The 5 Characters That Made Spider-Man Who He Is | Character Deep Dive

Why Spider Man Feels Real

Spider-Man might be the most relatable superhero ever written, but that is not just because of Peter Parker. It's because of the people who are written around him, the characters that challenge his beliefs, tempt his weaknesses, and force him to grow. So today we're going to explore five perfectly cast characters and what their performances reveal about responsibility, sacrifice, and the choices that define who we become. Welcome to the Phantom Portals Podcast, the podcast that proves that your favorite film has something to teach you. If you want more from the films you watch, then you are in the right place. I'm your host, a teacher, and a film fan, and today's episode comes as part of our deep dive into the character of Spider-Man. Spider-Man stories work because the characters around Peter Parker represent different paths he can take. Some tempt him, some force him to choose or confront consequences of those choices. And when those characters are perfectly cast in film, they help reveal deeper themes behind these stories. So today we're going to look at five of the best characters that have ever been in a Spider-Man film, and we are going to reveal which character taught Peter the most about himself. After all, what is Spider-Man if not a story about a young guy finding himself through choices and through challenge? Just as a note for this one, we will discuss the comics, but we're taking these characters strictly from the film. Obviously, we know that these characters have taught Spider-Man some valuable lessons. We're also excluding Uncle Ben and Aunt May because we might do them in another video later. But our list is obviously not exclusive either. It is my opinion. It is based on what I have read and the movies that I have consumed about Spider-Man and what I know about the character. So if your favorite person doesn't appear on this list, then let us know in the comments. And if it does, we place them where you did. So without any further ado, let's get into our listing of the five greatest teachers for the character of Spider-Man and Peter Parker. Coming in at number five, we have The Kingpin. He was played by Leave Schreiber in Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse. Now, this casting worked particularly well because Schreiber's voice performance gives Wilson Fisk this quiet intensity that matches the character's physical size and presence. He is a massive character on the screen. You can see that stylized animation is used purposefully by the directors, and they wanted to design Kingpin in this way to silhouette and dominate every single frame that he appears in. It's visually symbolizing the overwhelming weight of the grief and his overwhelming obsession as well with overcoming that grief. Schreiber does this in a restrained way, and the delivery reinforces this idea. Instead of portraying Fisk as a flamboyant mob boss, he presents him as this deeply wounded man, and that allows tragedy to distort his morality in a way that we see pan out in the film into the Spider-Verse. Now, Kingpin debuted in The Amazing Spider-Man number 50 back in 1967. He was created by Stan Lee and John Ramirez Sr. While he was originally a crime boss, an adversarial, later Writers developed his psychological depth. And we're starting to see that as well being displayed in the Daredevil Born Again series, where he's played by Vincent D'Onofrio. But we've also seen it in the early 2000s in the comic book series where he's written by Brian Michael Bendis, where Fisk is expanded into this character that is driven by grief and pride, and also needing this control. And that's a central theme for the character of the Kingpin. Now, how does this relate to Spider-Man in terms of the lessons this character has taught him? Well, Kingpin illustrates the destructive consequences of refusing to accept loss. And we know that Spider-Man is a character who seriously goes through some loss through the many years and many iterations of the character. Where Fisk seeks to control reality itself, Spider-Man is more of a person who leans into heroism through accepting grief while continuing to protect others, which can be very tricky and difficult. Now, some scenes in the movies that show this is obviously the Collider battle with Peter Parker. You can see early in the film, Fisk actually brutally defeats the original Peter Parker. During this Collider activation sequence, the moment demonstrates Fisk's immense physical and emotional dominance. He's taking up most of that screen again, and you can see he's very cool, calm, and collected until there's a moment where control goes beyond his measure and he strikes down in a very formidable force, which establishes the stakes of his obsession. And you can see that this violent outburst is hiding the facade of control, revealing a man that is obviously suppressing some really powerful grief in this situation, where he's trying to dominate a situation that he'll actually never overcome without doing some proper psychological work. Now, this is mirrored later on in the film when he does the collider battle with Miles, where Fisk actually attempts to destroy Miles after realizing Spider-Man continues to stand in the way. So he does this because Fisk's obsession with control and Spider-Man's commitment to responsibility come to a head. They come to a collide, you might say. And this actually forces Fisk to look at his obsession in a different way, but it also forces Spider-Man to look at responsibility and the responsibility of moving through grief and also in a way that shows that tragedy doesn't define Spider-Man. How one responds to tragedy is what is important for Spider-Man's journey. And that's the biggest lesson that he learns is that, you know, grief is something that he's going to go through. And Fisk's actions through this show somebody who is trying to control their emotions in an unhealthy way and goes through violent expressions of that. Whereas Spider-Man definitely has the choice and the power to do the same thing, but he consistently chooses not to, and he consistently tries to lean on those around him, his allies, friends, and loved ones, to help him through these moments. And you can see that in Spider-Man into the Spider-Verse as well, through the Spider-Man character of Miles Morales. Jumping in at number four, we have Dr. Octopus, specifically the one played by Alfred Molina in Spider-Man 2. Now, Molina is brilliant in the role of Dr. Octopus. He's probably one of my favorite casted villains because he portrays Dr. Octopus as both brilliant and compassionate. And that's not really something that you saw in the comic books when he was first created. And Sam Raimi, during these movies of Spider-Man 2, emphasized the mentor relationship between Otto and Peter. And that is exactly what made Otto's transformation so tragic rather than purely antagonistic, as it pretty much is in the comic books. And Melina's performance conveys this character's pride, but also his intellect and eventually his moral conflict around what he's supposed to do with his intelligence. Now, the comic inspiration obviously comes from Dr. Octopus in the comic books. He's a very early villain of Spider-Man. He first appeared in Spider-Man number three back in 1963. And Stan Lee and Steve Ditko were the ones who created him. And he's probably been one of Spider-Man's most enduring enemies. However, there has been some modern interpretations of him. I think probably as a result of this Spider-Man 2 interpretation, as many people have flocked to the character as fans. And Dan Slott's Superior Spider-Man Run from 2013 is one where Otto actually temporarily replaces Peter and learns firsthand what it's like to be Spider-Man, but also learns that his compassion is his greatest strength, as in Spider-Man's Greatest Strength, because the title of Superior Spider-Man, Otto goes into the body of Peter Parker with the intention of creating a better Spider-Man, a superior Spider-Man through efficiency and through control. However, over time, Otto actually starts to believe that his compassion and his willingness to sacrifice is actually what makes Peter and Spider-Man Spider-Man and makes him exactly who he is and the hero that he's supposed to be. Although through the movie of Spider-Man 2, we can see that Dr. Octopus shows Peter how ambition can become destructive when it's disconnected from that responsibility. Because in the first movie, Spider-Man 1, Peter definitely learns with great power comes great responsibility. And then we start to learn in Spider-Man 2 about that power that Peter has. And it's not just the power that Spider-Man has, specifically, this targets Peter because the power in question is his intelligence. And I think that's a very poignant lesson for Peter to learn. And that's why Dr. Octopus sits here on this list, is because he challenges Peter, not just Spider-Man. Now, obviously, there's a cafe scene where there Otto's explaining, you know, the fact that intelligence is a gift and it's meant to benefit humanity. And if you have that intelligence, it's your obligation to do so. And this is the moral obligation that Otto falls back on during the end of the movie when he eventually makes his sacrifice. But it's also that motivation that's in contention. And when Otto actually gains control from the mechanical arms and sacrifices himself to the fusion reactor, that's his redemption arc, and that reinforces that film's theme of responsibility. And it reinforces to Peter that intelligence is something that you must take responsibility for because it is, in fact, a power. Now, the impact on Spider-Man for this one is Otto becomes almost like a moral mirror for Peter in this moment because both are brilliant scientists who want to change the world and both respond very, very differently to receiving that power. And, you know, early on in Spider-Man 2, there is this moral foundation throughout the entire film that with that intelligence, it's not so much a privilege, but it's your obligation to then fulfill. And, you know, Otto goes through this tragedy where his ambition can override his responsibility. And yes, you could say that is as a result of the inhibitor chip going crazy in that moment. But the lesson through Peter shows that Otto's obsession or that ambition that's within him, whether it's coerced by technology or not, is proving that he he wants to prove his fusion experiment works and it leads him to ignore the human consequences of that, which is something that is always in the forefront of Spider-Man's mind when he's fighting the villains that he does. So this forces Spider-Man and Peter to confront this dilemma where just because you can achieve something doesn't mean that you necessarily should pursue it at any cost. And the film reinforces this lesson in the final reactor scene where Otto does regain that control and he stands up to his sacrifice and stops the experiment. In that moment, Otto actually finally lives up to the philosophy that he ended up teaching Peter in the beginning of the film and that he is serving humanity in that moment as well. So Peter learns a valuable lesson where responsibility actually requires sacrifice and power and intelligence alone don't make somebody a hero. He learns that responsibility of that power and of that intelligence and the way you use it does. Coming in at number three, we have the Green Goblin, another original Spider-Man villain, played by Willem Dafoe and first appearing in the Spider-Man movie. Willem Dafoe's casting is widely regarded as probably one of the best casting in any Spider-Man movie. He brings this unpredictable intensity to Norman Osborne that perfectly captures the character's dual nature. Sam Raimi leaned into Defoe's expressive acting style, which allowed him to portray both Norman's calculating intelligence and then also the goblin's manic cruelty as well. Defoe plays Norman as a powerful corporate leader, desperate to maintain control and legacy, which makes the characters psychologically believable rather than cartoonish, which you can see sometimes. And you know, the character really does age well as we saw him be reinvented through Spider-Man No Way Home. But that original duality and the way that Norman or the way that Willem Defoe plays Norman Osborne is particularly engaging, both back in the early 2000s and in the 2020s in both movies. His performance is really effective because he can shift rapidly between those two, the parental warmth and then that terrifying menace, particularly where Norman Osborne is both a mentor figure for Spider-Man and then becomes his greatest enemy. So this results in a villain who attacks Peter emotionally and psychologically rather than just simply physically, which is the most dangerous thing about the goblin. So the Green Goblin was actually one of the villains that came in a little bit later for Spider-Man. He came in 1964 in issue number 14 of The Amazing Spider-Man, again created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. And Norman Osborne's identity as the Green Goblin was revealed much, much later in issue 39 and 40 in 1966. So that established that personal connection between Peter Parker and his greatest enemy, which was one of the things that really drew people into the villain. Norman Osborne has always been psychologically destructive, and he's been an adversary that constantly tests Peter's morale because Peter can't always save the people he loves from the Green Goblin. And he always reinforces this belief that he has to show that power can often come with compassion. Later writers like Michael Strazynski continue to explore Norman and his embodiment of corruption and his ego and his ambition, which is also another byproduct of uncontrolled power, which you know Spider-Man can definitely go down the road of, but often chooses not to. So Green Goblin here for Spider-Man in the form of Will and the foe represents the ultimate temptation for Peter Parker. That's the lesson. Where Norman believes that power should be used to dominate and control others, whereas Peter believes that it should be used to protect others. Now, using that power to protect those who are vulnerable. And Peter constantly chooses this as opposed to Norman's view. And the Goblin therefore acts as a moral test for Peter and a constant moral test because he's always coming back. And he always tests him in more and more serious ways. This is shown in the movie as well through the scene on Queensborough Bridge where Goblin forces Spider-Man to choose between a carriage full of people and Mary Jane. Like he drops both of them at the same time and it goes through that classic hero's quandary, and Spider-Man being Spider-Man goes and chooses both. But it shows that he goes through this moral test rather than a physical battle because Green Goblin doesn't just try to break Spider-Man as a hero, he tries to break him as a person as well. So I think in the way that Norman Osborne's written, and especially the way that he's played by Willem Defoe in Spider-Man One, he plays Peter Parker's moral opposite because both characters are again intelligent, they're both ambitious, and they're both driven to prove themselves, both in very different ways, however. But the difference is that obviously Norman believes that power elevates him above others, which is something that Peter recognizes as untrue. The fact that the Green Goblin often puts Spider-Man into these moral choices about what he's supposed to do or whether he will cross a particular line in order to save people really reinforces the message for Peter and for Spider-Man that responsibility often means facing impossible choices. And Goblin's strategy isn't just to defeat Spider-Man, but also to break his moral code. And this is seen fully played out in Tom Holland's version of Spider-Man, where Willem Defoe makes his return. And after he kills Aunt May, obviously Tom Holland Spider-Man is completely grief-stricken and very vengeful. You know, he goes through the scene with Andrew's Spider-Man where they talk about how Andrew stops pulling his punches, and he can see Tom's Spider-Man going down the same pathway where anger is taking control to the point where he ends up in the very end of the movie striking out against a goblin. You can see him viciously attacking Willem Dafoe's goblin to the point where he holds the glider above his head and goes to stab him. However, Toby stops him in this moment, knowing that these actions that are made through anger can definitely feed his regret later. And it also questions the kind of hero he wants to become. So Peter here being surrounded by those responsible mentors teaches him those lessons, but Goblin instigating those situational choices really tests the metal of Peter Parker as he goes along and really shapes his character. So Norman really reinforces and re-enforces Spider-Man to reaffirm what kind of hero he wants to be, because there's lots of different types of heroes, and Norman constantly and repeatedly tries to corrupt Peter. So I think that each encounter with the goblin actually strengthens Peter's belief that power must also be guided by compassion. And that's the biggest thing that puts Spider-Man differently to the Green Goblin is he'll always choose compassion and to help rather than to supersede and control like the goblin does. Number two, this one might come as a surprise for you, but the second most influential character ever in Spider-Man, in my opinion, is J. Jominer Jameson. He's played by J.K. Simmons in the Spider-Man movie, and what an incredible casting. He captures the exaggerated personality of this character, of the comic book version of Jameson, and his explosive reactions mirror the character's depiction in the comics as well. And Simmons balances this comedic energy with flashes of genuine moral conviction as well. And I think Raimi really liked the fact that J.K. Simmons was very theatrical in nature, and he's definitely responsible for some of the comedic one-liners in Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and even Spider-Man 3. He was so popular to the point where they obviously brought him back in the MCU to play J. Jameson again. But he's a character that has been around in Spider-Man since the very first issue. And I think this is really important because the character served as a critique of this sensationalist media ideas and social fears about powerful figures, and he does that so well. So in more recent stories, though, like the spectacular Spider-Man, Jameson actually learns Peter's identity and he actually becomes one of his most fierce vocal allies. So you can see hints of that in Spider-Man One, and I'll go into that in a little bit later. But I feel like that actual fact that he promotes that poor messaging of Spider-Man across his entire career is something that teaches Peter some really valuable lessons. So Jameson actually teaches Spider-Man and Peter that doing the right thing doesn't always guarantee praise and approval. And that can be really hard, especially as a pill to swallow. When obviously the effort that Peter's putting in to be Spider-Man and be somebody that's responsible and uses his powers in the right way and be a hero and a moral leader for New York City when he's being slammed constantly by J.J. Jameson. And it shows him that true responsibility means acting morally even when others question your motive. And this comes as a word that I like called integrity. And I feel like it teaches Peter that integrity to the point where he has to keep doing the right thing, even if other people think that he's not, and even when people aren't looking at him in a favorable way. It's one of the hardest things to do. And I think J. Jonah Jameson teaches him this really publicly. So one of the scenes you can see this specifically in Spider-Man is the daily news headlines that come through, where these relentless headlines are just bombarding the screen, showing words attacking Spider-Man, showing that he's a public villain, and it's putting this public stress and pressure on Peter while he's trying to do such good for the city of New York. But what I feel like J. Jonah Jameson is doing in Spider-Man One is he's actually a pretty deep character in that way. Like I feel like he truly believes he's protecting the people of New York and this vigilante villain in Spider-Man, so to speak, is something that he needs to protect the people from. And I believe this because there's obviously that scene in Spider-Man where the Green Goblin demands to know where Spider-Man is and where the photographer for Spider-Man is, because Jameson takes the photographs from Peter. And Jameson actually shows a whole lot of integrity in this moment. So the lesson he's actually teaching Spider-Man by coercing the public's opinion against him and forcing Spider-Man to act in earnesty, despite the fact that people don't like him, is actually something and a value that he holds himself as well. Because when he's forced and when he's pushed, he refuses to reveal Peter Parker's identity to the Green Goblin, demonstrating that his bluster and all of his powerful conviction actually holds a secret little piece of integrity as well and a moral belief that he's doing the right thing. So I feel like that's where Jay Jonah Jameson can slide into one of Peter's most powerful allies. But I feel like integrity is a lesson that is so hard to teach, and it's something that Jay Jonah Jameson really embodies, but also teaches Spider-Man as well. So he embodies that public scrutiny. He shows that Spider-Man constantly faces this, and his criticism reinforces Peter's internal struggle between his personal recognition and then his selfless responsibility. Obviously, Peter likes to be recognized for the things that he does, but it's that integrity in the quiet moments when nobody's watching, when he has to make the right choice, not the easy choice, do so in a responsible and compassionate way to really make sure that he's the hero everybody knows him to be. The most lessons, and I jokingly said that it's probably through all of those you found yourself in detention videos. And we also have Tim J. Downey, who said that the original X-Men, Scott, Jean, Hank, Bobby, and Warren are the ones that have taught Spider-Man the most because they have taught him that you can do everything right and they'll still hate you. They'll hate you and they'll won't even be able to rationally explain why. And he goes on to say that when it seems like there's no good reason to keep going, stubbornness and the inability to know when to quit will do. So those are the lessons that the X-Men have taught Spider-Man as well. We had Sam Alasso also say Paul, and I think he was referencing Paul Giamatti's Rhino in The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Don't know how he's taught him much, but I really loved that ending too, The Amazing Spider-Man 2. So without any further ado, the most influential character ever, the one that has taught Peter Parker the most in any Spider-Man run, is none other than Gwen Stacy. She's played by Emma Stone in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise. And Gwen portrays this intelligence and confidence and this emotional honesty, which is really awesome. And it was intentionally written by Mark Webb as an act, she's an active participant in every story rather than this passive love interest that we see some Spider-Man female co-stars existing in. Now, obviously, Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield have this natural chemistry which grounds the film's emotional core, and she portrays Gwen with this sharp intellect, this moral clarity, and it makes her influence on Peter feel so genuine. Gwen Stacy appeared in Spider-Man 121 and 122. She didn't appear until 1973, so she came a little bit later, and she came historically significant at that time during a run called The Night When Stacy Died. And the story fundamentally changed superhero storytelling by demonstrating that even Spider-Man can't save everyone. And that's probably one of the biggest lessons Gwen Stacy teaches him is that despite his best efforts, he can't save everyone. However, there is also many other lessons that Gwen teaches Spider-Man. And Gwen teaches Spider-Man that responsibility doesn't guarantee control over any outcome, for example. And being Spider-Man means that accepting tragedy can still occur despite your best efforts is another lesson that Gwen Stacy teaches him. We can all remember the tragic scene in the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 where the loss of Gwen Stacy is dramatically played by Andrew Garfield. And this really solidifies Peter in this moment because Gwen actually insists on helping Peter despite the fact that there's danger. She constantly says she's the one who knows how to shut down the grid, and her being there actually causes the goblin to realize that Spider-Man is Peter in the end as well. She shows this determination and this courage, and she also teaches Peter that not every hero can wear a mask as well. So she's obviously depowered. She's not as powerful as Spider-Man, but she's still willing to stand in the way and make sure that nothing bad happens on her watch. So she's the everyman or the every person that is really acting in the way that Spider-Man is, despite the fact that Spider-Man has all these powers to defend himself with. Now, her death becomes one of the most emotionally defining moments of Peter Parker's life, in the point where it reinforces his determination to continue protecting others, even at the most overwhelming personal cost. Now, obviously, this doesn't happen straight away in the comic books and in the Amazing Spider-Man 2. He does take that time to do some grieving. However, in the end, the lesson he takes from that death is that she really reaffirms this loss as a reason to keep living. She constantly says that it's the little things that make life so big. And then when they're breaking up in the Amazing Spider-Man 2, she often reminds him that small acts of kindness matter, but she also says that you shouldn't avoid love in the instance to protect somebody. She pretty much says that it really only prevents them from living fully. She says that line where they're talking about and she says, who does that really serve? But Gwen's perspective pushes Peter to realize that life is fragile, and that's very true. But that's also what makes it very much worth living rather than avoiding. Because obviously he feels a tremendous amount of guilt being connected with Gwen Stacy after the death of her father, George, in the Amazing Spider-Man one. And that's probably one of the things that comes under most criticism about his character is that he pretty much just negated the promise that he made. But I feel like Gwen is constantly saying it's my choice, and she says that at the end as well, with a little bit of foregrounding, it's my choice to be here, it's my choice to help you. So she shows that, you know, everybody has agency as well over their own choices and teaches Spider-Man and Peter that as well. One of the biggest things that probably teaches Spider-Man a lesson is her graduation speech, and it becomes Peter's moral compass towards the end of the film. Peter retreats for months after her death, and this graduation speech is the thing that kind of brings him out of it. It reminds him that people matter, small people matter, and small acts of kindness also can change lives. This is probably most prominent through the fact that in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Peter stands up to a bunch of bullies that are really pushing against this small kid who's built something for the science fair. Very small act in Spider-Man's day. However, at the very end of the movie, you can see that same kid standing up to this great and monstrous beast known as the mechanical suited rhino. And that's that's the transition that you see. You can see that that influence that Spider-Man has, that hope that he instills in people, can be small, and the act can be small, but the influence can be so great, which is why I think so many people connect with Spider-Man and why he's often called a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is because of those small acts that keep him going. Now she she's never a passive character. She obviously helps him defeat Electro in a really big way, and she shows that heroism isn't limited to people wearing a mask, but her death really does teach him the hardest lesson. It teaches him that he cannot save everyone, the tragedy will still happen. However, that mantle of responsibility is something that has to keep going. He has to keep helping people anyway, and that's the core of any Spider-Man philosophy. And Spider-Man's stories really emphasize this heroism, and it's not about winning every battle, it's about helping one person at a time. And Gwen teaches him this. She teaches him that, you know, there's these moments that show Spider-Man continues because his actions do inspire others. And Spider-Man keeps going because responsibility isn't about controlling the outcomes, it's about choosing to help anyway, even when it hurts, even when it fails, and even when tragedy happens. Doing the right thing is still worthwhile and hope still exists, even when it's difficult to do so. And that is the biggest lesson that Spider-Man learns from Gwen Stacy. So that was our list, guys. Our list comprised of Kingpin. He shows Peter what happens when grief becomes control. We have Dr. Octopus, and he represents ambition without humility. We have Green Goblin, who represents ultimate powers and temptations. We have J. Jim and Jameson representing the public's judgment. And we also have Gwen Stacy, who represents love and lost. Five big teachers in Spider-Man's life. And together these characters create more of a moral landscape that shapes the Spider-Man stories. And every time Peter faces one of these challenges, he's forced to answer the same question. And that question is what kind of person will you become when you are given power? And Spider-Man's answer is always the same. With great power comes great responsibility. Thank you everybody for tuning into our video on the five most influential characters in Spider-Man's film history. This one was brought to you by the Phantom Portals podcast. We have so many bingeable episodes on our YouTube for you to watch. We're doing a Spider-Man series as we speak. So you can see some of the videos connected in the show notes or probably around me in some pictures as well. And we would love it if you liked, subscribed, and shared this video. The podcast for this one is also available everywhere you go. So look out for more Spider-Man videos and content here on the Phandom Portals channel as we draw closer to Spider-Man brand new day. I'm Aaron. This is Phantom Portals. Keep learning, keep growing, and keep loving fandoms.