#also yeahhhh like Peter and Spider-Man... Will and El are also alter egos....

[greenfiend]

Comparing Spider-Man (2002) with the van scene

Within both scenes, we have two friends discussing a superhero love interest of one and the other friend (not so) subtly revealing their feelings.

Mary Jane reveals she has a crush on Spider-Man and expresses that she’s “silly” for it… Mike reveals he feels inferior to El who is “Superman”.

Then we have both Will and Peter break eye contact and fib. Peter, as we know, *is* Spider-Man so obviously he’s not exactly telling the truth. Will, as we know, made the painting himself so he’s lying as well.

When Peter says this, MJ understands that while they were talking about Spider-Man originally… this is about Peter and his own feelings. And look at her, she’s truly touched by his words. She doesn’t break eye contact for a second. She doesn’t even ask him about Spider-Man’s reaction… because she doesn’t care. In that moment, she only cares about the messenger: Peter.

When Will tells Mike how special and important he is to El, Mike does not take his eyes off Will for a second, just like MJ. He is incredibly moved by the messenger, just as she is. If either MJ or Mike cared more about the superhero here, they’d look elsewhere and think of them. But it’s the messenger who touched them, the one who is perceived as “ordinary”, not the superhero.

The bystander knows.

In the end, MJ and Mike both choose to reach out to the messenger, not the superhero.

[bylerlipglances]

will byers trespassing each and every superhero territory and i cannot complain.

mike wheeler as his love interest giving all passive leading ladies a run for their money.

Comparing Spider-Man (2002) with the van scene

Within both scenes, we have two friends discussing a superhero love interest of one and the other friend (not so) subtly revealing their feelings.

Mary Jane reveals she has a crush on Spider-Man and expresses that she’s “silly” for it… Mike reveals he feels inferior to El who is “Superman”.

Then we have both Will and Peter break eye contact and fib. Peter, as we know, *is* Spider-Man so obviously he’s not exactly telling the truth. Will, as we know, made the painting himself so he’s lying as well.

When Peter says this, MJ understands that while they were talking about Spider-Man originally… this is about Peter and his own feelings. And look at her, she’s truly touched by his words. She doesn’t break eye contact for a second. She doesn’t even ask him about Spider-Man’s reaction… because she doesn’t care. In that moment, she only cares about the messenger: Peter.

When Will tells Mike how special and important he is to El, Mike does not take his eyes off Will for a second, just like MJ. He is incredibly moved by the messenger, just as she is. If either MJ or Mike cared more about the superhero here, they’d look elsewhere and think of them. But it’s the messenger who touched them, the one who is perceived as “ordinary”, not the superhero.

The bystander knows.

In the end, MJ and Mike both choose to reach out to the messenger, not the superhero.