Far From Home The Aunt Tomei er, Aunt May thread

[fan4stic]

The traditional May functions basically as an annoyance to nag Peter and be someone he has to worry about constantly because she could have a heart attack at any moment. Rosemary Harris did a great job in spite of this, but I definitely prefer this interpretation of the character. She actually seems like an aunt and not a grandmother, and I love how she tries to help and nurture Peter's ambitions as opposed to being an albatross for him.

But as far as I've seen, the character doesn't have depth. For all the talk of being better as a younger character, this version is a weak character. Putting the character in there with no conflct for the character and with the purpose of what sounds like propping Peter up. May in Raimi's, even Webb's, had personal emotional conflict with Peter and what he does. As far as I know, this one's only moment of that is in the 1 scene in Homecoming. Otherwise as I've seen/heard, the character flitters about with nothing to build the character on.

 

[Blade Hoarder]

She is as big a waste in this as Sally Fields. A shame.

 

[psylockolussus]

No, those Aunt Mays were actually older. The MCU version isnt meant to be the same age or even in the same range as those other ones. People act like she's dressed like a ho. Her wardrobe is fine. You are right in that her relationship with Peter is different. It used to play off more like a grandmother to me but now its like an actual aunt. They changed everyone in Peter's supporting cast so yeah this isnt meant to be like the comics. He's the only character thats relatively consistent; everyone else has been altered to bring a new interpretation to life. May makes sense with that vision

And a vision that I'm not a fan of which I've said earlier in this thread and the other threads.

 

[Schlosser85]

She is as big a waste in this as Sally Fields. A shame.

More of one.

 

[antsman41]

Tomei in those high wasted acid washed jeans, yep.

 

[metaphysician]

The traditional May functions basically as an annoyance to nag Peter and be someone he has to worry about constantly because she could have a heart attack at any moment. Rosemary Harris did a great job in spite of this, but I definitely prefer this interpretation of the character. She actually seems like an aunt and not a grandmother, and I love how she tries to help and nurture Peter's ambitions as opposed to being an albatross for him.

There's also that. . . to be blunt? The traditional portrayal and usage of Aunt May is really, *really* sexist. She is "Woman as Obstacle" in just about its purest form ever. Its one of those things which *deserves* to be changed.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

May could do more in these films, definitely. I was fine with her in HC, but because of FFH taking place overseas she didn't have much to do. But I do like what they have done with the character, and I'd much rather see more of a character than wish I saw less of one. She and Peter have a good relationship and you can see how much they love and care for each other, which is a giant step up from the Garfield/Fields versions.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I am a fan of this Aunt May, but I also think she has been more functional then anything so far. When she is around, doing her thing, I love it. But they haven't done much outside of that, which I have been okay with so far, considering the stories. Considering how FFH ended, I wonder if she will get a bigger role next time around.

 

[Dark Raven]

May could do more in these films, definitely. I was fine with her in HC, but because of FFH taking place overseas she didn't have much to do. But I do like what they have done with the character, and I'd much rather see more of a character than wish I saw less of one. She and Peter have a good relationship and you can see how much they love and care for each other, which is a giant step up from the Garfield/Fields versions.

I'd say that was definitely a problem because of it being overseas. She couldn't really feature into the plot, unless she was somehow one of these parents or guardians who volunteered to come along on the school trip. But then maybe Peter would think she would cramp his style, or she would think he wouldn't want her.

I'm sure some of his classmates would've been happy to have her there though. Maybe Brad would've focused his attention on her instead of MJ.

In the next film, maybe one of the villains will kidnap her, or attack her, similar to how Doc Ock or Green Goblin did in SM2 and SM1 respectively. I'd like for her to be caught up in the action high above the streets of New York like the Spidey/ Doc Ock/ Aunt May action scene in SM2.

 

[Havok83]

Im fine with May's use in both films. The movies are about Peter and Spider-Man. She was a supporting character, not a lead and thats the capacity she was used in. Im not sure if I would have like it if she was featured more prominently as I think she was there just enough

 

[fan4stic]

Im fine with May's use in both films. The movies are about Peter and Spider-Man. She was a supporting character, not a lead and thats the capacity she was used in. Im not sure if I would have like it if she was featured more prominently as I think she was there just enough

Being about Peter doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't do character based things with her.

 

[Havok83]

Being about Peter doesn't mean they can't or shouldn't do character based things with her.

Unless it adds something to his story and/or character development, they shouldnt waste time giving her her own subplot

 

[Schlosser85]

If the MCU gave May a subplot, it’d just be some rom com hijinks with Happy.

 

[fan4stic]

Unless it adds something to his story and/or character development, they shouldnt waste time giving her her own subplot

I don't agree with that. But it can if they want to do it.

 

[Dark Raven]

This woman is 108 years old but looks more like comic accurate Aunt May:



So maybe comic Aunt May always looked like she was over 100. She could have even been the mother of Rosemary Harris!

 

[TheWallCrawler]

I thought May was done well in Homecoming, even though she was very different it felt somehow fitting and real. In FFH she went from being a character to being a hollow character type.