Marvel-lous Spidey

As Executive Producer of Spider-Man, Marvel Comic's Avi Arad's job is one that many comics and film fans would sell one of their own limbs to have. Speaking this week to Marvel's official site Marvel.Com, Arad has been giving his take on the upcoming Spider-Man movie. To begin with, he wants to reassure fans of the comics that they'll be happy with the move to the big screen. 'I think the fans are going to see a very loyal depiction of Spider-Man,' Arad says. It's very true to this huge character.' Having said that, all the stops have clearly been pulled out from a special effects point of view. 'This movie shouldn't have been made until now. There wasn't the technology to make the movie what it is today. It's very complicated to make Spider-Man fly and swing and shoot webs. It's very complicated to make the (Green) Goblin fly through the skies and have the kinds of action scenes it dictates. Spider-Man's powers are such that it's really not well-covered by normal physics.' As for Tobey Maguire's performance, 'The kid's the next Tom Hanks,' smiles Arad. 'This is going to be a big movie. A very big movie.' Arad's not the only person looking forward to the prospect of a big screen Spider-Man. Marvel genius Stan Lee has already filmed his cameo for the movie. 'He's very excited," Arad says of Lee. "It's been a long time coming.' Best of all, the Marvel producer seems happy to confirm that Columbia views Spider-Man as a franchise project. 'The seeds are at the end of this movie... we all know what Spider-Man's mission is and his commitment to his life as being Spider-Man.'