Tobey’s Spider-man: comfortable in his own skin, established his double life, calm and experienced. He is also level-headed and act like a warm and caring big brother. He knows what’s in other Peters head— Tom!Peter’s thought of blaming himself, Andrew!Peter’s attitude brushing off his trauma by jokes— and tries to help them get through that because he felt that before. The line “Trying to do better” shows maturity and hope. My man is Spider-man getting his good ending.
Andrew’s Spider-man: with his story cut short after Gwen’s death, he still have pain and darkness left in him. He didn’t talk about his Harry Osborn, that also betrayed and tried to kill him and basically killed his gf despite the “Best friend turned evil” discussion being brought up. I’d like to think of him somewhat of a broken hero. He’s not as naive as Tom!Peter, but unlike Tobey!Peter, he is still controlled by his fear and past. He haven’t moving on.
Like he said—there was a point where he didn’t pull his punches, and he never gets a chance of closure. He knows it, tries to get Tom!Peter away from it. His wounds are still fresh, from the way he looks at Tom!Peter and MJ. He brushes it off with his jokes, like Spider-men do, but of course, other Spider-men could see right through it and tries to tell him that he’s good enough. There is a mutual understanding on the scene where other Spideys tell him that he’s amazing— because they know what’s going on inside his head. He needs and deserves to hear it. He then returns the favor by telling them that he loves them. This is a broken Spider-man that’s just starting to heal.
Tom’s Spider-man: the movie starts by his mistakes, desperate to make sure that Ned and MJ does not impacted by his Spider-man life, while in the same time, want them to be in his Spider-man life (by him disturbing Strange’s spell). He’s the naive one, not confident, not in himself, not in people’s willingness to sacrifice for him (like when he does not discuss about the MIT with MJ and Ned and proceed to ‘brainwash the world’ as Strange put it).
He’s also confused, constantly switching sides with Strange’s wishes to send the villains home, and May’s wishes to save them from inevitable death. After May’s death, he’s angry, getting carried by his feelings and unable to think clearly at multiple points in the movie. Honestly? I don’t blame him for it. He’s a child, barely getting into adulthood, and the world frames him as murderer, in the same time disturbs the people in his life. No one understands how it feels to live a double life, getting through the already-difficult teenage life, while in the same time having bad guys aiming at his throat.
This is why he needs the other’s Spider-men ─ they know exactly how it feels like. They can see through each other’s mask and the pain that they hide. He grows as he interact with the other Spider-men and hear their experiences. Tobey!Peter teach him to not hold grudges and killing someone out of rage as it does not make him feel better. Andrew!Peter teach him not to wallow on his regrets as it can turn someone to a darker path.
The end of the movie forces him to accept the consequences of his mistakes. I feel like… He realizes that anyone that’s involved in his Spider-man life will eventually impacted by it, that’s why he stays away from Ned and MJ. He still have a lot to growth to be done (like seriously? It’s okay to rely on someone!!! Ned and MJ know what theyre risking when they want to help you!!!) but he’s not grudgeful. Still hurting, but so far that I see, he’s not bitter. He changes a lot in the movie. He’s in the darkest stage in his life, the rock bottom of being Spider-man.
Tobey!Peter got his happy ending, Andrew!Peter is trying to find it, and Tom!Peter’s story has just began.
