characters in a new direction. Take Gwen Stacy for instance. In the three movies she’s appeared in, she’s primarily served as Peter Parker’s love interest. But in the MCU, she could follow the same path as the Web-Slinger and become a superhero. Now could be the time to introduce Spider-Gwen!
For those not following the comics books right now, Spider-Gwen is a Gwen Stacy from an alternate universe that became Spider-Woman after being bitten by the radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker. She was a main character in the recently-concluded Spider-Verse crossover event, and the first issue of her solo series was released last month. Like most versions of Spider-Man, she has all the classic powers, from the super-strength and wall-crawling to that handy Spider-Sense. She does have a few differences from both Spidey and her main universe counterpart. In her spare time she’s a member of a band called the Mary Janes, and rather than wisecracking at her enemies in battle, she spray paints her banter across the city. Different strokes for different Spider-people.
For these new films, instead of retreading the same story of Gwen falling in love with Peter and then being killed to permanently traumatize him, why not let her become a hero in her own right and fight crime alongside Spidey? While the Wall-Crawler will be appearing alongside other Marvel heroes, it would be fun to see him team up alongside another spider-powered hero. Or if they wanted her to lead her own adventure, make her the star of that female-led spinoff that’s still in the works despite the Amazing Spider-Man series being kaput.
The main issue is how to introduce a superpowered Gwen Stacy. With all the craziness involving aliens, Infinity Stones and other assorted bizarre threats in the MCU, parallel universes probably won’t be introduced for awhile, so that might not be the best way to give fans a superhero Gwen. That leaves two primary ways Spider-Gwen could be introduced (sorry, no androids). The first option is to not bother killing her off and simply give her an altered means of obtaining her powers. Like with Miles Morales in the Ultimate universe, maybe there was another genetically altered spider, and somehow she gets bit by it. The other option is to make Spider-Gwen a clone of the original. Fortunately, the Spider-Man lore is full of clone stories (including the highly derided Clone Saga), so if a supervillain like The Jackal were responsible for creating a new Gwen with spider powers, it would still be able to work.
The other main problem with Gwen becoming Spider-Woman on the big screen (other than hordes of Jessica Drew fans getting pissed off) is that it could be awhile until the new Spider-Man series can get her to that point, whether it’s in one of the main Spider-Man movies or the female-led spinoff. With the first solo Spider-Man film set for release in 2017 and likely a two-year wait between every subsequent Spider-film, Spider-Gwen may not see any action until after 2020. However, if Sony can pull her new image off carefully (hopefully with some guidance from Marvel), it would be well worth the wait.
For years Gwen was most famous for dying, but thanks to the comic books, she’s found new life as a superhero. If Marvel and Sony looking for a way to spice up Spider-Man and his cast for this new era, then adapting Spider-Gwen would be an excellent way to add a new element to the Spider-Man mythos and give moviegoers another strong female superhero to take on the bad guys. Who has Emma Stone's phone number?
