Ten years later, the Russo brothers explain Spider-Man’s missing Uncle Ben moment in the MCU

Ten years ago, we got our first glimpse of Spider-Man from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in action. Since his surprise appearance in one of the movie’s trailers, he caused quite a stir, as the character played by Tom Holland wouldn’t be getting his own standalone film but would instead jump right into the fray alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. This introduction of Peter Parker by the Russo brothers was also quite unique, since they skipped the origin story—a key element of the character—as well as learning what happened to Uncle Ben in the MCU.

Within the MCU, it’s established that Uncle Ben died, but we’re never told exactly what happened. In an interview with CBR, the Russo brothers spoke on the film’s tenth anniversary and revealed that Peter Parker wasn’t responsible for Uncle Ben’s death. “Spider-Man was one of my favorite characters growing up, if not my favorite,” said Joe Russo. “And what I related to was this idea of a kid with incredible responsibility, right? And I think you could manifest that responsibility through accidental death, right? And feeling the pressure, and the sense of loss in your life in a way that would keep the spirit that we wanted.”

“[But] what Tom Holland is as an actor, if he blamed himself for his Uncle Ben’s death, I think he becomes a very different character. So in our minds, no, he wasn’t responsible for Uncle Ben’s death. That would have been a different interpretation. A more intense interpretation of the character.”

A role that carried greater responsibility

This change is a very significant one for the character, as it is this death that transforms Peter Parker into Spider-Man—in the sense that he embraces his responsibility as a hero. In the MCU, the character himself tells us that he became a superhero because he learned that if he doesn’t act, bad things happen. Eventually, in ‘No Way Home,’ it is Aunt May who utters the famous line: “With great power comes great responsibility.”

Follow MeriStation USA on X (formerly known as Twitter). Your video game and entertainment website for all the news, updates, and breaking news from the world of video games, movies, series, manga, and anime. Previews, reviews, interviews, trailers, gameplay, podcasts and more! Follow us now!