Spider-Man: Homecoming Trilogy Characters & How They Relate To Their Comic Book Counterparts
The Spider-Man: Homecoming trilogy has come to a close with the incredible No Way Home, a love letter to the fandom as well as the Web-Swinging teen hero himself. This trilogy within the Marvel Cinematic Universe yet again introduced a new set of comic book characters to the big screen in epic fashion, producing new fan favorites with each installment.
While the characters in the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy are no doubt beloved by fans, the question remains of how well they measure up to their comic book counterparts. Indeed, while some perfectly fit their original mold, others leave something to be desired in terms of comic book accuracy.
Spider-Man: Homecoming featured two Shockers during its runtime, the first of which being Jackson Brice, portrayed by Logan Marshall-Green. Brice found himself replaced, however, with the more prominent character of Herman Schultz, played by Bokeem Woodbine.
Shultz never gets the opportunity to make a very large impact in Homecoming's story, instead of supporting the film's main antagonist in the Vulture. Nevertheless, the villain appears to follow the same criminal ideals of his comic book counterpart as well as the same powers, given to him in both renditions by a powerful gauntlet, though he never gets the iconic suit that the character is known for. It is also worth noting that Marshall Green's character of Jackson Brice is known by his alter-ego of Montana in the comics, a member of the villainous Enforcers.
Liz Allen is Peter Parker's high school crush who does eventually have reciprocal feelings toward him, though no romantic relationship ever officially forms between the two. She later goes on to marry Harry Osborn, taking over the family company after her husband's death as the Green Goblin.
Laura Harrier's Liz shares many of the same romantic beats with Holland's Parker as in the comics. This version of the character is notable, however, for the sharp diversion from the comics in making her the daughter of Adrian Toomes, the Vulture. While the comic book Liz was never related to the Vulture, she did have a supervillain relative in her stepbrother Mark Raxton, also known as the Molten Man.
Betty Brant is perhaps most notable for her affiliation with the Daily Bugle, the news organization run by Spider-Man nemesis J. Jonah Jameson. In the comics, she is Peter Parker's first official girlfriend, who remains a close friend even after their breakup. In later decades, Betty married Ned Leeds, only to later learn that he was moonlighting as the evil Hobgoblin.
The MCU's Betty appears to be inching closer to her comic book counterpart, acting as an intern for the Daily Bugle at the beginning of No Way Home. Angourie Rice's portrayal has also become the first cinematic version to deal with the character's relationship with Ned Leeds, though the relationship ended with less tragedy than in the comics.
Flash Thompson and Peter Parker have always had a friendly rivalry, with the antagonism between the two acting as a focal point in the earliest Spider-Man stories. Thompson's character is one of the few to appear throughout all reboots of the character, always appearing to make Peter Parker's school life just a little bit harder.
Tony Revolori took on the mantle of Flash Thompson for the MCU, following in the footsteps of Joe Manganiello and Chris Zylka. Though this version of the Thompson follows the same basic character beats, acting like a school bully to Peter Parker and the number one fan of Spider-Man, Revolori's character is presented as less intimidating than previous incarnations, in many ways becoming the punchlines of his tauntings.
The Vulture is one of the Amazing Spider-Man's oldest enemies, first appearing in the second issue of the superhero's flagship comic title. The two have engaged in battle countless times throughout the decades, with the Vulture often presented as a minor threat to the powerful hero.
Played by Michael Keaton for the MCU, the Vulture is portrayed as a far more sympathetic character than in the comics, doing his villainous deeds solely as a way to provide for his family. However, it appears that Keaton's character will engage more in his sinister side when the Vulture somehow reappears in Morbius.
Mysterio is one of Spider-Man's oldest foes, a master illusionist who is otherwise known as Quentin Beck. The character is a founding member of the Sinister Six and a frequent thorn in Spider-Man's side, despite not having any bonafide superpowers of his own, instead of using "special effects" as his means of making illusions.
Jake Gyllenhaal plays the MCU's Quentin Beck, who, much like his comic book counterpart, is initially presented as a hero before his true motives are revealed. This version of Mysterio also has no superpowers, though he uses a legion of drones rather than "special effects" to create his illusions, still proving to be one of the worst things to ever happen to Peter Parker.
May Parker, an aunt, and mother figure to the orphaned Peter Parker is a key character in the Spider-Man mythos. Often depicted as the doting and sometimes overprotective sole guardian of her nephew, May is one of the few family members that Peter Parker has left, and the most important person in his life.
The MCU's version of Aunt May, portrayed by Marisa Tomei, skews younger than most other versions of the character from the comic books. Unlike the source material, May also becomes an accomplice to Peter's vigilante life far earlier in his superhero career, resulting in her tragic death at the hands of the Green Goblin.
The comic book character of Ned Leeds is surrounded by controversy and confusion. Initially introduced as a love interest for Betty Brant, it was eventually revealed that Ned was the man behind the villainous Hobgoblin's mask. Even more shocking, however, was the posthumous reveal that Ned was not the mastermind behind his villainy, but rather a pawn used by the real Hobgoblin, Roderick Kingsley.
The MCU's Ned Leeds is perhaps the character to diverge the most from his comic book source material. Jacob Batalon's character is a far more lighthearted and lovable rendition of Leeds, often acting as the comic relief in any given scene. Other than a brief fling with Betty Brant, there is little resemblance between the two versions of the Ned Leeds character.
Mary Jane Watson is Peter Parker's most famous relationship in the comics, functioning as a well-rounded and iconic character in her own right. Watson eventually marries Peter, becoming his closest confidant and most treasured relationship until the erasure of their marriage at the hands of Mephisto in the controversial "One More Day" storyline.
The MCU made certain changes to the character of Mary Janes, ditching her iconic redhead look and changing her name to Michelle Jones-Watson. Nevertheless, Zendaya's portrayal of MJ Watson is one half of the best relationship in the Homecoming trilogy, forging an engaging bond with Peter Parker which, like their comic book romance, is tragically erased by supernatural means.
Peter Parker is a regular high school student that also happens to moonlight as one of the most famous superheroes of all time: The Amazing Spider-Man. Parker often finds himself stretched thin while balancing his personal life with his superhero antics, yet always finds a way to carry on, even when the going gets tough.
Tom Holland, the third actor to portray Spider-Man for the big screen, is most faithful to the early years of the character, where the pull to just be a regular high school student counteracts his burgeoning career as a superhero. Holland's character has the witty charm of the young comic book Spider-Man, and though certain elements of his story have been changed for the MCU, remains very similar to the source material.