Is It Time....

[Vegeta]

I thought Aunt May knowing the secret was one of the highlights of the JMS run. Besides, the MCU version is aware that her nephew is Spidey, and we all know how the comics like to imitate the film franchise.

[Frontier]

I thought Aunt May knowing the secret was one of the highlights of the JMS run. Besides, the MCU version is aware that her nephew is Spidey, and we all know how the comics like to imitate the film franchise.

A lot of Aunt May's in adaptions get shown finding out or knowing at this point.

I was really disappointed they turned the moment in the movie of Aunt May finding out into a punchline, especially with how much Feige talked about wanting to do that scene from the JMS run.

[Lee]

If it is so uninteresting and diminishing, why did Marvel decide to have Aunt May know his identity in the MCU?

Because:

May finding out, and trying to come to terms with it is interesting.

There's only one new Spider-Man movie every 2 or 3 years. The movies only need concern themselves with whether something is a good plot development for 2 or 3 films. The Marvel Comics Spider-Man continuity has been running for over 56 years, with dozens of Spider-Man comics each year and no end in sight. They have to think long-term.

[Celgress]

She should either find out, or be killed off. Without either of these things happening, the character is no longer interesting enough to be worth keeping around.

I couldn't possibly agree with you more.

[Celgress]

I don't think that I'm implying anything of the sort. I just think that the character doesn't really have anywhere to go at this point unless she finds out Peter's secret identity. I am tired of seeing retreads of the same old storylines every few years, and I would honestly rather see more interesting supporting characters given page time.

I will always be fond of her, but Aunt May has had plenty of storylines devoted to her where other characters like Betty Brant and Liz Allen (literally the first two names that popped into my head) have remained relatively underdeveloped.

I don't think that she was missed at all when she was killed off for a few years in the 90's. It was a truly dreadful decision to bring her back from the dead.

Another great point, you're on fire IMO.

[PCN24454]

I thought Aunt May knowing the secret was one of the highlights of the JMS run. Besides, the MCU version is aware that her nephew is Spidey, and we all know how the comics like to imitate the film franchise.

I really dislike how they did it cause they made it too much of a joke.

[gregpersons]

A lot of Aunt May's in adaptions get shown finding out or knowing at this point.

I was really disappointed they turned the moment in the movie of Aunt May finding out into a punchline, especially with how much Feige talked about wanting to do that scene from the JMS run.

It seems to reflect the MCU storytelling as a whole, where all of the most interesting character developments happen off-screen or between movies.

[Miles To Go]

Of course she should know. More than a decade ago it was the status quo for her character across both 616 and Ultimate Universe. It also was a development in the Ultimate Spidey animated series, and the MCU May knows who he is. 616's ongoing allergy to actual growth and development is just comical now.

[Lee]

Of course she should know. More than a decade ago it was the status quo for her character across both 616 and Ultimate Universe. It also was a development in the Ultimate Spidey animated series, and the MCU May knows who he is. 616's ongoing allergy to actual growth and development is just comical now.

Can a character not grow unless they know Spider-Man's secret identity? Does every character need to have an arc? Doesn't every new development eventually become a status quo itself? What happens next?

[Miles To Go]

What happens next?

That's precisely the question new status quos are meant to ask.

What we deal with now is "what if we went back and did this all again?"

[Lee]

That's precisely the question new status quos are meant to ask.

The last time they went down this road, they got one or two years of story out of Aunt May adjusting to the new information. Then it settled on May being supportive of Peter/Spider-Man, making his life easier, removing a source of conflict, weakening the divide between Peter's life and Spider-Man's life.

If May learns Spider-Man's secret identity again, do they repeat the "adjustment arc"? By the previously established rules of Doctor Strange's spell, she should regain her all memories of previously knowing who Spider-Man was, of already going through that arc. Do they do a different arc? Would it have the impact of the first time they did it? What is left when that arc is over? Does it enhance the conflicts of the series? Does it work as a story engine?

[gregpersons]

If May learns Spider-Man's secret identity again, do they repeat the "adjustment arc"?

Well, we're already repeating decades of stories where Peter has to hide his identity from Aunt May, and that doesn't seem to be an issue. Why would repeating this beat be so detrimental?

"Peter hiding it from Aunt May" has been mined for all its worth. It boxes their relationship into a corner. As you point out "what happens after Aunt May knows?" hasn't been explored as much... which means it holds more potential for new and interesting directions.

Spider-Man from the beginning was exciting because it subverted the expected tropes of superheroes (we didn't see Superman or Batman sewing their costumes, etc) ... so why should a character built on being surprising be entirely predictable forever?

[MASTER-OF-SUPRISE]

Yes! Yes! Yes! Honestly her not knowing doesn't make her more interesting. It's makes her being in the stories annoying IMO. Either let her know or write her out of the books. She's dead wieght from a storytelling perspective by not knowing at this point.

[Lee]

"Peter hiding it from Aunt May" has been mined for all its worth. It boxes their relationship into a corner.

Can't this be said about every character? Should everyone in Peter's life know his secret identity?

As you point out "what happens after Aunt May knows?" hasn't been explored as much...

They explored it pretty thoroughly. The transition period was the interesting part, where the drama was. After that transition period, it became a static status quo. Effectively, they'd traded one static status quo (May supports Peter, but doesn't know about his life as Spider-Man) for another static status quo (May supports Peter and his life as Spider-Man).

Spider-Man from the beginning was exciting because it subverted the expected tropes of superheroes (we didn't see Superman or Batman sewing their costumes, etc) ... so why should a character built on being surprising be entirely predictable forever?

I don't think an "anything goes" approach is of value, especially in a series that's intended to last forever. A series has to be about something. If a change is to implemented, that would have long lasting ramifications, then it needs to be very carefully considered.

Would now even be a good time for this? Aren't they already doing a storyline where J Jonah Jameson knows Spider-Man's secret identity? Has that stopped being exciting already?

[Miles To Go]

Should everyone in Peter's life know his secret identity?

Just prior to OMD, that's what we got, and it led to some engaging stories.

They explored it pretty thoroughly. The transition period was the interesting part, where the drama was. After that transition period, it became a static status quo.

That's not what we were getting though, the status quo was beginning to expand, Aunt May get to interact with Avengers, Jarvis in particular, you could easily have had May start up FEAST and other things while involved in the superhero community. That would have furthered the drama when you had to bring in Mr. Negative etc

Aren't they already doing a storyline where J Jonah Jameson knows Spider-Man's secret identity? Has that stopped being exciting already?

No, it's refreshing and plenty of good stories have come of it lately.