The directors of Captain America: Civil War and the last two Avengers films have addressed Uncle Ben’s influence on Tom Holland’s version of Spider-Man.
When Tom Holland was introduced as the MCU’s Spider-Man, there was a conscious decision not to repeat the character’s well-trodden origin story. That story had been told twice within the span of a decade, so fans were intimately familiar with how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man. When he’s introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Peter has already been Spidey for about six months and Uncle Ben isn’t in the picture. However, as time has gone on, many have questioned whether or not Uncle Ben existed or had any notable impact on Peter Parker at all… and it seems like we have an answer now.
In an interview with CBR for Civil War’s 10th anniversary, the Russo Brothers were asked if Peter Parker was responsible for the death of Uncle Ben. According to the directors, Peter isn’t responsible.
“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.”
It remains unclear exactly what happened to Uncle Ben in the MCU. There’s an off-handed mention of an “accidental death,” but what does that really mean? Was Uncle Ben killed in a car accident? Did he accidentally fall to his death from a great height? Was Peter involved at all? Who knows! Nevertheless, the comments have raised some eyebrows from fans.
“This is so backwards,” said one user on X. “Him not being responsible for his uncle’s death is the different interpretation. Him being responsible for his Uncle’s Death is the ENTIRE POINT of his origin.” “James Gunn says that Bruce Wayne’s family died in a car accident, not by being shot in Crime Alley,” said another user.
Historically, Uncle Ben’s death is a result of Peter failing to act as Spider-Man. In the comics and previous live-action films, Peter neglects to stop a gun-wielding thief, feeling like it’s not his responsibility. As a result of his inaction, the thief ends up encountering Ben and shoots him.
From there on out, Peter vows to use his powers with great responsibility and ensure others won’t be harmed because of his negligence. Even in Civil War, Peter’s first scene has him telling Tony Stark that he became Spider-Man because bad things happen if he doesn’t act.
The MCU’s Uncle Ben is never explicitly referenced in the films. His initials are on a suitcase in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but that’s as far as things go. The mere idea of his death seems to loom across the films, but is never directly addressed. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Aunt May’s death seemed to serve as the motivation for Peter Parker to always do the right thing as Spider-Man, as she delivers Ben’s iconic quote before dying: “with great power, there must also come great responsibility.” The other Peter Parkers in the film reference their Uncle Bens once they hear this quote repeated by Tom Holland’s Peter, but Holland’s Peter doesn’t really react to the name.
Maybe the upcoming film Spider-Man: Brand New Day will canonize what happened to Uncle Ben or offer a more direct reference to him. Maybe it will continue to be vague. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s news team. He covers all things entertainment, including gaming, film, and more. You can find him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.
