With only a few weeks to go until the next superhero swings onto the big screen, excitement is certainly building for the release of The Amazing Spider-Man. Though a reboot, the franchise has done wonders for both fans and kids alike, and while it’s reinventing a huge superhero on-screen, it seems there are some changes many will embrace. Last night, Emma Stone showed up on Jay Leno with an all-new clip from The Amazing Spider-Man, and it seems one of the changes lies in making the female lead gallant in her own Spidey-like moment.
In the original trilogy, M.J. and even Gwen Stacy in the third film were damsels in distress. While M.J. did have her heroic moments here and there, she was always captured, in the hands of the villain, and ultimately just in the way at times. Here, Gwen Stacy has the option to do what her predecessors have done in the past: try to leave only to be caught and captured by The Lizard. While there’s no confirmation that it doesn’t indeed happen, Gwen has a major strong independent moment where she actually defies Peter and does an equally heroic thing as her boy under the mask. It’s actually somewhat refreshing to see a heroine who can take care of herself in a Spider-Man movie, though judging by the end of the clip it won’t last too long. Still, if this is the type of character we’ll be seeing, count me in.
“The Amazing Spider-Man” is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr. Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.
Starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Campbell Scott, Martin Sheen, and Sally Field, The Amazing Spider-Man hits theaters on July 3rd.
