Spider-Man reimagined

Concordia students are creating a new vision of Peter Parker

Fringe ArtsMaya St-Antoine — Published January 14, 2025 | Updated January 14, 2025 at 12:00pm 4 minutes

A group of filmmakers and actors are currently filming their newest project, titled The Outstanding Spider-Man, their first feature film following the life of the beloved Peter Parker. Directed and co-written by film production student Emi Martínez-Zalce, this project is full of passion and dedication. 

The project idea originated in the fall of 2023 among a group of friends and was later developed by Martínez-Zalce and Jonathan Libman, who co-wrote the script. They will play Mary Jane Watson and Peter Parker, respectively. The main cast also features Nathan Bois-McDonald as Peter's friend Harry Osborn; Elias D’Onofrio as bully Flash Thompson; and Sofia Timotheatos as Gwen Stacy, usually one of the titular characters' rotating love interests, who will be portrayed differently in this version.

The film is primarily being produced and directed by Martínez-Zalce through Something Great Films, formerly Four Media Films. It is also produced by Ethan Levy, who spoke about the team's devotion. 

“We’ll finish four days of shooting, 12 hours each day, and by the end of it, we’ll say, ‘What's next?’” Levy said.

Their enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed. At Montreal’s Comic-Con last summer, the team presented test footage that generated significant interest in the project. It was also where they met D’Onofrio, whom Libman described as “the best Flash of all time.” 

At the convention, the team connected with professional suit designers who agreed to design and create their Spider-Man suit, which had originally been handmade alongside all the props. They also met Zeb Wells, former writer for The Amazing Spider-Man comics and a screenwriter for Marvel, who has been a strong supporter of the project from the beginning.

The team has been working on the film for over 15 months and began filming last fall. They expect to finish shooting by the summer of 2025, and plan to have a teaser ready for the San Diego Comic-Con. 

Both Libman and Martínez-Zalce have always been avid Spider-Man fans, whether through the movies, comics or video game adaptations, making this project and their roles a dream come true. 

“We know these people inside and out, this is a passion project—as true to the word as possible," Libman said. 

The excitement can be felt on set, where the actors deeply embody their characters’ roles in the story. Both cast and crew work long hours because they believe in the project’s potential. 

The inspiration for the script varies in different media forms. It is inspired by the Spider-Man movies, the PS4 video game and the Ultimate Spider-Man comics. The main inspiration is the 2008 animated show The Spectacular Spider-Man, which the writers said greatly affected how the team looked at the characters and wanted to portray them. 

Martínez-Zalce said the film will be more of a character-based story than an action movie—almost a coming-of-age—as it will focus on exploring the main characters’ lives and expanding on them beyond their usual portrayals. 

As a woman director, she mentioned how rare it is for women filmmakers to work on superhero movies. Martínez-Zalce is intent on giving depth to characters like Gwen and Mary Jane outside their usual portrayal as Peter Parker’s love interests. 

“I’d say the main message of our film is about learning to embrace who you are while also working on yourself,” Martínez-Zalce said. 

For most of the cast and crew, The Outstanding Spider-Man marks their first foray into feature filmmaking. While Martínez-Zalce started acting at 15 years old, this is her first time directing and producing a feature film, and Libman’s first time as an actor. 

Despite learning a lot about filmmaking at school, they also mention how much you can learn on the set of a project this big, which Libman calls “the best education possible.” 

The filmmakers say that already knowing the environment of a set is useful and that, although time management is a big challenge when they have to consider school and outside obligations, their work on previous sets means they already know how precious time is when filming. 

According to the director, her experience with short films allowed her to feel more confident in her abilities and to build a strong team. 

“Emi is an amazing director. She knows how to bring out the best in everyone,” Libman said. 

The team is expecting to release the movie in the fall. It will be available on YouTube after its premiere events and screenings. 

The producers have been organizing fundraising events such as a Spider-Man-themed trivia night. They also take donations which go directly to helping the production of the film. For fans eager to get involved, the team is still looking for extras and can be contacted via Instagram.

As the team swings closer to this year’s release, their version of Spider-Man promises to deliver a film written by fans, for fans.

This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 7, published January 14, 2025.