EXCLUSIVE: Fred Van Lente Shares His Thoughts On The Spider-Man Reboot!

EXCLUSIVE: Fred Van Lente Shares His Thoughts On The Spider-Man Reboot!

The comic book writer reveals what he thinks of the upcoming reboot and talks about what it's been like to write Spider-Man in the comic books...

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By Josh Wilding - 5/15/2010

I recently managed to get in touch with Fred Van Lente who was kind enough to take the time to let me interview him. Below, is an excerpt from that interview where he shares his thoughts with me about the recently announced reboot that will take Peter Parker back to high school. Van Lente is a regular writer of the character in both Amazing Spider-Man and Web of Spider-Man so I thought it would be pretty interesting to share with you his take on the movie, set to be released in 2012.

It's been quite a controversial decision among fans but how do you feel about the upcoming movie reboot taking Peter Parker back to high school?

That does seem to be the trend all the super hero movies are following, since "X-Men" is doing the same thing. It's an interesting choice, although it does seem like they'll have no choice but to retread recent ground of the first Raimi film.

Still, I can see their reasoning. The third movie tied up many of the major franchise story lines with Harry's death, etc. It would have been interesting to see if they decided to marry off Peter and Mary Jane in a fourth sequel - that would have inspired some fan reaction, no doubt.

You've quickly become a fan favourite with Spider-Man fans for your work on Amazing. What's it been like writing the character?

A dream come true, no exaggeration. Spidey was one of the first comics characters -- hell, first characters I remember reading and relating to as a kid. Peter Parker's world seems very real to me, and each time I enter it I discover something I hadn't considered before, which is a great gift to a writer.

To read the full interview where I talk to the writer about Cowboys and Aliens, the chances of a Marvel Zombies movie adaptation and who he thinks should play Hercules and Ares keep an eye on CBM this coming Monday!

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38 Comments

	LEEE777 - 5/15/2010, 12:55 PM Login to report abuse Great stuff @ JOSH! Anyways... SPIDER-MAN 4 is a must!!! Reboot it from there! : P
	InTylerWeTrust - 5/15/2010, 1:01 PM Login to report abuse So he really doesn't say much on the reboot. Basically, he understands why Sony is doing it but also understands the fans. I like this guy.
	airbeyonder18 - 5/15/2010, 1:01 PM Login to report abuse This is crap. No one should give in to this, and if they do they're idiots I don't care who it is.
	Ranger14 - 5/15/2010, 1:03 PM Login to report abuse Reading between the lines, it doesn't sound like he is overly thrilled about the reboot approach. Nice job, Josh!
	LEEE777 - 5/15/2010, 1:15 PM Login to report abuse Thats becoz the ultimate reboot will be a pile of SH1T people! Geezuz! : D The guys right not wanting it all rebooted, who wants back to high school and stupid origins again!?!? NOT ME! : P
	InSpace - 5/15/2010, 1:24 PM Login to report abuse WOO Ultimate Spider-Man WOO HOO! LOL@LEEE
	Hawksblueyes - 5/15/2010, 1:26 PM Login to report abuse Great job Josh. I'm with Ranger, he doesn't seem to be very fond of the reboot idea.
	InTylerWeTrust - 5/15/2010, 1:27 PM Login to report abuse
	LEEE777 - 5/15/2010, 1:37 PM Login to report abuse : D
	ClaireLannister2016 - 5/15/2010, 2:01 PM Login to report abuse :)
	secretasianboy - 5/15/2010, 2:01 PM Login to report abuse i'm looking forward to a reboot i hated the old series
	JoshWilding - 5/15/2010, 2:14 PM Login to report abuse LEE: Cheers bud and LMAO...hilarious pictures! :D Ranger14/HAWKS: Thanks guys, I have to agree - he's looking at it from a balanced point of view but I'd say that it's fairly clear he'd rather see it not happen! And who can blame him...it's a horrible idea, lol! :P If Sony had any sense they'd be hiring guys like Van Lente to help write a proper script! I know it's still too early to judge this movie but everything I've heard so far just makes me dread it! Hormones? Teen Angst? Ultimate Inspired? A Low Budget? A Director With No Action Experience? 3D? How could anyone actually be looking forward to this reboot!?! Spider-Man is my favourite character so it kills me to think what a pile of crap this movie is so far shaping up to be! ;(
	Timerider84 - 5/15/2010, 2:30 PM Login to report abuse What I'm going to hate is a retread on the first film. Everybody wants to see NEW, I REPEAT NEW VILLIANS, not a rehash of the first film. Sony you're stupid as hell. It should have been the Lizard, Peter and Mary Jane getting married. We as the audience got ripped off on the ending. It's like watching Fellowship of the Rings, the Two Towers, and not finishing the last film. It's like WTF? Thanks SONY, thank you very much.
	MONTEZ - 5/15/2010, 2:36 PM Login to report abuse lmao nobody has seen any thor footage at all, yet everybody keeps saying epic. we don't even have a parker cast and evrybody is saying fail. i do understand why people are upset. i am one of the few looking forward to this reboot. after rami's thrid film i was tired of the franchise, and you could tell the actors were as well. i mean there were plans for a female vulture, i think we dodged a bullet. i am worried about the budget and expierence of the director, but i am excited to see another take on parker. just not the ultimate version so much, but rather a reboot than a fourth film by a crew and director who were sort of worn out. just my opinion of course.
	lc - 5/15/2010, 3:04 PM Login to report abuse what dose fan and not a fan mean ?? @josh cool :) @lee ya nutter lol x
	ReillyParker - 5/15/2010, 3:14 PM Login to report abuse -sigh- I give up...
	MovieTheaterLad - 5/15/2010, 4:35 PM Login to report abuse Did you take that photo of him? Doesn't look too happy.
	Necrophobos - 5/15/2010, 4:44 PM Login to report abuse Well, I for one welcome the reboot. I was hoping to see the Lizard in his full scaly glory but there was no such chance with Sam in charge. Maybe things will be different this time and villains will be thrown in jail rather then killing them off. The same mistake was done in '89, '92, '95, '97. If you know what I mean. And look what that gave us 8 years later. Some of the best CBMs out there. Also by a director that had little experience with action. Look at him now. Don't judge people until you see some footage. Give the movie a chance. Maybe it will be better this time than the last and if so, maybe, just maybe, we will get the Lizard and a true Venom origin and a true Venom. Don't know about you, but I just love the origin of Venom from the '94 cartoon. Not a stupid meteor but something else entirely. Involving many characters from the Spidy univers. Oh...the new posibilities.
	SoulAllFlush - 5/15/2010, 4:52 PM Login to report abuse hahaha of course the current writers of Spider-Man like the idea of a reboot. They rebutchered ... I mean rebooted the comics so they got to go all Mary Sue over Parker in his younger days.
	GUNSMITH - 5/15/2010, 6:27 PM Login to report abuse IS THEY SCREW THIS UP WORSE I'LL BE SO PTURBED
	mgauge - 5/15/2010, 6:50 PM Login to report abuse Don't understand why they are rebooting Spiderman. Just go to SPIDERMAN 4. I don't want to see him back in high school!!!!!
	PWhite - 5/15/2010, 7:26 PM Login to report abuse I know the 3rd movie was crap but i rather have a part 4 than a reboot just because i rather see an adult peter parker for a change than a highschool one. I hate having to restart again!
	OverCross - 5/15/2010, 7:40 PM Login to report abuse Almost all of us want to just to see how Raimi would finish Spidey with the fourth one But now we're stuck with crap and more crap to come Geez
	Todd Gray - 5/15/2010, 8:09 PM Login to report abuse A reboot?! Why? What is the purpose of this? Even though Spiderman #3 should have never even been filmed (needless to say released), with the atrocious script and acting it had, Spiderman #1 and #2 were some of the best super hero movies made. They should just do away with #3 and start fresh from there as is #3 never happened.
	WadeWilson - 5/15/2010, 8:19 PM Login to report abuse Doesn't anyone get it??? They have to do a reboot or kill the franchise. Raimi and his vision of Spider-Man were failures as far as stories and character usage go. He should never be allowed near another Spider or super hero movie again. I personally don't want a reboot either. I would prefer to just end it. Sony should have scrapped 3 and waited until an actual good movie was created (kinda like the real 1st Fantastic 4 movie noone has ever seen).
	Timerider84 - 5/15/2010, 9:42 PM Login to report abuse What makes me mad is that they changed the actors when they really didn't need to do that, just write a better story. I would have welcomed the Lizard, or even The Vulture especially if John Malkovich would have played him. Yes, we had closure with Harry Osborne. Spider-man 3 story was rushed and Avi Arad wanted that stupid Venom in there when they should have left that for a movie all its own. That's why it failed so badly. They should have just stuck with the Sandman and the new Goblin. They could have spent more time on storytelling, instead of looking like Batman Forever. I say no to the reboot. All they are trying to do is make it look like Nolan's Batman. Sony wants a new different and more realistic Spider-man, much like Bruce Wayne with gadgets and web shooters set in a more realistic setting. They'll probably give spidey a Spider-bike too. Got to sell them toys to the kids!
	gtrman - 5/15/2010, 10:15 PM Login to report abuse I don't mind a reboot of the franchise, but if I find out it was part of the plot of SM4 to kill off Kirsten Dunst horrifically and I didn't get to see that, I'll be wicked pissed.
	figuresmaniac - 5/15/2010, 11:13 PM Login to report abuse Make an awesome Spidey 4 so we can get past the nightmare of Spidey 3, then they can reboot the film.
	Aiiwolf - 5/16/2010, 1:17 AM Login to report abuse I dislike alll the spiderman movies. Event the characters on there aged terribly...kristen dunst as Mary jane horrible choice...James Franco was possibly the best thing about that franchise. I just hope they choose a good peter parker and a hot model gwen stacy, and mary jane!
	amaslyo - 5/16/2010, 1:23 AM Login to report abuse Why are they releasing this on July 3, 2012, when they told Sam he only had to May 2011? Wasn't that the main reason he left? Also, they were casting red-head twin baby boys for '4', has anyone said who they would play?
	JoshWilding - 5/16/2010, 4:17 AM Login to report abuse Hmm, I have to say that there are some interesting points here from both fans of the reboot (what is that - like one person, lol?) and the majority, who like me, think it's a crap idea! :P The fact is, and The Incredible Hulk style reboot would have been a much better idea. They could have just got a new cast and picked up with either a single Peter as in the current Brand New Day continuity or a married Peter teaching science as he did in JMS' run! Raimi's first two Spider-Man movies were good (although they had a fair few faults) but the third movie really [frick]ed things up...however, not enough to mean that there couldnt have actually been a Spider-Man 4! This high school reboot is an appalling idea and although I know Sony own the rights, I'm surprised Marvel didnt put up more of an objection especially as the Peter in one of their best selling titles, Amazing Spider-Man, is an adult!
	ThunderCougarFalconBird - 5/16/2010, 4:52 AM Login to report abuse Timerider84 - I very much doubt Sony are taking Spidey back to highschool to get a Nolans Batman feel to the franchise. This reboot has the foul smell of badly educated Twilight emo kids about it.
	MONTEZ - 5/16/2010, 9:12 AM Login to report abuse can we please stop compring everything to nolans bat films please. not everybody is going for the same thing as nolan. i love both of his films but i am really tired of people comparing every cbm to them. they were great and unique, but not evry cbm films needs to be compared to that vision.
	ReillyParker - 5/16/2010, 12:16 PM Login to report abuse So yeah guys if you feel like hearing my opinion on the new Reboot and feel like throwing yours up for all to see, check out my article: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/reillyparker/news/?a=18181 For the record I think pimping articles is bad and rude and I'm not gonna make a habit out of this. There now my ass is covered...
	Todd Gray - 5/16/2010, 7:35 PM Login to report abuse TIMERIDER, I firmly believe the only thing Marvel is trying to do is just cash in on the Spidey franchise... like say the # Terminator and Terminator:Salvation movies were... rushed, poorly-done, franchise cash-ins. It's like no one really wants to do a GOOD movie anymore. It's what worries me a lot about the next Batman movie... just cashing in on the success of "Batman Begins" and "Dark Knight". Iron Man 2, although not as good as the first movie, seemed more full of action and throwing super-characters at us than telling us a story too. It's so easy for a director to take the easy route and just give in to action & violence than to any serious effort to telling a great story too. It's just selling out to the lowest common denominator these days IMO. Batman Begins, Spiderman, and Iron Man were great stories that were also great movies. It's hard to get that every time with super hero movies.
	Really - 5/17/2010, 9:10 AM Login to report abuse Wish people at Sony (or Marvel) would listen to the fans and proceed with a Spider-Man 4 instead of a reboot. Not sure who has the final word on that, but it seems Marvel is quick to reboot a franchise after a failed attempt, examples: Hulk, Punisher, now Spider-Man, X-men, Fantastic 4, etc. I say, just continue with a sequel that doesn't suffer from the same mistakes of the previous film. Whoever is in charge is totally 'reboot' happy, I can't stand that! So what happens if this new Spider-Man reboot underperforms? Bet we get another reboot!!!!
	comicb00kguy - 5/17/2010, 9:37 AM Login to report abuse After the insufferable pile of rancid, failure-infested filth that was the third film, I have no problems with the IDEA of a reboot, provided that the central motivation is to take the character back to his roots and rediscover what makes Spider-Man one of comicdom's most enduringly popular characters. Maybe Webb can do that. The Raimi films had completely lost that appeal and replaced it with this horrific soap opera far more suited for a "chick flick". I don't mind going back to high school for one movie, then picking up for sequels with Peter in college. I also have no problem with the purging of the cast (except for JJJ- he's perfect). That whole bunch needed to go after 3. I don't mind incorporating some of the Ultimate elements in as long as it's not ALL Ultimate. Hey, at least in Ultimate, Spidey has real web-shooters, not those lameass "organic" ones that are the product of a lazy writer. I'm willing to give this new Spidey a chance. Let's see where they're going with it and who's being cast before getting into an uproar.
	niknik - 5/17/2010, 1:17 PM Login to report abuse My god. Listening to some of you talk you would think Spider-Man 3 was the worst turkey to ever come out of Hollywood! Relax. It wasn't that bad. Just check the box office receipts. A lot of people went to see it and believe me, many actually liked it. While not as good as the first two it still held it's own. Didn't any of you ever read an issue of Marvel Team-Up? I guess not. There's no way they should be rebooting with this credible a cast this early in the game. For all of you that thought the 3rd film was so bad I say just be careful what you wish for, because I'll bet my mortgage that this stupid reboot will make you PINE for the days of Toby and Sam.