The following contains spoilers for Halloween Ends, now in theaters and streaming on Peacock.
Halloween Ends strikes terror into Haddonfield one last time, though Michael Myers isn't the only one doing so. Joining him is a new killer who has had enough of being mistreated, using his newfound killing streak to take out those who have wronged him. And that, strangely enough, makes him quite similar to a certain cinematic superhero.
In Spider-Man 3, the alien symbiote changed Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker's personality and mannerisms. It was accompanied by his new, "edgier" appearance, with the resulting persona dubbed "Bully Maguire" by fans. In the third and final part of the H40 Trilogy of Halloween movies, Haddonfield finally receives its own version of the dancing bad boy.
Halloween Ends Turns a Lovable Loser Into a Cold-Blooded Killer
At the beginning of Halloween Ends, Corey Cunningham accidentally causes the death of a young boy that was babysitting. Seen much in the same light as the young Michael Myers, despite it not being intentional, Corey is ostracized by the citizens of Haddonfield. His meeting Laurie Strode and her granddaughter Allyson help to put some brightness back into his life, but it's not enough to save him from persecution. Eventually, he meets a weakened Michael, and the two form a sort of supernatural symbiotic evil,
Corey becomes more confident and outspoken, not to mention more homicidal. Ditching his glasses, changing his appearance and taking on increasingly murderous pursuits, this sees his would-be attackers taken out one by one, with Laurie noticing the growing darkness in the young man's eyes. Wearing a mask of his own, the new Shape teams up with the old one for a crime spree that wreaks havoc on Haddonfield during Halloween.
Halloween Ends' Corey Cunningham Is Essentially Spider-Man's Peter Parker
Corey's transformation into a vicious killer is eerily reminiscent of Peter's turn to the dark side in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3. In that movie, an alien symbiote bonded with Peter, enhancing his radioactive spider abilities and bringing about his darkest tendencies. He was now more abrupt and aggressive in his actions, standing up for himself and being much less of a put-upon nerd. While this sounds positive, it corrupts Peter's personality and morality. This attempt to make Peter seem "evil" was disliked by fans, with his "mean" antics being seen as more comedic than malicious. Thus, the infamous Bully Maguire memes were born, with the darker-haired Peter living on in infamy.
The murderous Corey has a similar development, with his hairstyle changing and his demeanor being more assertive. He even ditches his glasses, just like Peter does when he gets his spider-powers. Corey's worsening relationship with his mother is also similar to what happens between Peter and Mary Jane, while his use of Michael's iconic mask is analogous to the Venom symbiote. Sadly, Corey's dance number happens before he takes on this darker characterization, so the parallels don't match up exactly. Thankfully for New Yorkers, however, even Bully Maguire wasn't as rude as the killer Corey.
To see Corey become Bully Maguire, Halloween Ends is in theaters now and streaming on Peacock.