Assuming that the media has done its job, the hype surrounding the impending blockbuster movie season should be kicking into high gear by now. One of those titles coming fast and furious down the pipe is the third installment of the Spiderman movie franchise. The first two have a great track record… I must admit my more literary and theological side likes it when I get to “geek out” about the surprising theological depth of something usually better known for its special effects.
What intrigues me about this new Spiderman film is the introduction of the black suit plotline, and the inevitable new villains. Spiderman has always been about a young man's struggle with a tremendous gift, and the immense responsibility that goes with it. Without giving too much away, in the original comic series, the dark suit plotline was a metaphor for one's own struggle with temptation and seeking redemption.
Layered onto this, of course, are the first two films. The first Spiderman introduced us to the young-and-nerdy Peter Parker wrestling with great power that literally came up and bit him. “With great power comes great responsibility,” Uncle Ben said to him. It would be a lesson that Parker would learn the hard way. His own choices contrast with those of Norman Osbourne, the Green Goblin, whose own powers and choice lead him down a very different and dark path. Spiderman 2 picks up this theme again, but contrasts it with a sense of one's calling, one's own purpose in life, and how much the choices that we make really do matter. As with the first film, the development of Doctor Octopus is a vast improvement over the two-dimensional four-colour villain from the comic books. As tragic contrasts to Parker's own struggles, the villains help move the story forward in a way that transcends the action sequences. Spiderman 3 has the potential to continue this with the story of the black suit. Originally introduced in the comics in 1984, the black suit infuses Parker with even more power than he had before — amplifying his own struggles with power and responsibility — but also unleashing a terrifying dark side that Parker must struggle with before it masters him. These themes of personal choices, power, responsibility, calling, purpose and trying to find a way to balance it all are things we struggle with as human beings and as Christians.
These are strong theological themes that occasionally bubble their way to the surface in what is often otherwise unremarkable Hollywood fare. One does not have to go to overtly Christian films to be able to pick up on what are clearly biblical themes. In fact, I find films like this far more satisfying, because there's a genuine depth to them that's worth exploring. My experience with overtly Christian films is that they tend to be overwrought and preachy, and often have excessively sweet endings that would make even the Care Bears reach for insulin. Ironically, I find Spiderman far more realistic because his struggles are genuine.
While God may not have a guest-starring role in these films, the stories and metaphors have a great deal of resonance with people born in the last third of the 20th-century. It's what we're watching, it's what we're listening to, it's what we're thinking about. Stories like this resonate with us, because they appeal to imagination and possibility, but they also connect with our anxieties, hopes and fears. It's not that hard to bring God into the conversation, because God's already there in the midst of it. When it comes to temptation and redemption, God has something to say. That's nothing new!
