When you have to react to a lizard that's a tennis ball, it's a really, really difficult, tricky piece of craft.

It's very important to keep the emotions grounded, to keep the characters in some real place.

I think one of the things about Peter Parker that is so great, and what has made him and Spider-Man last so long is he is a kid that we all feel connected to, he's not an alien, he's not a millionaire, he's just this kid that has trouble asking girls out.

Earnestness can ferment into sentimentality.

When you dont inherit an identity you have to define it on your own.

It's really hard to find just a simple character-driven drama, outside of a genre, that was available to direct, except for on TV.

I was a Marvel guy. I started reading comics when I was a kid.