Spider-Man debuts in latest 'Captain America: Civil War' trailer

The web surrounding what used to be one of the biggest secrets in the upcoming superhero blockbuster Captain America: Civil War has finally been brushed away. The newest trailer for the film gave the world confirmation that, indeed, the rumors were true: the spectacular Spider-Man will be swinging by to lend at least one side of the superhero brawl a helping hand.

The new kid on the block

The trailer, which was unveiled on Marvel’s official social media accounts at around 1:00 AM Philippine time, showed the wall-crawling wonder swooping in, apparently having pledged allegiance to Team Iron Man in the upcoming super-powered slugfest between the armored Avenger (played by Robert Downey Jr.) and Captain America (played by Chris Evans).

Spider-Man has been featured in five live-action films to date: the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy, which featured Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and the Mark Webb-helmed The Amazing Spider-Man (TASM) films, starring Andrew Garfield in the titular role. All five films were produced, directed, and released under the Sony Pictures banner.

However, his inclusion in Civil War is noteworthy, as it is the first time the comic book icon will be appearing in a film set in the same ever-expanding universe as Captain America, Thor, and the rest of the characters whose rights belong to Marvel Studios. The agreement between Sony and Marvel Studios also allows the former to develop a new series of Spider-Man films set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) continuity, allowing the webslinger - this time portrayed by 19-year-old newcomer Tom Holland - to spin his webs in a much bigger sandbox.

'Hey, everyone.'

With a new cinematic take on Spider-Man comes a new costume, and the few seconds in the trailer that showcase the hero reveal that his new suit takes inspiration from different points in his 54-year comic book career, all blended together to fit in with the general MCU aesthetic.

Red and blue remain the dominant colors on the costume, with a bit of black thrown in. There are seams and lines on his suit, following the same basic design principle as (and making him look more at home with) the rest of the MCU heroes. His chest symbol is noticeably smaller, and the webbing pattern on the suit is printed on, which is a radical change from the raised webbing featured in previous Spider-Man films.

Spider-Man’s new suit features smaller eye lenses with a thicker black trim - a departure from the sharp-edged eyes on the Raimi suit and the large, ‘90s-inspired lenses on the TASM suit. The new lenses draw inspiration from the 1966-1977 artwork of John Romita Sr. on the Amazing Spider-Man comic book series, whose take on the character is widely regarded by fans as the “classic” rendition of the webslinger.

Interestingly, the lenses appear to be mechanical (and possibly “emotive,” similar to recent comic book movie star Deadpool’s) in nature, presumably allowing Spider-Man’s vision to zoom in and out. This supports the theory that Tony Stark will be providing technology for the young hero, which may also be part of the reason why he chose to side with the billionaire adventurer.

Lastly, his costume features a belt of cartridges, which all but confirms that he will be using mechanical webshooters in the film. Overall, the suit is a mix of classic elements and the almost uniform look of the heroes in the MCU.

Whose side are you on?

The trailer also featured numerous other highlights and noteworthy references for eagle-eyed geeks, such as Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) hitching a ride on an arrow fired by Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), the bulletproof, Vibranium-laced suit of the Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), and a face-off between former comic book couple Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and the Vision (Paul Bettany).

The film picks up after the events of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, with Cap leading a team of new Avengers and dealing with the fallout of the Battle of New York and the destruction of Sokovia. As stricter laws on superhuman regulation are implemented, a series of unfortunate events ultimately divides the heroes, starting a violent conflict between the two resulting factions.

“Captain America: Civil War” also stars Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as the Falcon, Scarlett Johannson as the Black Widow, Don Cheadle as War Machine, Emily Vancamp as Sharon Carter, Frank Grillo as Crossbones, and William Hurt as Gen. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross. The film, directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, will hit Philippine theaters on April 27, 2016. — BAP/TJD, GMA News