Homecoming The reason why we don't see Peter's Spider Sense in Spider-Man: Homecoming

[Arach Knight]

So, we didn't get to see Peter's Spider Sense in Homecoming because it's something we've "already seen before," yet we're seeing Peter in high school for the third time...

I wonder if studio executives and directors hear the words that are coming out of their own mouths...

“The idea was, again, just you want to make this movie be less about things you’ve already seen before, and you’ve definitely already seen a spider sense sequence done extremely well in Marc [Webb]’s and [Sam] Raimi’s movies…It could be something that develops over time or we can do it in a different way. It’s something that seemed like maybe there’s a cool thing to do with that eventually, but let’s not crowd this movie with something we’ve already seen before…

- Jon Watts Director of Spider-Man: Homecoming.

http://www.slashfilm.com/spider-man-homecoming-spider-sense/

 

[The Joker]

To be fair, the High School stuff wasn't done much in the previous movies. Peter graduated High School less than half way through Raimi's first movie, and TASM barely touched on it.

 

[hafizbat]

I think this is an overreaction. He merely said they didn't want to focus on it, not that this Spider-Man doesn't have it. He even made it clear that it's something they'll get to eventually...

 

[OcStat]

I think the quote above is basically saying they didn't want to do the typical Spider-Sense scene where it slows down like the Matrix.

I didn't even realize it til my second viewing as my friend and I discussed whether or not Peter had his Spider-Sense. Next to no slow motion in this movie, besides that split second on the Washington Monument. Relatively minor but I think it helps the movie stand apart from the previous movies a bit.

 

[hafizbat]

The cool thing is that, when you look for it, you see his Spider Sense. The ferry scene in particular has it multiple times.

 

[Mike Murdock]

I honestly didn't want to see the Spider-Sense on screen because I don't think it can be shown in a purely visible medium. You end up with bullet time, which is not what it is. Maybe if the movie was in 4D, our chair could vibrate or something to represent it, but that's the closest you'll get.

 

[Matt Parker]

Could you point to a few examples, hafizbat? I believe you, just curious.
I noticed it in the warehouse scene right before the Vulture wings almost hit him from behind.

 

[hafizbat]

Could you point to a few examples, hafizbat? I believe you, just curious.
I noticed it in the warehouse scene right before the Vulture wings almost hit him from behind.

Shocker tries hitting him from behind which Spidey dodges without ever seeing him, he again ducks under a punch from behind without seeing him, and lastly he webs the goons behind him who were about to shoot him (then asks if they're okay). It's quick but I remember catching it on second viewing.

 

[The Guard]

We didn't see half the staples of the Spider-Man mythos.

Spider-sense is the least among them.

 

[Arach Knight]

I think this is an overreaction. He merely said they didn't want to focus on it, not that this Spider-Man doesn't have it. He even made it clear that it's something they'll get to eventually...

I never claimed that this Spider-Man has no Spider Sense. I said that we don't see his Spider Sense in this movie, which is a complaint common enough to have warranted a direct response from the director.

We didn't see half the staples of the Spider-Man mythos.

Spider-sense is the least among them.

Indeed. Other than the inclusion of Liz [Allen], Aunt May, and the Adrian Toomes, this movie was void of much of what defines the world and character of Spider-Man.

 

[Darkraid]

Come on, didn't we see Spider sense in Civil War when Bucky threw a piece of metal at Parker?

 

[spider-neil]

I'll tell you why they don't use the spider sense in SMH, because they want to showcase the spider sense in a climatic moment in Infinity War and don't want to undercut the moment with something the audience has seen before. Betcha.
Just like when Cap couldn't lift Thor's hammer (something he can do in the comics) it's because he'll lift it in IW.

 

[ernesth100]

I get the feeling they're just having some originality by him to rebuild the Spider-Man name.

By College. Maybe we'll get all the original characters in his life and he'll likely gain better control over his abilities as he grows and learns and the Sense will develop as he ages.

 

[Mike Murdock]

I never claimed that this Spider-Man has no Spider Sense. I said that we don't see his Spider Sense in this movie, which is a complaint common enough to have warranted a direct response from the director.

How do you want to want to portray a tingling sensation on screen through a visual medium? Do you want the do something like the comics and actually have lines coming out of his head? Or do you want to completely distort what the Spider-Sense is to make it something different like they've done in previous movies. When Spider-Man feels pain in a visual medium, they don't portray that visually. Why would tingling be different?

 

[R_Hythlodeus]

Indeed. Other than the inclusion of Liz [Allen] and the Adrian Toomes, this movie was void of much of what defines the world and character of Spider-Man.

except of course all the other characters from Spidey-lore ranging from Flash to Cindy Moon

 

[ItchyWebShooter]

Is there not already a thread where this rumor has been laid to rest?

 

[OcStat]

It looks like this is going to be a movie where people go back and forth on things like this for years.

 

[Yondu's Arrow]

It could be there, honestly. I think Stark's tech (Karen) is more than taking up for the lack of natural Spidey Sense. THOUGH... When or if he drops the reinterpretation of the Iron-Spider costume, he'll then have to rely on his skills again. Maybe it'll dawn/evolve for him.

 

[seriesofdreams]

Spidey's powers are pretty well known among the movie-going public. As a filmgoer and fan, there is evidence of this power in the film. I didn't need it shoved in my face because this isn't origin story. They can do a sequence with Spidey sense somewhere down the line. As I said the film, I feel that it's there, this iteration is still young and there's still plenty of time for it. The film itself doesn't get docked a point for a scene that has to be obvious and "SHOW ME THE SPIDEY SENSE!". I'm cool with that.

 

[TheVileOne]

Did we really need a new thread of this? Can't we merge all these?

 

[Arach Knight]

I honestly didn't want to see the Spider-Sense on screen because I don't think it can be shown in a purely visible medium. You end up with bullet time, which is not what it is. Maybe if the movie was in 4D, our chair could vibrate or something to represent it, but that's the closest you'll get.

Bullet time is an accurate enough interpretation to convey what Spider-Man is experiencing. The rapidity of his actions border on pre-cognitive, and given that he can "see" an attack before it happens, how else would one show that experience without time itself slowing around him so that he can perceive the danger? His spider sense is more or less described that way in the comics.

I could understand being grieved by the use of bullet time for Murdock's Radar Sense, but for Spider Sense, it is a reasonable approximation. Either way, just because there is no cinematic means of relaying an infallible portrayal of Spider Sense doesn't mean that the power should not be acknowledged in film. Spider-Man's Spider Sense is second only to his web shooters as his best known ability.

 

[Arach Knight]

Spidey's powers are pretty well known among the movie-going public. As a filmgoer and fan, there is evidence of this power in the film. I didn't need it shoved in my face because this isn't origin story. They can do a sequence with Spidey sense somewhere down the line. As I said the film, I feel that it's there, this iteration is still young and there's still plenty of time for it. The film itself doesn't get docked a point for a scene that has to be obvious and "SHOW ME THE SPIDEY SENSE!". I'm cool with that.

So a superhero using their well known powers is something you only need to see in an origin story? What sort of non-sense is that?

 

[Syncos]

So a superhero using their well known powers is something you only need to see in an origin story? What sort of non-sense is that?

It can be argued that Spider-Man used his spider sense countless times in this movie. Every time he dodged something or reacted to something without seeing it coming. Which was often.

It doesn't need to be a visual queue for the audience that it's happening, because it's always happening.

In the similar vein, when Reeve's Superman tells Lois what colour underwear she's wearing, we didn't need to see an Xray effect. We can extrapolate that he used his x-ray vision.

Spider Sense is just a piece of his powers. I'm sure we'll get a scene in a future movie where he explains it, probably to Ned.

 

[metaphysician]

Was about to say. The spider sense is an invisible power. Unless the director goes out of his way to dramatize it in some manner, it *wouldn't* be "seen" onscreen.

 

[Arach Knight]

It can be argued that Spider-Man used his spider sense countless times in this movie. Every time he dodged something or reacted to something without seeing it coming. Which was often.

It doesn't need to be a visual queue for the audience that it's happening, because it's always happening.

In the similar vein, when Reeve's Superman tells Lois what colour underwear she's wearing, we didn't need to see an Xray effect. We can extrapolate that he used his x-ray vision.

It is possible to portray that his Spider Sense is in use without having to devote a great degree of spectacle to it. The garage sequence in the third act was nearly a perfect display of it, had Peter not failed to realize the obvious with regard to the support beams. I don't expect Spider Sense to bail him out of every situation, but he should at least be aware of danger, even if he is unable to evade it.

A solid example would be the first Raimi film when Peter is battling Norman in the burning apartment building. We can see that his Spider Sense is in effect, but he still gets cut by one of the razor bats. I would like to see similar sequences that acknowledge the power, without dramatizing it.