MOVIES Untangling ‘ Spider- Man’s surprises
A spoiler- y look at ‘ Homecoming’s end, bonus scenes
Spoiler alert! We’re discussing plot points integral to the conclusion of SpiderMan: Homecoming, so beware if you haven’t seen it yet.
There are Shockers in Spider- Man:
Homecoming — two of them, in fact — but what’s not much of a surprise is that Peter Parker ( Tom Holland) saves the day and foils Vulture’s ( Michael Keaton) plan to steal a plane full of Avengers gear.
Director Jon Watts also manages to throw in a few fun twists that lead into next year’s Avengers: InfinityWar as well as a fourth Avengers and a Homecoming sequel, set for May 3 and July 5, 2019, respectively. Plus it’s a Marvel movie, so naturally there are post- credits scenes.
Let’s break down the Homecoming ending and the bonus sequences: OUR HERO ISN’T READY FOR PRIME TIME. At the start of Homecoming, Peter hassles Tony Stark ( Robert Downey Jr.) about when he’ll get the call to join the Avengers; after Spidey defeats Vulture, Stark presents the kid with an awesome new Spider- suit but Peter turns him down.
He wants to remain a friendly neighborhood Spider- Man for a little bit longer — or at least until Iron Man needs him in InfinityWar.
“He’s still learning: You really think you know exactly what you want to do with your life until you don’t,” Watts says.
His refusal messes up a news conference Stark had set up with girlfriend Pepper Potts ( Gwyneth Paltrow), though HappyHogan ( Jon Favreau) pulls out an engagement ring just in case Stark wants to make headlines. Will we see what happens next in Infinity War? “I cannot say,” Watts says, laughing. ‘ MY FRIENDS CALL ME MJ.’ Peter’s crush in ‘ Homecoming’ is Liz ( Laura Harrier), but Zendaya’s character Michelle blooms as a possible love interest. Mary Jane Watson, or “MJ,” is Spidey’s longtime romance in the comics — played by Kirsten Dunst in the Tobey Maguire Spider- Man films — and Michelle reveals that’s her nickname.
“I wanted to make this ( movie) not be a love story yet, and I thought we could tease out a little bit,” Watts says. ONE MORE PERSON LEARNS PETER’S SECRET. Before the credits roll, Peter is getting too used to having his spiffy suit back ( after having to take down Vulture with a homemade outfit) and takes off his mask. However, the door’s open and his surprised Aunt May ( Marisa Tomei) walks in.
“I wonder what’s going to happen next. Honestly,” Watts says. CAP SALUTES YOU ON THEWAYOUT. One of the best running jokes is a series of cheesy videos done by Captain America ( Chris Evans) about physical fitness, detention and the like.
The final one comes after the credits roll, where Cap talks about the virtues of patience but also how “sometimes you wonder why you waited so long for something disappointing.” It’s a brilliant troll job on fans who’ve stuck around hoping for a hint of InfinityWar, but also a nod to the “It’s over, go home” kicker of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
“If the whole movie is having fun with the ( teen- movie) world, why couldn’t our post- credits scene do the same?” Watts says.