Spider-Man is not Peter Parker and Spider-Man was not until Uncle Ben died. If Marvel has done anything systematically, it is to clearly define Peter’s story regarding this. How becoming a hero is not only due to Uncle Ben’s legacy, but also because of the guilt of not having done the right thing and being able to have prevented his unjust death.
Uncle Ben has died, but it wasn’t that big of a deal
According to Joe Russo, one of the directors of Avengers and part of the Russo Brothers duo, “in our heads, he was not responsible for Uncle Ben’s death,” he said about Peter Parker, “if he blamed himself for his Uncle Ben’s death, he would be a very different character.” Basically denying the narrative that has been developed by comics for decades as well as the most popular adaptation of the character until the arrival of the MCU, that of the 90s animated series.
That doesn’t mean the Russos are wrong. Simply, their version of Spider-Man does not feel the guilt that other versions of the character do. Something that gives it a particular character and personality, defining it as a different character than that of the comics or other adaptations. Which is probably one of the reasons for the current popularity of their movies, of which we will have the next one, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, on July 31.
