Sony confirmed today what should have been obvious: Marc Webb will return to direct The Amazing Spider-Man 2
after his initial film successfully rebooted the franchise and banked a
staggering $751 million at the worldwide box office. The studio added
that Andrew Garfield would be back in the red-and-blue tights as Peter
Parker and his costumed alter ego. But then Sony threw a bit of a
curveball by stating Emma Stone was “in talks” to return as
flaxen-haired love interest Gwen Stacy.
What could possibly be preventing Stone from signing on the dotted line
and returning to the franchise? I have a theory: Emma Stone is trying to figure
out how to score a massive payday from only one film instead of two
(which Garfield reportedly is attached to do, completing a new Spidey
trilogy). And she’s negotiating for only one more film because her
character won’t survive the sequel.
We already know this to be true: Stacy dies, tragically, at the hands of
the Green Goblin (according to Marvel lore). Webb certainly hinted at
the possibility of harm swirling around Gwen, making Peter promise to a
dying Capt. Stacy (Denis Leary) that he’d leave Gwen out of his amateur
heroics. And Stone, to her credit, didn’t shy away from reporter
questions regarding Gwen’s storied fate while promoting The Amazing Spider-Man, saying Gwen’s death was part of the reason she was interested in playing the role in the first place.
So Gwen’s death in the reincarnated Spider-Man is more a question
of “when,” not “if.” And in my humble opinion, she needs to die in the
next film, creating a kind of dark, depressing Empire Strikes Back ending that sets the stage for a redemptive Spider-Man 3.
Webb can take the bulk of this next film to introduce Norman Osborn and his Goblin persona. He can conclude The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with Gwen’s death atop the George Washington Bridge. And our devastated
hero can seek solace – and a reason to fight again – in the third and
final chapter of this new trilogy.
I’ve always believed Sam Raimi made a big mistake botching the iconic
Gwen Stacy storyline, mixing Mary Jane into the Goblin story, then
putting the character atop a bridge in the original Spider-Man
but letting her live. It was a narrative cop out, and I never forgave
him for it. Webb has a chance to redeem the plot, to set things right
with Spidey’s world…through some very real pain. Webb told me during an
interview that he’d like to explore that subject matter. And now that
he’s coming back, I’m really hoping Sony and Marvel let him.
Maybe Stone signs tomorrow, and it was just a matter of letting the ink
dry. But when I saw that she remained “in talks,” and you know Sony
isn’t going to mess with the Garfield-Stone chemistry, I honestly
believe that she’s renegotiating a deal that only includes one more
movie. And I think we’re finally going to see the proper end of Gwen
Stacy’s storyline. I can’t wait.
