For years, hardcore fans have fought over which Spider-Man actor was the best. There were the die-hard nostalgic fans of Sam Raimi’s Spider Man trilogy, with Tobey Maguire donning the red and blue suit. There were the MCU fans of the backflipping, young Tom Holland and his portrayal of Peter’s quest for a father figure who wouldn’t die or stab him in the back in the MCU. And there were the outcasts: the Great Spider Man fans who loved Andrew Garfield’s take on skater punk, Gwen Stacy-loving, web-slinging hero.
When it comes to The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider Man 2, they championed their favorite duology and supported those movies to others who thought they were the franchise’s weakest link, and thought Garfield was “too cool” just because he knew how to skateboard and actually got up to Flash to bully Thompson. Then everything turned into Spider-Man: No Way Home, when Ned (Jacob Batalon) and MJ (Zendaya) conjured up a Doctor Strange-style portal that led Garfield and Maguire to step into the MCU. Suddenly all allegiances and all squabbles with other movies were forgotten, and everyone loved the goofy, childlike look of Garfield’s Peter 3.
although Spider-Man: No Way Home brought fans together and united the three Peters, there is still debate about the Spider-Man suit. Which are the best? Who has the most comically accurate? Which suit had the best spider logo on the front? As one of the most iconic pieces of the Spider-Man puzzle, it’s hard to pick a costume that’s the best of the franchises, but many fans believe it’s the Amazing Spider Man 2 business suit. Breaking down is the Amazing Spider Man 2 fits best, and why do fans love that costume so much?
Comic Book Accuracy
Before the web garland hit the big screen, it had its humble beginnings on the pages of Marvel Comics. Peter Parker was made to be the little man, the teenager with great strength and unexpectedly great responsibility. He’s the friendly neighborhood superhero made to stand out and be seen. The traditional costume that resembles a spider’s web and the large white eyes on the mask have become one of the most recognizable parts of the costume. When the character was first created, he was drawn among the gray and dull buildings of New York City, so the character had to be bright and stand out against the drab background. Illustrator Steve Ditko chose bright red and blue as standout colors, and so Spider-Man was born. In The Amazing Spider Man 2, the costume created by Deborah Lynn Scott brings comic book accuracy to the pack, just in a 2014 grunge punk kind of way. The colors match the vibrancy of the early comic book and the look of the early suit. The spider on the costume took its liberties, by extending the spider’s legs and creating a bigger spider on the front of the suit, the comics’ little spider symbol was opposed to how the symbol of Holland has become in the MCU, but the long spider matches the suit webbing better.
Why Amazing Spider-Man 2’s Costume Stands Out
The Amazing Spider Man 2 suit stands out among its contemporaries in that it not only resembles the early comics, but also differs from the militarized superhero costumes. In the early days of the MCU, all the classic costumes were from the beloved comics were very grounded and militarized. Their bright colors were exchanged for dull, dark and neutral colors, modernizing the suits. Like Wanda Maximoff’s combat dress and red leather mini jacket, or Hawkeye’s black outfit instead of his signature bright purple. Spider-Man, in general, has largely escaped that fate. It’s kind of hard to change the most recognizable part of your hero anyway. As Stan Lee once said, “Anyone can wear the mask,” because it’s not about who’s under the mask, it’s about the hero.
Maguire’s suit in Raimi’s Spider Man really ran with the red, and it fits perfectly into that first wave of superhero movies with the high saturation of early 2000s movies. Holland’s suit really capitalized on Iron Man being the creator, making the suit got hidden features and made it high tech and very expensive. At the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we finally get to see a suit made entirely of Peter Parker as he stepped into the role of the “Friendly Neighborhood Spider-man”.
Garfield’s suit in The Amazing Spider Man 2 is special. The audience sees it grow from something he creates to something he embodies, becoming a symbol for the city. The combination of red and blue is very present, making it stand out not only against the backdrop of the city, but also against its villains, creating an interesting contrast between the police, with whom he is often in conflict, and their blue and red colors and his own.