Though the reaction to Sony's latest superhero effort, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, has been mixed, one of the most praised aspects was the film's ending. Emma Stone, who plays Gwen Stacy, was well aware that the films would adapt the famous "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" storyline: "I knew from the very beginning what the intention was for Gwen's arc." Producer Matt Tolmach says that right from the beginning, the idea of using Gwen meant that her death was inevitable. "When you decide that you're going to tell the Gwen Stacy story, you know you're going to end up there. You just try to put it off for a little while, because you don't want to lose Emma. You don't want to lose Gwen. You don't want to lose that dynamic," he detailed. "But these movies are all about Peter Parker and his journey in life and as Spider-Man. You're constantly having to turn the screws on him."
Star Andrew Garfield felt it "would have been strange" not to follow through with Gwen's arc. "It's a defining moment in the comics, and not just in the Spider-Man comics, but in comic book history," he said. "It's a fact that we lose people. People die. Death is strangely a part of life. You can't have life without death. It's an amazing thing, and a shocking thing, for audiences of these types of films to witness. Especially with such a beloved character." Garfield believes that Gwen's demise and the increased stakes in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 separate it from the likes of The Avengers and Man of Steel. "I think it's incredibly bold and incredibly necessary, to keep pushing the envelopes and the boundaries of what these movies can contain. There's a tendency to want to be safe, and a tendency to want to please everybody, and to not ruffle any feathers. There are so many of these movies out, so how do we make sure this one stands out and needs to be seen?"
"I think the love story we've created between Gwen and Peter is very authentic and very deep," he continued, admitting that "it's one of the strongest parts of that first film". In terms of the future, as to where Peter will go from here. "How is he going to continue fighting? How is he going to continue loving? Will he ever be able to love again? Will he be able to have any personal relationships in his life ever again? What does it do to his power, his ability to fight, his compassion as a human being? These are all the big questions that I'm starting to ask about where we go next."
Despite her thoughts on the importance of Gwen's story, Stone believes the Mary Jane character to be as important to Peter's arc. "I'm excited to see what happens with Mary Jane." Tolmach praised Stone and her acting abilities, and while her departure from the series will be difficult, he says it is for the benefit of the overall narrative. "Right now I can't fathom a universe without her," he said. "On the other hand, if we're being true, this is all about what happens to Peter. You don't get to just make it all feel good. This never ends. It hangs over him forever, and it will forever define him. It's with a heavy heart, but it's in service of the story."
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