The problem with Gwen Stacy
If you haven’t seen The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and you plan on doing so, it is time to click away from this article, especially if you know nothing about the development of Spider-Man in the comics and have somehow been able to miss every other spoiler on the Internet. As River Song would say, “Spoilers.”
Spoiler Alert – You have been warned.
Spoiler Alert – You have been warned.
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Emma Stone is killing it. From her lip synch fight with Jimmie Fallon, where she clearly won, to her portrayal of Spider-Man’s lesser known but possibly more iconic girlfriend Gwen Stacy, Stone is the woman of the hour. However, this article is not about her or her acting and extracurricular activities; it is about the character that she portrays – Gwen Stacy.
When the team working on the comic books decided that Spider-Man needed a drastic change, they decided that killing off one of the main characters would be a good idea. After much discussion and apparent approval from Stan Lee, the team decided that Stacy would be the one to get the axe, figuratively in this case. One reason for this was that Gerry Conway felt he couldn’t do anything with the character, who was a Barbie doll for all intents and purposes.
The story line was conceived in the early 1970s and published in 1973. Stacy stayed dead and allowed Peter Parker to develop as a character. Her death affected his life in the comic books. Flash forward to 2014 and the story line becomes a part of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with a few key differences – this is not the 1970s, Stacy is not a cardboard cutout and Peter Parker doesn’t really deal with her death, which he might believe that he caused.
Women are continually used in the same ways to advance the story forward or give it a dramatic push; many times these storylines are to benefit the male character and give him motivation to become something other than what he is. Rape is common for story twists; death a little less so. In 2014, writers need to come up with new ways to change things up, or truly explore the consequences of those life-changing and emotion tugging actions.
Gwen Stacy as played by Stone is the best character on the screen. She is smarter than Parker – one and two in science class. She also set to go to Oxford on a scholarship of sorts, which she states first year students never get. In the movie, she is Parker’s equal and a valuable ally without whom Spider-Man would not be successful in defeating the Lizard or Electro.
Unfortunately, the film’s handling of Stacy’s death makes it no less noteworthy than a moping montage. Parker goes through the grieving process, Aunt May says a few wise words, and Spider-Man is back on the streets facing the bad guys with a quip. There is no real sense of Parker’s loss, and it is important to remember that in spite of his amazing abilities, Parker has just graduated from high school, and Stacy is his first love. He has lost three parents, so maybe that gives Parker some perspective on the situation. However, it could be argued that he caused Stacy’s death, and it is almost certain that in his mind he is the reason that she died.
Unless The Amazing Spider-Man 3 deals with the psychological problems that Parker might face with his involvement in Stacy’s death, the franchise will have killed off a fantastic character played by an actress at the top of her game for a momentary and fleeting emotional impact not worth the short time it got on the screen. Even if it does, Hollywood needs to find a new way to inject life into storylines that might otherwise fizzle.
When the team working on the comic books decided that Spider-Man needed a drastic change, they decided that killing off one of the main characters would be a good idea. After much discussion and apparent approval from Stan Lee, the team decided that Stacy would be the one to get the axe, figuratively in this case. One reason for this was that Gerry Conway felt he couldn’t do anything with the character, who was a Barbie doll for all intents and purposes.
The story line was conceived in the early 1970s and published in 1973. Stacy stayed dead and allowed Peter Parker to develop as a character. Her death affected his life in the comic books. Flash forward to 2014 and the story line becomes a part of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with a few key differences – this is not the 1970s, Stacy is not a cardboard cutout and Peter Parker doesn’t really deal with her death, which he might believe that he caused.
Women are continually used in the same ways to advance the story forward or give it a dramatic push; many times these storylines are to benefit the male character and give him motivation to become something other than what he is. Rape is common for story twists; death a little less so. In 2014, writers need to come up with new ways to change things up, or truly explore the consequences of those life-changing and emotion tugging actions.
Gwen Stacy as played by Stone is the best character on the screen. She is smarter than Parker – one and two in science class. She also set to go to Oxford on a scholarship of sorts, which she states first year students never get. In the movie, she is Parker’s equal and a valuable ally without whom Spider-Man would not be successful in defeating the Lizard or Electro.
Unfortunately, the film’s handling of Stacy’s death makes it no less noteworthy than a moping montage. Parker goes through the grieving process, Aunt May says a few wise words, and Spider-Man is back on the streets facing the bad guys with a quip. There is no real sense of Parker’s loss, and it is important to remember that in spite of his amazing abilities, Parker has just graduated from high school, and Stacy is his first love. He has lost three parents, so maybe that gives Parker some perspective on the situation. However, it could be argued that he caused Stacy’s death, and it is almost certain that in his mind he is the reason that she died.
Unless The Amazing Spider-Man 3 deals with the psychological problems that Parker might face with his involvement in Stacy’s death, the franchise will have killed off a fantastic character played by an actress at the top of her game for a momentary and fleeting emotional impact not worth the short time it got on the screen. Even if it does, Hollywood needs to find a new way to inject life into storylines that might otherwise fizzle.