I think it’s interesting that the scene from the end of The Amazing Spider-Man with the eggs is being put forward as the pinnacle of Spider-Man cinema – and I agree, for the record – because I don’t think people know how hard that scene got dragged when Homecoming was released. I’m fairly sure one of Homecoming’s six screenwriters said something negative about it, although I can’t currently find the article where I saw it, but if you check out this review of Spider-Man Homecoming you’ll see something along the same lines: “No one wants to watch May chide Peter for forgetting the eggs when there’s way more interesting superhero stuff to get to.”
Right, except I do, because the eggs in The Amazing Spider-Man were always there to remind the audience that Peter’s great responsibility exists outside of his identity as Spider-Man as well as within it – he has a responsibility to his aunt! Even over something as simple as bringing home the eggs he’d previously forgotten to get! It’s meaningful because it shows us that responsibility is a multi-layered, multifaceted aspect of both Peter Parker and Spider-Man and something that is baked into the character, not just the costume. That he shows up beaten to hell, having played a large part in keeping New York from becoming lizard people, with his girlfriend’s father’s blood probably still on him, and that he pulls the world’s most busted package of like 100% broken eggs out of his backpack because he promised his aunt he would pick up eggs and that she embraces him is so important! And it got mercilessly dragged as not being exciting or cool enough! Not being enough of a superhero scene! TASM’s Aunt May of the absolutely incredible “You’re my boy and I won’t hurt you” scene got called dowdy and not fun and pathetic because she was “just waiting at home for the eggs”! And it drove me absolutely crazy! Justice for Peter treating May like she’s his mom and the most important person in the world to him and knowing he has a responsibility to her! Justice for the little humanizing elements that make Spider-Man ultimately a relatable story! Justice for the eggs scene!