When Spider-Man: Homecoming makes a beeline for theatres next summer, it’ll stand as the 16th entry into the über-successful Marvel Cinematic Universe, a grand, interconnected franchise of blockbusters that has in many ways redefined the superhero genre we know and love.
And though it’s easy to pigeonhole the MCU for its shortcomings – the shaky third acts, the paper-thin, throwaway villains – perhaps the one element that has ensured its continued success is the sheer diversity of Marvel’s offerings. Captain America: Civil War, for instance, acted as the culmination of plot points stretching all the way back to 2008, resulting in a team-up movie that really struck a chord with the built-in fanbase. On the other hand, Doctor Strange introduced a world of mysticism and sorcery all built around Benedict Cumberbatch’s title lead, and became Marvel’s biggest single-character launch while doing so.
Next up is Spider-Man: Homecoming, a superhero reboot primed to roll back the years to a time when Peter Parker is in the midst of high school. It opens up the field for a refreshingly quirky and energetic solo movie, and even from Homecoming‘s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it teaser, Tom Holland shines in the lead role. Curious to see him in action again following that first photo from earlier today? Worry not, for the full teaser trailer for Jon Watts’ reboot has now appeared online straight from Jimmy Kimmel Live and you can check it out up above (along with the international one down below).
Placing a large emphasis on the humor of the film, the first preview (which is appropriately set to MGMT’s “Time To Pretend”), presents a refreshing new side of the MCU, one where the Avengers are still around, but for once, they aren’t the focus. Rather, the spotlight is on Peter Parker as he navigates his way through high school and all the problems it presents – like talking to girls.
Sure, Tony Stark makes an appearance, and there are also villains to contend with, but the focus here very much seems to be on the coming-of-age story, and it’s a welcome change after years of watching super-powered beings battling it out and causing catastrophic destruction to the cities around them.
Expect Spider-Man: Homecoming to crawl into theatres on July 7, 2017. It’ll be the first of three solo movies for Tom Holland, who’s also contracted to swing by for a cameo in an additional two Marvel movies following his cracking debut in Captain America: Civil War. Rounding out the star-studded cast list for this one are Michael Keaton, Marisa Tomei, Jon Favreau, Donald Glover, Martin Starr, Michael Barbieri, Laura Harrier, Tony Revolori, The Nice Guys breakout Angourie Rice, and Bokeem Woodbine.