New 'Spider-Man' Trailer Turns Marvel's Wall-Crawler Into A Horror Movie Monster
What if Peter Parker turned to the dark side after being bitten by that spider? Well, wonder no more, as "The Spider" teases a world where Spider-Man isn't the same friendly neighbor superhero we all know and love.
The fan film, produced by Locust Garden and starring "Walking Dead" alum Chandler Riggs as Peter, is a nightmarish take on Spider-Man lore. The premise is familiar: man gets bitten by a radioactive arachnid, inherits superpowers, and jumps over some buildings. However, the tone is rooted in pure psychological horror, and it's nothing like the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Tom Holland trilogy. The teaser doesn't give away much regarding the story, but its horror sensibilities are still front and center.
It remains to be seen if "The Spider" will be scarier than the abominable fan-made "Frasier" anime. However, it's part of a fascinating trend that takes established goody-two-shoes characters and places them in darker scenarios. Furthermore, the short features an impressive ensemble that includes some household names, including one actor from a popular Netflix series.
The Spider boasts an impressive cast
Some fan films are better than blockbusters, and "The Spider" might be the latest one to transcend its medium. The short has attracted a stellar cast that many viewers are familiar with. As previously mentioned, Chandler Riggs is best known for his time on "The Walking Dead," where he portrayed Carl Grimes from 2010 until 2022.
Meanwhile, fans of Netflix's hit comedy "Sex Education" might be pleased to know that Caylee Cowan also has a role in "The Spider." This isn't the performer's first foray into the horror genre, as she starred alongside Spider-Man Noir himself, Nicolas Cage, in "Willy's Wonderland." Matthew Vorce, Kyra Gardner, Holgie Forrester, Carl Addicott, David Rice, Andrew Hernon, Kealani Kitaura, Ronan Arthur, and Ben Thomas comprise the rest of the ensemble.
"The Spider" should intrigue superhero movie fans patiently waiting for Peter Parker's next cinematic adventure. As it stands, Marvel and Sony are reportedly fighting over Tom Holland's "Spider-Man 4," and it's unknown if both entities have managed to find a solution to their behind-the-scenes problems. That said, while "The Spider" seems like a radical departure from Spidey lore, it isn't the first story to explore his monstrous potential.
Is this an adaptation of a dark Marvel story?
Some "Spider-Man" stories are too dark for the screen, and one of them may have inspired this fan film. Patton Parnel is a variant who exists in the Earth-51412 universe, and let's just say he isn't a friendly neighborhood hero.
Parnel is a disturbed teenager who grew up in an abusive household, only to end up being bitten by a radioactive spider and turning into a monster with an insatiable appetite. He also spies on his neighbor, Sara Jane, which is eerily similar to one of James Cameron's ideas for his unrealized Spider-Man movie, which was ultimately canceled for being too edgy.
Interestingly, "The Spider" isn't the first Spider-Man film with a horror twist. In the 1980s, Cannon Films tapped director Toby Hooper, who helmed "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," to make a movie that would have presented him as a vicious monster. That didn't get made, but it's clear that some creative types see potential in Spidey as a horror villain.