Draft:Peter B. Parker (Spider-Verse)

Peter Benjamin Parker, otherwise known as Peter B. Parker and under his vigilante alias Spider-Man, is a fictional character featured in the animated Spider-Verse franchise produced by Sony Pictures Animation. He is based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. Debuting in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), he is the first animated iteration of the character in a theatrically released film. He was adapted by screenwriters Phil Lord and Rodney Rothman, and is voiced by Jake Johnson. A seperate version of the character native to Earth-1610B is voiced by Chris Pine.

Peter B. Parker is depicted as an older, world-weary, cynical Spider-Man who hails from an alternate dimension within the "Spider-Verse". After being bitten by a radioactive spider at age 15 and witnessing the murder of his uncle Ben Parker, Peter had spent 22 years operating as the protector of New York City, in addition to marrying his longtime crush Mary Jane Watson. After a period of intense stress and financial burden plagued the couple due to Parker's double life, the pair eventually divorced shortly after the passing of Peter's aunt May Parker, with Peter himself falling into a deep depression and growing distaste for his duties as a vigilante and hero. In an alternate universe, the crime lord Wilson Fisk activates his multiversal "super-collider", which causes Peter to be transported to said world alongside a group of other Spider-People. In the new universe, Parker offers to mentor Brooklyn teen Miles Morales following the death of his universe's Spider-Man, and eventually forms the Spider-Gang with Morales and the other displaced Spider-People to destroy Fisk's super-collider, before successfully returning to his world as a less jaded individual, and rekindling his relationship with Watson.

Johnson's version of the character was designed to be an amalgam of multiple depictions of Spider-Man in pop culture, principally drawing inspiration from the prime universe's counterpart in the comics, as well as other sources such as Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film trilogy. The film's producers, Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, compared the mentorship role Johnson's Peter B. Parker takes towards Miles Morales, to that of Mr. Miyagi's role in The Karate Kid (1984).

Debuting in Into the Spider-Verse, the animated Peter B. Parker has been well received by critics and audiences, with many applauding the decision to have the character age in contrast to his general depiction as a teen or young adult in the comics and other adaptations. The character returned in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).

Concept and creation
The Marvel Comics character Spider-Man was first created by writer Stan Lee and illustrator Steve Ditko for an appearance in Amazing Fantasy #15 (Aug. 1962), before being spun off into a standalone ongoing series with The Amazing Spider-Man, beginning in 1963. The character has since been the subject of numerous adaptations to television and film, most notably being portrayed in live-action by Tobey Maguire in the initial Spider-Man trilogy directed by Sam Raimi (2002-07), Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) directed by Marc Webb.

In November 2014, a hacking of Sony Pictures' computers took place that unearthed emails shared between then-Sony Pictures Entertainment chairman Amy Pascal, and president Doug Belgrad. In addition to internal negotiations within the studio that suggested partnering with rival production studio Marvel Studios to integrate Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) media franchise, seperate emails detailed the studio's plans to "rejuvenate" the IP by developing an animated comedy film with longtime collaborators Phil Lord & Christopher Miller, who both previously directed Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) and its sequel (2013), in addition to the live-action comedies 21 Jump Street (2012) and 22 Jump Street (2014) for Sony Pictures, as well as The LEGO Movie for Warner Bros. Pictures. Sony Pictures' deal with Marvel Studios to share the Spider-Man film rights would eventually materialize, resulting in actor Tom Holland portraying a new iteration of the character beginning with Captain America: Civil War (2016), while Lord & Miller would eventually sign onto the animated Spider-Man project shortly thereafter on the stipulation that they could adapt the 2014 comic book storyline "Spider-Verse" written by Dan Slott, and feature the Miles Morales incarnation of Spider-Man as the main protagonist, as they felt it would differentiate their film from the five previously released Spider-Man films at the time that focused exclusively on Peter Parker / Spider-Man.

Characterization
In a deviation from other depictions of Peter Parker / Spider-Man in most media, Peter B. Parker in Into the Spider-Verse is considerably aged, having spent 22 years operating as a vigilante in New York City. As a result of numerous financial, physical, psychological and domestic factors, namely his failure to invest in a Spider-Man-themed restaurant and his eventual divorce from Mary Jane Watson, Peter B. Parker is significantly more jaded and tired in contrast with the Peter Parker native to Miles Morales' reality. He is also depicted as suffering from deep depression as a result of his inability to emotionally reel from the fallout of his marriage to Watson and the death of his aunt May Parker, in addition to facing crippling financial debt from having to move out of his previous shared residence with Mary Jane, and into a less stable apartment home. Upon being displaced in Miles Morales' world by Kingpin's collider, Peter B. Parker is extremely reluctant to take the young Morales under his wing, often deflecting Miles' pleas as a result of general disinterest with his own vigilante escapades. However, over the course of the film, he discovers the value of building connections with people through his experiences with forming the Spider-Gang, cooperating with Morales and ultimately, his intent to sacrifice himself in order to destroy the collider so the other displaced Spider-People can return home safely. Miles' formation into his own, unique Spider-Man and re-emergence at the Alchemax laboratory causes Peter to realize his own self-worth and value to others in being part of a team and witnessing the growth of an inexperienced vigilante that he contributed to through mentorship. Upon returning to his native reality, he is a more content and elated man, particularly being inspired to repair his relationship with Mary Jane and embrace his ability to be a father, through his experience helping Miles reach his potential as a hero.

Phil Lord & Christopher Miller envisioned their interpretation of Johnson's Peter B. Parker to be around the same age as the iteration of the character from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film trilogy (2002-2007), as they could explore the trials and tribulations that would face an aged and weathered version of the character, contrasted with the Peter Parker native to Miles Morales' Earth, who was described by Chris Miller as "meant to be as competent a Spider-Man as possible, and is meant to be living in an alternate universe that we would all consider the mainstream comics universe". Phil Lord additionally remarked that featuring a disheveled, wiser Peter Parker also put forth an opportunity to explore the character in a mentor-like role opposite to Morales, proposing that, "What's a situation that Peter hasn't been in before?" And we thought, "Oh, he's never had to be the older and wiser one. He's never had to be a mentor". Lord additionally compared Peter B. Parker's relationship with Miles Morales, to that of Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso in The Karate Kid (1984).

Becoming Spider-Man and later years
Peter Benjamin Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider at age 15. Upon witnessing the murder of his late uncle Ben Parker, and feeling indirectly responsible for said incident, Parker would honor his uncle's mantra of "with great power, there must also come great responsibility", eventually donning a costumed identity as the vigilante Spider-Man, protecting New York while learning to balance his double life.

Parker would date and eventually marry his longtime crush Mary Jane Watson at a Jewish wedding reception, while continuing his crime fighting tenure. However, his heroics would begin to take a physical and emotional toll on him as he aged. His failed investment in a negatively-received Spider-Man-themed restaurant in addition to his increasing inability to maintain his civilian life caused a rift to be driven between Peter and Watson, with the latter particularly disheartened over his hesitance in regards to having children and starting a family. The couple eventually divorced some point after the death of Peter's aunt May Parker.

Following their falling out, Peter moved into a small apartment and began to settle independently, but failed to emotionally reel from his divorce from Watson, eventually falling into a deep depression, and becoming increasingly disillusioned with his career as Spider-Man. He would also gain significant weight during this time, not helped by his incessant eating habits and general newfound laziness.

Displaced in another dimension
Peter B. Parker would become one of multiple Spider-People pulled through the multiverse into a different reality as a result of crime lord Wilson Fisk's activation of his "super-collider", a device he intended to use to extrapolate his natively deceased wife and son from another dimension following an unsuccessful apprehension attempt made by that universe's Spider-Man, for which he was murdered by Fisk himself. Parker found himself displaced in the middle of Times Square, immediately witnessing a news broadcast regarding the murder of his alternate self, and felt compelled to visit his burial site for more answers.

At the cemetery, he attempts to converse with teenager Miles Morales, who he notices grieving in front of Parker's grave, but is accidentally knocked out by Miles' venom blast, a power he received from being bitten by a genetically altered spider from the Alchemax laboratories. Miles takes Peter's unconscious body and flees back to his apartment, where he attempts to interrogate the displaced Parker about his ulterior motives and legitimacy, before Parker himself breaks out of captivity and ventures to Alchemax, intent on manufacturing a replica of the "goober" USB drive used to disable the collider, and return home immediately. He is reluctantly joined by Miles, who wishes to be mentored on how to succeed his world's Peter Parker as the new Spider-Man and resolve the current situation, for which he felt indirectly responsible.

Despite Peter's wishes, he is followed by Miles into the Alchemax labs when attempting to create the replica drive, and is eventually discovered by one of Fisk's research assistants shortly thereafter. Introducing herself to Parker as Dr. Olivia "Liv" Octavius, she relays that Parker's displacement in this reality is causing him to experience cellular decay, that will worsen to the point of killing him the longer he remained away from his native dimension. A confrontation escalates between Parker and Octavius as Miles attempted to retrive the data for how to create a new collider-drive from her personal computer. As Octavius chases the two Spider-Men into the forests outside the research lab, they are collectively intercepted by Gwen Stacy, another displaced hero from an alternate dimension where she assumes the alias of Spider-Woman. The three of them seek shelter in the residence of that universe's Aunt May, who introduces them to other displaced Spider-People she recovered and housed: Peni Parker & Sp//dr, Peter Parker / Spider-Man Noir, and Peter Porker / Spider-Ham.

Miles voluntarily elected himself to disable Fisk's super-collider, with Peter B. Parker in support, however an ensuing test of Miles' courage by the other Spider-People deemed Miles too inexperienced and self-doubtful for the severity of the task, causing Miles to leave the residence for his uncle Aaron's apartment, disillusioning Peter. Upon his return, he is unknowingly followed by a group of enforcers dispatched by Fisk: Octavius, the Green Goblin, the Scorpion, Tombstone and the Prowler, later revealed to be Aaron Davis himself. Resolving the altercation, Peter B. Parker, Miles and the rest of the Spider-Gang retreat to Miles' apartment, where Peter reluctantly webs Miles to restrain him, fearing his inability to control his powers and proceed with the objective, while choosing himself to destroy the super-collider in an act of self-sacrifice.

Peter and the remaining Spider-Gang infiltrate a dinner party commemorating the life of that universe's Peter Parker hosted by Wilson Fisk. Disguising himself as an attending waiter, Peter B. Parker unexpectedly meets this universe's Mary Jane Watson, who was this Parker's ex-girlfriend, causing him to emotionally break down briefly before recollecting himself and proceeding to the facility housing the super-collider. Just as Parker begins to use the disabler to send the other displaced Spider-People to their own realities, they are intercepted by Octavius and Scorpion, initiating another confrontation. Octavius' attempt to kill Peter B. Parker is then intercepted by a returning Miles Morales, emerging from camoflauge in a new Spider-Man suit to rescue him. Miles takes the "goober" from Peter and prepares to send him home alongside the other alternate Spider-People, with Parker commending his new skillset and confidence before departing from his world.

Joining the Spider-Society
Peter B. Parker returned to his reality as a less jaded and more open-minded man. He begins to reconsider his prospects at fatherhood in light of witnessing Miles' growth as Spider-Man under his tutelage, inspiring him to visit Mary Jane Watson and begin to repair their relationship. The two eventually re-marry and conceive a daughter named Mayday Parker, who begins exhibiting similar superhuman traits from infancy as a result of her genetics being spliced with Peter's irradiated blood.

Sometime later, Parker meets Miguel O' Hara, an alternate Spider-Man who resides over and protects Earth-928, a dimension within the multiverse that is set in the year 2099. O' Hara introduces and recruits him to his Spider-Society, an organization he formed following the Alchemax Collider incident, comprised of Spider-People from across the multiverse tasked with preserving the stability of the multiverse and apprehending any displaced villains from other realities. Parker was one of Miguel's earliest recruits, alongside an alternate version of himself from Earth-67, and Jessica Drew, an alternate Spider-Woman. Soon after, Peter would begin bringing Mayday along with him on missions while Mary Jane wasn't home to take care of her, and would also see himself reunited with Gwen Stacy, Peter Porker, Peni Parker and Spider-Man Noir, all of whom would become subsequent members of the Society at various points.