Dan Slott Talks Spider-Man In Marvel Movies

Writer Dan Slott is fast becoming known as the go-to guy for Spider-Man in the Marvel Comics universe having first written Spidey in an issue of Ren and Stimpy back in 1992 and most recently with the well-received Spider-Verse storyline.

As Marvel and Sony recently announced a joint venture for Spider-Man movies, who else is there better to go to regarding the cinematic version of Spider-Man than Dan Slott?

The Verge caught up with Dan Slott and asked which storyline would he like to see featured, with Dan recommending “Kraven’s Last Hunt” by J.M. DeMatteis. It should also probably be noted that former WB president Jeff Robinov, who is now at Sony, also recommended the Kraven storyline.

As a fan? If I had to discount anything that I’ve written — me and my gigantic ego — I would say the J.M. DeMatteis story “Kraven’s Last Hunt.” I would love for a screenwriter to mine that material.

This is something that comics fans get upset about when a movie is being made before they get a chance to see it. You have to change things for the movie. There are things that work in a comic, and then there are things that you can only do in a movie. But I think if someone, as a starting point, took “Kraven’s Last Hunt,” which is one of the greatest Spider-Man stories ever told, I think you could have a phenomenal movie.

Dan goes on to mention other possibilities for Spider-Man on the big screen as well.

And there are so many characters who haven’t had their chance yet. I think Mysterio would be one of the greatest movie villains. The guy’s powers are special effects. That means you could do anything you’ve ever seen in a movie in a Spider-Man. Anything. Blow up the White House. 10,000 aliens descending from space. Ghosts coming out of walls. Whatever you want! Matrix bullet time. I don’t care. Eye-popping, blow-the-back-of-your-head-out special effects. It gives you free rein. There are just so many characters we haven’t seen that are ripe to be the main character in a Spider-Man movie.

Slott also comments on the potential for Spider-Man to be of any race (there is Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales who is of Puerto Rican and African American descent):

…one of the things I’d be interested in seeing is, I hope they make the casting open for everyone. There’s nothing inherently white about Peter Parker. Peter Parker is a nerdy outcast. Anybody, from any walk of life, can be a nerdy outcast. One of the reasons why Spider-Man speaks to everyone around the world is that mask. I’ve met so many young Spider-Man fans over the years. People that grew up and are now old, but when they first met Spider-Man, they kind of didn’t know who was under that mask. And that gives him the freedom to be anyone. That gives him the freedom to be someone just like you. It’d be really nice to see that as a possibility. Even if they end up casting someone who, at the end of the day, looks just like Peter Parker. It would be nice if the door was open and they just [said] , “Spider-Man can be anybody.”

Spider-Man will first be featured in Captain America: Civil War on May 6, 2016 before getting a new Spider-Man movie on July 28, 2017.