Marvel's New Spider-Gwen Story 'Scares' Writer Stephanie Phillips (But That's A Good Thing) - Exclusive Interview
Contains spoilers for "Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider" #1 by Stephanie Phillips, Federica Mancin, and Matt Milla
Later this month, Spider-Gwen permanently arrives on Earth-616, as the Multiversal hero will soon call the reality home. Earth-65's Gwen Stacy has become massively popular thanks to starring in several comic book series and both "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" films — where she was voiced by Hailee Steinfeld. With an incredible costume, powers, and reinvention of the classic hero who infamously died in the main comic canon, Gwen is leaving her world for good to join the main Marvel Universe alongside some of the most recognizable heroes and villains.
To show how Spider-Gwen (referred to in-universe as Ghost-Spider) is set to make her transition to Earth-616, the hero stars in "Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider" series from Marvel Comics. We spoke to writer Stephanie Phillips ("Harley Quinn," "Cosmic Ghost-Rider") about her plans to bring Spider-Gwen to her new, but familiar world; the character's unique position as being a newer version of a popular hero and overtaking the original character as the most recognizable to dawn her name; as well as what readers can expect from "Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider" #1.
Check out our conversation with Phillips, which includes a first look at Mark Brooks' cover art for "Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider" #3.
On bringing Spider-Gwen to Earth-616
Why was it important to bring Spider-Gwen to the Earth-616 canon, and was that a daunting task?
It was. I think it was kind of like when I was asked to work on Spider-Gwen, I was like, "Yes, I absolutely want to work on Spider-Gwen's character."
I've talked to Marvel about my interest in the character a few times, and then I got a call that was like, "We want to move her to 616. What are some ideas that you have for facilitating this? We want to really give you free rein on how to make that happen."
So then it became this twofold task of like, okay, I want to tell the best Gwen story I can tell, and there's this directive of how we're going to shift the Marvel Universe around her, and that's a big job, but a very cool thing to get to take the lead on and making that happen. And I know we've seen it with somebody like Miles [Morales] before, so getting to be the person who does that with Gwen is pretty cool.
Why do you think Spider-Gwen has resonated with so many readers and audiences?
Well, number one, definitely, this is not even a silly answer, her costume is just the coolest ever. When you go to a convention, which I pay much more attention to now ... when I'm at a signing or Halloween, something like that, it's like the amount of Gwen costumes I see is just incredible in all ages. I've seen gender-bent Gwen. I've seen little kids and adults. I've seen other people making their own variations of Gwen, and I think that that's really telling — somebody feels connected enough to Gwen to make their own iteration of a Gwen cosplay.
I think that tells you a lot about how readers adore her and also just feel so connected and personally intertwined with her story. Gwen is incredibly relatable in ways that Peter Parker was: one of the first teenage characters going through changes and really identifying with his readers in that way. I think Gwen is maybe one of the best iterations in modern times that we've seen of a character being able to reach an audience in that way as well, because she is a much newer character than Peter, and the way that she has reached a new level of readers, especially at a time where I think there are far more women coming into comic book shops than ever before. Gwen is an absolute icon for new readers finding these books.
On Spider-Gwen's unique position as a character
One of Marvel's unwritten rules for a long time was not to resurrect certain characters whose deaths were seen as important to overall narratives. Obviously, along with Uncle Ben, Gwen was at one point thought to be one of these characters. Spider-Gwen, of course, is a distinct character with her own deep lore and ravenous fan base. However, those two characters are still inextricably linked. What pressure do you feel, if any, from the character's previous legacy, and is squaring that dichotomy part of the story you're telling, or is something you want to just separate them further?
No, that is definitely a part of the story I'm telling. I think that's one of the reasons that we wanted to call our first arc "Haunted," which is you're bringing a character into a world which, yes, Gwen Stacy/Spider-Gwen has been to the 616 many times. But asking that Gwen Stacy to set up a life in the shadow of a literal ghost version of herself and the issues that brings ... I mean, you have literal issues that come up in terms of a social security number or things like that that become really messy when you already have a former version of you that has lived. So that was something that I was like, that scares me a bit. That worries me a bit. I want to directly deal with it from page one and say that this is a huge part of Gwen's story moving forward and moving her into a new universe. How are we going to deal with that? And that is a part of her journey. How is she dealing with it?
To follow up on that, what would you say to the vocal contingent of fans who want her to be separated from 616? Is your best bet to try to convince them, or is it just focusing on the best story and not worrying about that?
Yeah, I mean, I would just say read the book first. I definitely think there's a lot of judgment before anyone's ever read it, and in one way, I see that as a lot of passion for the character, and I think that's really cool. But again, I would say read the book. There's a lot of speculation and anger for things that people don't know what's in it. So yeah, read the book.
Gwen making Earth-616 obviously parallels Miles' story and coming from his own universe. That might've been a bigger talking point back when it happened, and now it feels very natural. Do you think it's something that's just — you've got to see it happen and culminate?
Yeah, I do. What I will say is it's our Spider-Gwen story, so wherever we're putting her, how we're shifting it, we are seeing that version of Gwen Stacy reacting to it, and it is still her story. The reasons why things happen, how she's reacting to those things, and how they go forward, I think we're maybe playing the long game a bit, which is going to be fun. How we reveal that this has gone down is going to be something that I'm really excited for readers to see. And yeah, it's been a lot of fun to work on that. So I hope readers, once they pick up the book, get really excited for what we're doing as well and want to come along on that mystery with us.
What bringing Spider-Gwen to Earth-616 can accomplish
Spider-Gwen has been to 616 plenty of times, but what storytelling avenues does making her a permanent part of it open up?
A lot of the characters in 616 are more regular. One of my first questions was like ... there's a character I really want to bring into this. Is this character available? Can we do that? And I was immediately told yes. I was like, I'm very excited about that. This character is in the book from Issue 1, though you don't see them, so there's going to be something that unfolds there. I know I've set up some mysteries, and I'm excited to start revealing them. I have to be careful not to answer the mysteries before.
I'm a terrible surprise person, so if I buy somebody a birthday gift, I'm immediately like, "I bought you a birthday gift." So I have to temper that and be like, "Oh, no. I've set up a surprise but I can't tell you the answer to the surprise," but it is something I'm very excited about. It's one of my favorite characters, and it's something that we get to do because of the universe that we're in, and it's something that we really haven't seen before ... actually, with two characters that I'm bringing in. There's something we really haven't seen before with Gwen, pushing her in a couple of different directions that I'm really excited about.
Despite her complex shared history, Spider-Gwen has become a hallmark for new fans, thanks in part to her previous series and, of course, the "Spider-Verse" films. Why do you think that despite Gwen being steeped in such a complicated lore, she has been so accessible to so many fans?
I think it's the character herself. The interesting thing is that I feel like I've heard and read a lot about, "Oh, we don't want multiverse stories. These get really big and complicated." I like multiverse stuff. It's fun, but I get it. There's been a lot of it. And so I think even through all of that and the amount of multiverse things we've had, Gwen is this constant character. She's interesting. She's learning. She gets to mess up and learn from those mistakes, and there's something very human about Gwen that people can latch onto no matter the story she's in. And I think that just makes her this universally adored and loved character. No matter the context you're putting her in, you still have this really cool character for fans to latch onto. So yeah, I'm excited to take her in a new direction.
Well, one of Gwen's hallmarks has been her vibrant characterization and visual presentation going back to her first series, with artists like Robbi Rodriguez, who has a unique flair. Obviously, the "Spider-Verse" films have done a lot to build that distinct style. How are you approaching that aspect of the character working with Federica Mancin?
Giving a lot of freedom to the art team I think is really important for Gwen, being able to bring such a dynamic style. And something that Federica I think is really good at are action sequences and the movement of Gwen. It's something that feels very ... Maybe elastic is the right word, something where you feel Gwen moving through the pages, and I feel like you're saying, that's a real hallmark to Gwen.
She felt animated before there was ever an animated Gwen, which is really cool. She's vibrant, she's colorful. The costume, like I said, is one of the coolest things.
How Spider-Gwen's previous media informed the series
What was it like seeing the covers for "Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider" from Mark Brooks, adding new details to Gwen's design such as those on her shoes?
He started that and then they made their way into the interior pages. Initially editorial was like, "You don't have to keep drawing the sneakers." But every artist was like, "No, we love the sneakers. We want to keep the sneakers." And I was like, "So we're all getting custom sneakers when? Because I love these."
It's the color scheme. The color scheme is fantastic. But what Mark did is also, I think, a hallmark of Gwen's design, which is how cool and fun it is to play with, whether it's ballet shoes or sneakers. It's like these accessories and elements that you get to bring kind of this flair to Gwen. And it's so a part of her personality, too, to have cool flair. Of course, she has cool sneakers. Of course, she has custom Gwen sneakers. That's great. And that's something that I think Federica has done a really cool job of in those really elastic fight scenes and movement and swinging through a city. I think that same animated vibrancy is there in the design as well.
How much of your version of Gwen has been informed by the treatment of the character in the films? Because obviously, the past comics have really made Gwen who she is, but the films, I think, have introduced people to her on a much, much wider scale. Is yours solely driven by comic books, or are you getting some inspiration and imagination from the animated version?
I mean, I would say both. I think given, like you said, how prevalent the films are, and I love them, it's hard to ignore that, and I don't think I would want to. I want this to be a book that's accessible to everyone. If you are looking for more Spider-Gwen content after watching the animated show, I want this to be an avenue for you as well. And I hope it can do that. For people who have been reading the comics, this should be an avenue for those readers as well.
I guess one of the difficult tasks was trying to do the job of making this a new number one, where people can jump on, still paying homage to all these other iterations of Gwen, not losing those things, not losing elements of her past. Anything that really makes Gwen who she is, I want that to stay. So doing the work of giving a little bit of backstory to new readers while also, again, hopefully giving some nuggets and cool things to people that have been with Gwen this entire time and welcoming them in as well.
Can you see your version of Spider-Gwen inspiring her eventual live-action appearance?
I haven't really given that much thought. I'm sure somebody deep in the Marvel lore at the company has some thoughts on things I know nothing about, which is cool and exciting.
Now that you've said it, I'm like, oh, I wonder ... But I don't really think about that much when I'm writing because I don't want that to ever inform the story I'm telling, meaning I want the story I'm telling to be the best it can be for the comic in that moment and for that character in the moment. Not thinking too far ahead of like, well, how can we adapt this or do other things with it? If that happens, that's amazing and I will be thrilled about it. But yes, that's not my immediate thought.
There's considerable excitement for Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider
How exciting is it to get this book into the hands of readers?
Oh, yeah. Very exciting. I love the character. It's someone I wanted to work on for a while. It's funny because when I first announced that I was going to work with Marvel, I don't know when it was, a couple of years ago or something, I got a lot of questions online and I remember who some of them are, that were like, "We want to see you do Spider-Gwen."
And it wasn't even on the table at the moment, and it's something I thought back to when I was asked to take on Spider-Gwen, I was like, wow, maybe there is something there that people saw this as a character who's a good fit for me. I really do like grounded action and writing action sequences with her and with Federica, the artist, it's really cool. So I'm very excited. I cannot wait to see how it prints. The covers are gorgeous, so I think it's going to be a cool book.
Spider-Gwen soon spins into action on Earth-616
In a yet-to-be-revealed cover for "Spider-Gwen: The Ghost Spider" #3 from superstar artist Mark Brooks, hinting at the adventures ahead for the hero, Spider-Gwen battles herself with and without her mask as she falls across the New York City skyline. Check out the stunning artwork, followed by the text solicitation for the upcoming debut issue of the series.
Marvel Comics/Mark Brooks
TRAPPED IN THE 616 ... FOR GOOD! Welcome to New York! Gwen truly becomes a Ghost-Spider when she moves full-time to the universe where Gwen Stacy died years ago. But why did she leave Earth-65? Why aren't the other spiders supposed to know she's here? Why isn't she supposed to suit up? And who will get hurt when she does?
Spider-Gwen officially arrives on Earth-616 on a permanent basis when "Spider-Gwen: The Ghost-Spider" #1 arrives in comic book stores and online retailers on May 22.
This interview was edited for clarity.