This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home
After her emotionally impactful performance inSpider-Man: No Way Home, star Zendaya, who reprised her role as MJ in the film, believes that Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May deserves more recognition for being a crucial and influential part of Peter Parker’s life.
Being the third actress to play Aunt May in a live-actionSpider-Manfilm, Tomei’s version first debuted in 2016’sCaptain America: Civil War. Her younger, more vibrant portrayal of the character was immediately met with much praise, but that’s not all that made her stand out from the other depictions.
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In an interview with Marvel.com, Zendaya expressed her thoughts on why Aunt May deserves more credit, especially this version in the MCU. “[May’s] a great role model,” Zendaya said. “She’s raised a lovely young man, and she’s done it on her own. She doesn’t get the credit she deserves.” Inprevious Spider-Man films, it was Uncle Ben who played a prominent role that would go on to shape the rest of Peter’s life and his mindset moving forward as Spider-Man. However, in Holland’s films, it’s only Aunt May who is raising Peter, as there is no mention of Uncle Ben. “It’s important to acknowledge May in the respect that everybody is like, ‘Oh, he always has to have a mentor,’ All these father figures and all this stuff. But May has raised him. Shout-out to May!,” Zendaya added.
Withno mention of an Uncle Ben, it’s Tomei’s character who guides Peter through his teenage years and new responsibility as the web-slinger. May initially played a more limited role inSpider-Man: HomecomingandSpider-Man: Far From Home, as Peter is mentored by Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark and Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck in those films. However, Aunt May becomes a greater mentor to Peter inSpider-Man: No Way Home,as he is forced to grapple with the world knowing his true identity as well as the rising multiversal consequences from Doctor Strange’s spell.
Before she is fatally wounded by Green Goblin’s glider after a brawl between Spider-Man and the iconic villain, she tells Peter the famous line that has been a staple inTobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’sSpider-Manfilms, saying he has a gift and “with great power, there must also come great responsibility.” It’s a line spoken by Uncle Ben in those previous films, but one that still carries just as much weight in this new entry.
Spider-Man: No Way Homehad a lot of expectations to live up to, but with the surprising emotional weight the film carried throughout its runtime, along with exciting characters from past films returning, it more than exceeded them.
Spider-Man: No Way Homeis now playing in theatres.
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