Marvel is rebooting Spider-Man as a dad (Just like in the Spider-Verse movies)

Spider-Man’s origin is one of the most famous stories in comics, thanks to the numerous film, video game, and animated adaptations it has had over the years. For its upcoming reboot of the Ultimate Spider-Man, Marvel is once again having Peter Parker get bit by a radioactive spider and gain powers, but with a slight twist – this time, he’s not a kid. In fact, he’s got two kids of his own to look after.

While his counterpart on Earth 616 struggles to get together with his love interest, the Ultimate Universe Spider-Man has had a bit more luck in love. In a move that could be influenced by Peter B. Parker’s appearance in this year’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse film, Marvel’s newest comic book version of Peter Parker has a few more miles on him when he first puts on the tights. This January, Ultimate Spider-Man #1 will introduce the world to a Peter Parker who is already married and has two kids with his most iconic love interest, Mary Jane Watson. The two have built a life together in this universe when they suddenly have to deal with Peter’s web-slinging, wall-crawling heroics.

The shift toward an older Peter gaining powers seems to be the focus of this new comic run. “We really wanted to lean into him starting his super hero life from a very different place than what’s traditionally expected,” Jonathan Hickman, the writer of the upcoming reboot, explained when the change was first announced by Marvel. It won’t be the first time that Peter and MJ have ended up married to each other in the comics, but normally the pair have to deal with Peter’s heroic lifestyle throughout their relationship rather than suddenly having it thrust upon them.

We’re excited to see how the rebooted Ultimate Spider-Man handles this change. Rather than having to balance saving New York with writing term papers, he’s got to make sure he gets home early so he can read a bedtime story. How will his great responsibility toward the city compete with his great responsibility toward his family? The potential is there for a fresher take on the wall-crawler than we’ve had for years.

How long will the pair stay together? It’s tough to say since Spider-Man’s marital status is a source of constant speculation among fans. Still, we hope they make it work out this time.