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Spider-Man in film
Film adaptations of the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Spider-Man, a superhero created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for comic books published by Marvel Comics, has appeared in film since the 1970s. The character debuted in CBS's TV-movie pilot for the series The Amazing Spider-Man in 1977, the first of a trio of companion films including Spider-Man Strikes Back (1979) and Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1981). Marvel Comics pursued plans for a more ambitious feature film in the 1980s, but funding and licensing disputes stalled their efforts. After intense litigation over the Spider-Man copyrights, Sony Pictures and subsidiary Columbia obtained the film rights under a joint agreement with Marvel in 1999.
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The three actors who have played Spider-Man in cinema (from left to right): Tobey Maguire in the Sam Raimi films (2002–2007), Andrew Garfield in the Marc Webb films (2012–2014), and Tom Holland in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (2016–present). Maguire and Garfield reprised their roles and starred alongside Holland as their iterations of the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Columbia developed a Spider-Man film trilogy directed by Sam Raimi and starring Tobey Maguire in the 2000s, followed by a reboot duology featuring Marc Webb as director and Andrew Garfield as the title character. Marvel Studios produced another Spider-Man film series under a licensing agreement with Sony, incorporating the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Three MCU films starring Tom Holland as Spider-Man were released between the 2010s and the 2020s: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), with a fourth MCU entry, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, scheduled for release in 2026. Holland has also appeared in crossover films within the MCU. The character has also appeared in the animated series of Spider-Verse films, and is tied to a Sony-produced franchise with a loosely-shared continuity to the MCU.
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Early adaptations
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TV films
Nicholas Hammond in character on The Amazing Spider-Man set
In the 1970s, Marvel Comics partnered with CBS to produce TV adaptations of their characters, including Spider-Man.[1] The Marvel–CBS partnership yielded three Spider-Man films starring Nicholas Hammond for the live action series The Amazing Spider-Man, which aired sporadically for thirteen episodes.[2] The first film, an E. W. Swackhamer-directed TV-movie pilot released in 1977, follows Spider-Man's quest to thwart an extortionist's plot to kill a group of civilians with a mind control device.[3] Two more sequels, Spider-Man Strikes Back (1979) and Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1981), were developed from unaired footage of The Amazing Spider-Man resulting from budget constraints.[4] Each film received minor distribution in theaters outside of the United States.[5]
Two foreign Spider-Man adaptations were conceived in the same period. The earliest version was the Turkish exploitation film 3 Dev Adam (lit. '3 Giant Men', 1973), featuring Spider-Man battling Captain America in a villainous role.[4] In Japan, Toei Company undertook a theatrical spinoff of the live action tokusatsu television series released in July 1978,[6] part of a four-year licensing deal with Marvel.[2] Their origin story is a significant departure from the comic book source material, portraying Spider-Man as the alter ego of a motorcyclist seeking to avenge his deceased father with powers inherited from Garia, the lone survivor of the extinct Spider Planet.[2][6]
Feature film development
After the success of Superman (1978), Marvel began a concerted effort to produce more ambitious feature film projects.[7] They abandoned several early Spider-Man proposals, including a musical and another concept culminating in a battle against Nazis and a 100-foot robot.[8] By 1982, Roger Corman, an experienced producer of low-budget B films, optioned the rights to develop an adaptation with Orion Pictures from Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee's film treatment.[8][9] Lee's original treatment featured Doctor Octopus as the primary antagonist and a narrative with Cold War subtext, exemplified with a subplot of nuclear war with the Soviet Union.[8] However, Lee and Corman ended their collaboration when they could not agree on a budget.[10]
The Cannon Group executives Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus acquired the film rights to Spider-Man for $225,000 in 1985, with a provision that would restore ownership to Marvel should a film not be made within five years.[11][12] In total, Cannon spent $2 million on a script and subsequent rewrites, but financial woes and disputes over the artistic direction frustrated the development.[13][14] After Pathé Communications purchased Cannon, Galon and Globus split, and the Spider-Man film rights transferred to Golan's 21st Century Film Corporation through a severance package, before being sold to Carolco Pictures for $5 million in 1988.[12][14] Carolco hired James Cameron as director and screenwriter with a stipulation that granted him the right to control producing credits, similar to his contract for Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).[15] Cameron's scriptment, which was about 57 pages long, concentrated on Spider-Man as a dark, morally ambiguous character.[16] In the meantime, Carolco extended Cannon's original deal with Marvel to May 1996,[17] but the total cost of production rose to $50 million from their initial $15 million budget, leading the company to abandon the project by 1992.[12][14]
A period of intense litigation over the disposition of the Spider-Man copyrights followed, with Golan suing Carolco in 1993 over the claim that it had disavowed his contractual guarantee credit as producer in the Cannon–Marvel agreement.[17] Carolco then sued Viacom and Sony subsidiary Columbia Pictures over the syndication and home video rights, which Golan had sold them in separate sales, and the two studios countersued in lawsuits that, additionally, disputed Marvel's ownership stakes.[18][19] 20th Century Fox, though not a main party in the litigation, contested Cameron's participation with a claim of exclusivity on his services as a director.[16] By the mid-1990s, Carolco, 21st Century, and Marvel filed for bankruptcy, complicating the dispute.[14] Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) purchased all 21st Century-owned assets and Carolco's film rights during the proceedings,[12][20] and instigated another lawsuit alleging fraud in the Cannon–Marvel deal.[17] According to a Los Angeles Times report, legal inquiries found that Marvel's licensing agreements overlapped, at times on terms that were dubious and poorly documented.[16]
After Marvel reemerged from bankruptcy in 1998, the courts ruled that the rights sold to Golan had expired, reverting the rights back to the company.[18] The studios spent the following year resolving the remaining lawsuits, owing in part to soaring attorney fees.[19] Marvel settled with Sony in a merchandising joint venture that conveyed the rights to produce film, television, and sequels to Sony and subsidiary Columbia.[21] At the same time, MGM compromised with Sony by surrendering its claim to the Spider-Man film rights in exchange for copyrights to the James Bond franchise.[22] Sony's ownership is perpetual provided that they release a new Spider-Man film at least once every 5.75 years.[23][24]
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Spider-Man (2002–2007)
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Spider-Man (2002)
Columbia began developing Spider-Man after their rights acquisition in 1999.[18] They appointed Sam Raimi as director in January 2000,[25] from of a raft of candidates due to his enthusiasm for the source material.[26] Screenwriter David Koepp was hired to write the Spider-Man script, expanding on ideas introduced in Cameron's treatment.[16] The script was revised under Scott Rosenberg and again by Alvin Sargent to improve dialogue.[27][28] Columbia signed Tobey Maguire to a three-picture, $3–4 million pay-or-play contract as Peter Parker in July 2000, with greater compensation for subsequent films.[29][30] Maguire was Rami's preferred choice based on his performance in The Cider House Rules (1999).[31] Leonardo DiCaprio, Freddie Prinze Jr., Heath Ledger, Scott Speedman, and Wes Bentley were among the actors Columbia considered to star.[32] Spider-Man explores Peter's attempts to balance his personal life with his newfound superpowers, which he acquires after being bitten by a genetically engineered spider. After the death of his uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), Peter vows to contain crime in New York, culminating in a confrontation with the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). Spider-Man was shot from January to June 2001,[27] and released in May 2002 after Sony extended the post-production schedule.[33] It was the third highest-grossing film of 2002, grossing over $825 million globally.[34] At the 75th Academy Awards, Spider-Man was nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound.[35]
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
A sequel to Spider-Man was announced by Columbia in April 2002. The studio re-hired most of the filmmaking crew responsible for creation of the original film.[36] Koepp, Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar conceived a draft that was discarded for a reworked screenplay by Michael Chabon,[27] itself modified further by Raimi, his brother Ivan Raimi, and Sargent.[37] Maguire received an upfront salary of $17 million after month of negotiations for a new contract.[38] The actor complained of persistent pain in his back sustained while shooting Seabiscuit (2003), and Columbia fired him as they considered his behavior disruptive.[38] The studio reversed its decision when Ronald Meyer, then president of Vivendi Universal and Maguire's father-in-law, intervened.[38] The Spider-Man 2 plot takes place two years after the events of Spider-Man. Peter's powers become impotent as a result of substantial stress caused by his deteriorating relationships with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and Harry Osborne (James Franco) and a Daily Bugle-led smear campaign targeting Spider-Man. Meanwhile, his mentor Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) conducts a nuclear experiment that corrupts the tentacled contraption fused to his spine and then his mind, transforming him into Doctor Octopus, a mad scientist committed to creating a fusion reactor to destroy New York. Filming occurred in 2003, and Spider-Man 2 premiered in theaters in June 2004.[27] The film won Best Visual Effects at the 77th Academy Awards.[39]
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Peter is still with Mary Jane, while Harry succeeds his father as the new Green Goblin. Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), who, like Peter, is a photographer for the Daily Bugle, sets out to defame Spider-Man and incriminate him. Meanwhile, Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), an escaped convict, falls into a particle accelerator and becomes a shape-shifting sand monster known as Sandman. Peter later learns that Marko killed Ben, causing Peter's own dark intentions to grow. This vendetta is enhanced by the appearance of a mysterious black alien symbiotic substance that bonds to Peter, resulting in the formation of a new black costume. Once Peter separates himself from the alien, it finds a new host in the form of Brock, resulting in the creation of Venom and Peter having to battle the villains in the end.
Canceled fourth film and potential revival
In 2007, Spider-Man 4 entered development, with Raimi attached to direct and Maguire, Dunst, and other cast members set to reprise their roles. Both a fourth and a fifth film were planned and, at one time, the idea of shooting the two sequels concurrently was under consideration. However, Raimi stated in March 2009 that only the fourth film was in development at that time, and that if there were fifth and sixth films, those two films would actually be a continuation of each other.[40][41][42][43] Zodiac screenwriter James Vanderbilt was hired by Sony Pictures in October 2007 to pen the screenplay after initial reports in January that Sony was in contact with David Koepp, who wrote the first Spider-Man film.[44][45] The script was being rewritten by David Lindsay-Abaire and Gary Ross in November 2008 and October 2009.[46] Sony also engaged Vanderbilt to write scripts for Spider-Man 5 and Spider-Man 6.[45]
In 2007, Raimi expressed interest in depicting the transformation of Dr. Curt Connors into his villainous alter-ego, the Lizard; the character's actor Dylan Baker and producer Grant Curtis were also enthusiastic about the idea.[47][48][49] Raimi also discussed his desire to upgrade Bruce Campbell from a cameo appearance to a significant role,[50] later revealed to be Quentin Beck / Mysterio.[51] It was reported in December 2009 that John Malkovich was in negotiations to play Vulture and that Anne Hathaway would play Felicia Hardy, though she would not have transformed into the Black Cat as in the comics. Instead, Felicia was expected to become a new superpowered figure called the Vulturess.[52] Several years later, in 2013, Raimi re-clarified that the Vulturess concept was discarded and Hathaway would've indeed been Black Cat if Spider-Man 4 had been made.[53] Concept art by storyboard artist Jeffrey Henderson revealed in June 2016 showed the inclusion of an opening montage of Spider-Man going up against C and D-list villains, such as Mysterio, the Shocker, the Prowler, the Stilt-Man and the Rhino, with the Vulture serving as the main antagonist; Henderson recalls that the film would have opened with a montage of Spider-Man, now feeling free after breaking up with Mary Jane, catching all villains from his rogues gallery that the crew knew Raimi would never use in his films. Henderson also disclosed that Malkovich would have played the Vulture, who would have been a private contractor who committed terrible actions in behalf of the U.S. government, leading him to be called the "Vulture" because he never left anything but "bones" behind, and the film's climax would have shown the Vulture and Spider-Man fighting in a bloody fight that Spider-Man would have barely won by causing the Vulture's wings to make him tumble between building until crashing into the Citicorp Building's ether and off its top, killing him.[51][54] In April 2022, Raimi stated that he had planned to include Kraven the Hunter in the film.[55]
As disagreements between Sony and Raimi threatened to push the film off the intended May 6, 2011, release date, Sony Pictures announced in January 2010 that plans for Spider-Man 4 had been canceled due to Raimi's withdrawal from the project. Raimi reportedly ended his participation due to his doubt that he could meet the planned May 6, 2011 release date while at the same time upholding the film creatively; he admitted that he was "very unhappy" with the way Spider-Man 3 had turned out, and was under pressure to make the fourth film the best that he could.[56] Raimi purportedly went through four iterations of the script with different screenwriters and still "hated it".[57]
In June 2021, animatic producer David E. Duncan, who worked on Spider-Man 4, uploaded an animatic of the canceled project dated November 12, 2009 to his Vimeo account along with the description: "One of a half dozen animatics I produced for the ill-fated 4th Raimi Spider-Man. Studio politics, creative differences and bad internet reactions (to John Malkovich as Vulture) caused the plug to be pulled December of 2009, early in the prep stage. However, one month later, Sony moved forward with Andrew Garfield reboot...". The animatic depicts a battle between Spider-Man and the Vulture.[58] Duncan later deleted the animatic from his page, but it can still be found on YouTube.[59]
Following his appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), some fans called for Sony to make a fourth Spider-Man film starring Maguire using the hashtag "#MakeRaimiSpiderMan4" on Twitter.[60] In addition, Raimi and Dunst expressed interest in a possible return in a fourth film, while Maguire stated that he was "open for anything".[61] However, Raimi later stated that he had no plans to direct such a film.[62]
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The Amazing Spider-Man (2012–2014)
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Following the cancelation of Spider-Man 4, Sony announced that the franchise would be rebooted with a new director and cast. Marc Webb directed both of the Amazing Spider-Man films.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
The film focuses on Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) developing his abilities in high school and his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). He fights the Lizard, the monstrous form of Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who is his father's former partner and a scientist at Oscorp.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Peter graduates from high school, continues his crime-fighting duties as Spider-Man, while combating the electricity-manipulating Electro (Jamie Foxx), rekindling his relationship with Gwen, and encountering his old friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), who is slowly dying from a genetic disease.
Canceled third film, spin-offs, and potential revival
In June 2013, Sony announced the release dates for the next two Spider-Man films following The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The third film was scheduled to be released on June 10, 2016, and the fourth to be released on May 4, 2018. Paul Giamatti confirmed he would return as Rhino in the third film following his brief appearance in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.[63] That November, Sony Pictures Entertainment chief Michael Lynton told analysts: "We do very much have the ambition about creating a bigger universe around Spider-Man. There are a number of scripts in the works".[64] Garfield stated that his contract was for three films, and was unsure of his involvement for the fourth film.[65] In February 2014, Sony announced that Webb would return to direct the third film.[66] In March, Webb stated that he would not be directing the fourth film, but would like to remain as a consultant for the series.[67] Roberto Orci told IGN in July that he was not working on the third film due to his involvement in Star Trek Beyond.[68] Alex Kurtzman stated in an interview that the third film was still continuing production and that there was a possibility of seeing a Black Cat film.[69] Sony later announced in July that The Amazing Spider-Man 3 had been delayed to 2018.[70] After the announcement in February 2015 of a new series with Marvel Studios, the sequels to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 were canceled.[71] In July 2015, Denis Leary, who portrayed George Stacy in both films, revealed that the third film at one point had Spider-Man "take this formula and regenerate the people in his life that died".[72]
In December 2013, Sony issued a press release through the viral site Electro Arrives announcing that two films were in development, with Kurtzman, Orci, and Ed Solomon writing a spin-off to The Amazing Spider-Man focused on Venom (with Kurtzman attached to direct) and Drew Goddard writing one focused on the villain team Sinister Six. Hannah Minghella and Rachel O'Connor would oversee the development and production of these films for the studio.[73][74] The Venom spin-off eventually became the 2018 film for Sony's Spider-Man Universe. In April 2014, it was announced that Goddard would direct the Sinister Six film,[75] and that both spin-offs would be released before a fourth Amazing Spider-Man,[76] with Spider-Man potentially appearing in both spin-offs.[77] Later in the month, Matt Tolmach and Avi Arad revealed the Sinister Six film would be a redemption story,[78] and that the film's lineup might differ from the comics.[79] In July 2014, Sony announced that The Sinister Six was scheduled for release on November 11, 2016.[70] By August 2014, Sony was also looking to release a female-centered spin-off film in 2017, with Lisa Joy writing, and had given the Venom spin-off the potential title of Venom: Carnage.[80]
"I mean, yes, definitely open to something if it felt right. Peter and Spider-Man, those characters are all about service, to the greater good and the many. He's a working-class boy from Queens that knows struggle and loss and is deeply empathetic. I would try to borrow Peter Parker's ethical framework in that, if there was an opportunity to step back in and tell more of that story, I would have to feel very sure and certain in myself."
Andrew Garfield on returning as Spider-Man[81]
Despite the announcement in February 2015 of a new series with Marvel Studios, The Sinister Six, Venom, and female-led spin-off films set in the Amazing Spider-Man timeline were then "still moving forward". Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was not expected to be creatively involved with these films.[71] However, The Sinister Six was canceled due to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 underperforming commercially,[82] and by November 2015, the other prospective spin-off films were canceled as well.[83] Sony has reworked these plans into creating a new film series based on Marvel characters associated with Spider-Man separate from both the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) or the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, starting with the release of Venom (2018).
Following his appearance in the MCU film Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), some fans called for Sony to make a third Spider-Man film starring Garfield using the hashtag "#MakeTASM3" on Twitter.[84][85][86] In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, Garfield expressed interest in reprising his role as Peter Parker for another Spider-Man film. MCU Spider-Man actor Tom Holland later expressed support for Garfield to reprise the role in a potential third film.[87]
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Marvel Cinematic Universe (2016-present)
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Licensing agreement with Marvel Studios
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Sometime in 2014, prior to the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, there had been informal discussions between Amy Pascal and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige about whether the world and characters of The Amazing Spider-Man films (including Andrew Garfield's version of Spider-Man) could be retroactively integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), but discussions came to nothing. Pascal and Avi Arad had attempted to connect the two franchises prior to these discussions, with the pair revealing that they were intending on licensing out the design of the Oscorp Tower from The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) so it could appear in the New York City skyline of the MCU film The Avengers (2012), establishing the existence of Spider-Man and associated elements in the MCU. It never materialized as a result of the building's design being finalized too late into the latter film's post-production process.[89] Sony also mooted with the idea of doing a crossover film between The Amazing Spider-Man films and the Sam Raimi films with Garfield and Tobey Maguire playing their respective versions of Spider-Man, with Raimi reportedly eyed to direct, but this too never came to fruition.[90] In December 2014, following the hacking of Sony Pictures' computers, Sony and Marvel Studios were revealed to have had discussions about licensing Spider-Man to appear in the MCU film Captain America: Civil War (2016) while having control of the film rights remaining with Sony. Talks between the studios then broke down. Instead, Sony had considered having Raimi return to direct a new trilogy.[91]
On February 9, 2015, Sony and Disney announced a licensing agreement that would allow Spider-Man to appear in the MCU, with the character appearing in an MCU film and Sony releasing a Spider-Man film co-produced by Feige and Pascal. Sony would continue to own, finance, distribute, and exercise final creative control over the Spider-Man films.[92] Feige stated that Marvel had been working to add Spider-Man to the MCU since at least October 2014.[93] The next month, Marvel Entertainment CCO Joe Quesada indicated that the Peter Parker version of the character would be used,[94] which Feige confirmed in April.[95] The following June, Feige clarified that the initial Sony deal did not allow the character to appear in any of the MCU television series, as it was "very specific... with a certain amount of back and forth allowed".[96]
Tom Holland, who portrays Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the MCU, revealed in November 2016 that he was signed for "three Spider-Man movies and three solo movies".[97] In June 2017, Holland, Feige, and Jon Watts, director of the first MCU Spider-Man trilogy, confirmed that a child (portrayed by Max Favreau) wearing an Iron Man mask whom Tony Stark saves from a drone in Iron Man 2 (2010), was a young Peter Parker, retroactively making it the introduction of the character to the MCU.[98][99]
In August 2019, Disney and Sony could not reach a new agreement regarding the Spider-Man films, with Marvel Studios and Feige said to no longer have any involvement in any future films. Deadline Hollywood noted that Disney had hoped future films would be a "50/50 co-financing arrangement between the studios", with the possibility to extend the deal to other Spider-Man-related films, an offer Sony rejected and did not counter. Instead, Sony hoped to keep the terms of the previous agreement, where Marvel would receive 5% of the film's initial theatrical gross, with Disney refusing.[100] The Hollywood Reporter added that the lack of a new agreement would see the end of Holland's Spider-Man in the MCU.[101] Variety cited unnamed sources claiming negotiations had "hit an impasse" and that a new deal could still be reached.[102] On August 24, Feige reportedly commented at Disney's D23 Expo: "We got to make five films within the MCU with Spider-Man: two standalone films and three with the Avengers. It was a dream that I never thought would happen. It was never meant to last forever. We knew there was a finite amount of time that we'd be able to do this, and we told the story we wanted to tell, and I'll always be thankful for that."[103]
The following month, in response to fan outcry, Disney and Sony reached a new deal, which included a third Spider-Man film as well as one other film, both set in the MCU.[104] At the time, Watts entered final negotiations to return as director.[105] In November 2021, Pascal revealed in an interview that Sony and Marvel Studios are going to continue collaborating for another trilogy of films set in the MCU.[106]
The Infinity Saga
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Reports indicated that the first MCU film that Spider-Man would appear in as part of the deal would be Captain America: Civil War.[107][108] Directors Joe and Anthony Russo had lobbied for months to include the character in that film.[109] Anthony Russo stated that, despite Marvel telling them to have a "plan B" should the deal with Sony fail, the Russos never created one because "it was very important to us to reintroduce" Spider-Man in the film, adding, "We only have envisioned the movie with Spider-Man."[110] By the end of May 2015, Asa Butterfield, Holland, Judah Lewis, Matthew Lintz, Charlie Plummer and Charlie Rowe screen tested for the lead role, against Robert Downey Jr., who portrays Tony Stark / Iron Man, for chemistry.[111][112] The six were chosen out of a search of over 1,500 actors to test in front of Feige, Pascal, and the Russo brothers.[111] In June, Feige and Pascal narrowed the actors considered to Holland and Rowe. Both screen tested again with Downey, with Holland also testing with Chris Evans, who portrays Steve Rogers / Captain America, and emerged as the favorite.[112] Holland was ultimately cast as Spider-Man in June.[113] The following month, Marisa Tomei was in talks for the role of May Parker,[114] later appearing in Civil War.[115]
In the film, Parker, who has spent the last six months as the local costumed crimefighter Spider-Man, is recruited by Stark to join his team of Avengers to stop Rogers and his rogue faction of Avengers, who oppose the Sokovia Accords, from fleeing with fugitive Bucky Barnes. During the fight with Rogers and his team, Parker, utilizing a Stark-upgraded version of his initial makeshift suit, proves to be a formidable opponent, and implements a tactic with which he, Stark, James Rhodes / War Machine, and Vision disable Scott Lang / Ant-Man in his giant-sized form. Upon returning home, Parker discovers some of the Stark tech features of the suit he was given by Stark.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Spider-Man: Homecoming was released on July 7, 2017.[116][117] The film was directed by Watts,[113] from a screenplay by Jonathan M. Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Watts & Christopher Ford and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers.[118] Holland, Tomei, and Downey reprise their roles as Peter Parker, May Parker, and Stark, respectively,[119] and are joined by Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes / Vulture, Zendaya as MJ, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Laura Harrier as Liz, Tony Revolori as Flash Thompson, and Bokeem Woodbine as Herman Schultz / Shocker, who appears as a minor villain. Jon Favreau also appears as Happy Hogan, reprising his role from the Iron Man films.[118][120] Production began in June 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia and ended in October.[121][122][123]
Set two months after the events of Civil War, Parker anxiously awaits his next assignment from Stark while simultaneously balancing his life at Midtown High with his vigilante life as Spider-Man. His investigation of a series of highly weaponized robberies leads him to mysterious weapons trafficker Adrian Toomes and despite Stark's warnings not to be involved attempts to stop him.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
In October 2016, Holland said the possibility of him appearing in Avengers: Infinity War was "all up in the air", but that "some sort of deal is in the mix" with Sony for him to appear.[124] Holland was eventually confirmed to appear in the film, directed by the Russo brothers, as part of the ensemble cast in February 2017.[125]
Parker joins Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy in battling Thanos in the ruins of his home planet, Titan. However, Parker is among the many heroes who perish after Thanos snaps his fingers with a completed Infinity Gauntlet, which wipes out half of all life in the universe.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Holland was confirmed to be a part of Avengers: Endgame, directed by the Russo brothers, in April 2017.[126]
After dying at the end of Infinity War, Parker and the other victims of Thanos are resurrected by Bruce Banner five years later and join the Avengers and their allies in a clash against Thanos and his army in upstate New York. At the battle's conclusion, Parker mourns Stark's death and attends his funeral with May before returning to high school to reunite with his best friend Ned.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
In December 2016, Sony Pictures announced a sequel to Spider-Man: Homecoming, for release on July 5, 2019.[127] In June 2017, Feige stated that the film would be titled in a similar fashion to Homecoming, using a subtitle, and would not have a number in the title.[128] A year later, Holland revealed the film's title as Spider-Man: Far From Home.[129] Watts returned to direct, and Holland, Zendaya, Favreau, Batalon, Tomei, and Revolori reprise their roles from Homecoming, with Jake Gyllenhaal joining as Quentin Beck / Mysterio. As in Homecoming, other characters from MCU installments reprise their roles, with Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders appearing as Nick Fury and Maria Hill, respectively. In April 2019, Sony moved the release date to July 2, 2019.[130]
Set after the events of Endgame, the film features Parker and his friends going to Europe on summer vacation, where Parker, intending to take a break from superheroics, is drawn back to it when he is forced to team up with Fury and Mysterio in battling the Elementals.
The Multiverse Saga
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
In September 2019, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures announced to produce a third film, after an impasse between the two companies during negotiations.[104] Watts returned to direct,[131] from a script by McKenna and Sommers.[132] Holland, Zendaya, Favreau, Batalon, Tomei, and Revolori reprise their roles,[133] and are joined by Benedict Cumberbatch and Benedict Wong in their MCU roles as Stephen Strange and Wong, respectively.[134] The film links the pre-MCU Spider-Man films via the multiverse and features Maguire and Garfield reprising their respective roles as their versions of Spider-Man, while Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina and Thomas Haden Church reprise their roles as Norman Osborn / Green Goblin, Otto Octavius / Doctor Octopus and Flint Marko / Sandman respectively from Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, along with Jamie Foxx and Rhys Ifans as Max Dillon / Electro and Curt Connors / Lizard respectively from Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man films.[135] Charlie Cox reprises his role as Matt Murdock from Marvel Television's Netflix series and Tom Hardy appears, uncredited, as Eddie Brock, reprising the role from Sony's Spider-Man Universe.
After Mysterio exposes Parker's identity as Spider-Man to the world in Far From Home in addition to incriminating him for his demise, ruining Parker's and his close ones' life in the process, Parker asks Strange to make it a secret again with magic, but this inadvertently breaks open the multiverse and allows visitors from alternate realities to enter Parker's universe.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
Pascal confirmed plans for a sequel to No Way Home and a second trilogy of films set in the MCU in November 2021 ahead of the film's release, with Feige confirming the active development of a fourth MCU Spider-Man film in addition to his next supporting appearance in the franchise the following month. Marvel Studios returns to co-produce the film with Sony Pictures and Pascal Pictures. Holland was expected to reprise his role, with his character undergoing a soft-reset as a result of his "momentous decision" during No Way Home's climax, describing public knowledge of the character's civilian persona being erased by Doctor Strange's spell.[136][137][138]
On October 23, 2024, a fourth MCU Spider-Man film was officially confirmed with Holland set to reprise his role and filming scheduled to begin in 2025.[139] Two days later, Destin Daniel Cretton was announced as the director.[88] The film is currently scheduled to be released on July 31, 2026 after being delayed a week in February 2025.[140][141] The film's title was revealed as Spider-Man: Brand New Day in March 2025.
Holland, Zendaya, and Batalon reprise their roles from previous films. They are joined by Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher and Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, reprising their roles from previous MCU projects.
Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
In October 2024, Holland was reported to be reprising his role as Spider-Man in Avengers: Doomsday, set to release on December 18, 2026.[142] The Hollywood Reporter broke that principal photography for the standalone Spider-Man: Brand New Day was delayed to mid-2025 as a means of accommodating his simultaneous commitment to Doomsday, as well as his starring role as Telemachus in the Christopher Nolan film The Odyssey, scheduled to premiere two weeks before Brand New Day.[143][144] In an interview, Holland additionally revealed that he was aware of Downey's casting as the film's lead antagonist Victor von Doom / Doctor Doom ahead of its reveal at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2024, as the pair remained in contact after working together in the MCU.[145]
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Animated Spider-Verse
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
In April 2015, Sony announced that Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were writing and producing a Spider-Man animated comedy in development at Sony Pictures Animation. As revealed by the e-mail leak one year before, the duo had been previously courted by Sony to take over the studio's animation division. Originally scheduled to be released on December 21, 2018, Sony changed the date a week earlier on December 14.[146][147] Sony Pictures Animation president Kristine Belson unveiled the film's logo, with the working title Animated Spider-Man, at CinemaCon 2016, and declared that "conceptually and visually, [the film] will break new ground for the superhero genre."[148] Bob Persichetti would direct the animated film,[149] with Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman serving as co-directors and Miles Morales serving as the protagonist of the film.[150]
Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham (2019)
Lord and Miller expressed interest in developing animated shorts starring Spider-Ham, who was introduced in Into the Spider-Verse.[151] The short film Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham was released on February 26, 2019, along with the digital release of Into the Spider-Verse.[152] John Mulaney reprises his role as the titular character from Into the Spider-Verse.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
In November 2018, it was revealed that Into the Spider-Verse had entered into sequel development.[153] The sequel, which continues Morales' story and features a romance with Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman,[154] was directed by Joaquim Dos Santos and written by David Callaham.[155] In February 2021, Miller revealed that both he and Lord were co-writing the screenplay with Callaham, and that Peter Ramsey would serve as an executive producer, after co-directing the first film.[156] By April, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson (the latter of which had previously served as production designer on the first film) were announced to co-direct the film alongside Dos Santos.[157] In April 2022, it was announced that the film had been retitled, with the (Part One) moniker removed in favor of separating the film and its sequel.[158] It was released on June 2, 2023 after being delayed from its initial April 8, 2022 release date.[159][160]
The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story (2023)
The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story is a short film that debuted at Annecy International Animation Film Festival on June 12, 2023.[161] It was later released on YouTube on March 27, 2024.[162]
It was directed by Jarelle Dampier and written by Khaila Amazan through Sony Pictures Imageworks' LENS program and is set between Into the Spider-Verse and Across the Spider-Verse. It focuses on Miles' life as he, overwhelmed by school work, exams and relationships, as well as his secret identity as Spider-Man, "starts to feel the pressure [...], which results in a scary, trippy little jaunt through his subconscious."[163]
Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027)
In December 2021, Lord and Miller revealed that Across the Spider-Verse was being split into two parts after they had written down the story they wanted to tell for the sequel and realized that it was too much for a single film. Work on both parts was taking place simultaneously.[164] In April 2022, it was announced that the film had been retitled from Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part Two) to Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.[158] The film was originally set to be released on March 29, 2024 after being delayed from its initial release window of 2022 and 2023, but due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, was removed from Sony's release schedule in late July 2023 , with Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire taking over its original release date.[165][160][166] Sony later confirmed a release date of June 4, 2027 during CinemaCon 2025, before being delayed by 3 weeks to June 25, 2027.[167][168]
Spider-Women
Along with the announcement of a sequel, a spin-off focused on female Spider-characters was revealed to be in development, with Lauren Montgomery in talks to direct the film, while Bek Smith was set to write.[153] The spin-off will star Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman, and is set to feature the characters Cindy Moon / Silk and Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman.[154] Pascal felt that "it's great that we're going to be able to tell movies about female superheroes in this realm" as she believes "there are going to be characters that really resonate for people".[154] On how the spin-off film will be connected to Across the Spider-Verse, Pascal said that it will act as a "launching pad" for the spin-off.[154] Hailee Steinfeld expressed interest in reprising her role as Gwen in the film.[169]
Spider-Punk
An animated Spider-Punk film written by Daniel Kaluuya and Ajon Singh was announced to have entered development in August 2025. The film expected to be based on Spider-Punk comic book series, Kaluuya providing the voice of the character in Across the Spider-Verse.[170]
Potential projects
Mulaney expressed interest in a spin-off film starring Spider-Ham, with the potential plot being a "Watergate-like story" which could focus on the character's career as a reporter.[171]
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Sony's Spider-Man Universe
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Work on an expanded universe using supporting characters from the Spider-Man films began by December 2013. After the relative critical failure of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), these plans were abandoned and in February 2015, Sony announced a deal to collaborate with Marvel Studios on future Spider-Man films and integrate the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). This relationship produced Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), while Sony separately redeveloped Venom (2018) as a standalone film beginning a new franchise named Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU). The franchise continued with Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) and Morbius (2022), both of which established that the MCU and SSU would be connected through the multiverse, a concept previously explored in No Way Home.
The mid-credits scene of Let There Be Carnage sees Eddie Brock and Venom (both played by Tom Hardy) transported from their hotel to an unfamiliar location and witnessing the MCU version of J. Jonah Jameson (J. K. Simmons) talking about Spider-Man's identity as Peter Parker (Tom Holland). This is continued in the mid-credits scene of No Way Home, where Brock and Venom are transported back into their original universe, leaving a small piece of the Venom symbiote behind, which would leading to the opening scene of The Last Dance.
Michael Keaton reprises his Homecoming role as Adrian Toomes / Vulture during the post-credits scenes in Morbius. Following the casting of Doctor Strange's second spell permanently erasing the world's knowledge of Parker's civilian identity, Toomes is accidentally transported from the MCU to the SSU, ending up in a vacated prison cell in the latter universe. Upon being released immediately due to lacking a criminal record in the new universe, Toomes begins to surmise Spider-Man's involvement in his displacement. He soon constructs a new Vulture suit and arranges to meet Dr. Michael Morbius (Jared Leto), to whom he proposes they form a team.[172]
The birth of the SSU's Peter Parker is depicted in Madame Web (2024), set in 2003. An uncredited infant actor portrays the character. The film also features this universe's versions of Ben Parker (Adam Scott) and Mary Parker (Emma Roberts), along with mentions of May Parker and Richard Parker.[173]
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Other films
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Marvel Super Heroes 4D (2010)
On May 31, 2010, an animated 4D film, titled Marvel Super Heroes 4D, was launched at Madame Tussauds London, featuring Spider-Man and Iron Man leading the Avengers against Doctor Doom.[174] On April 26, 2012, an updated version of the film with a different plot, featuring Spider-Man in a diminished capacity, was opened at Madame Tussauds New York.[175][176][177] The film features Tom Kenny as the voice of Spider-Man.[178]
Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel (2013)
At Comic-Con 2013, Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Worldwide, Inc announced the development of a crossover television special of the animated series Phineas and Ferb, that would feature characters from Marvel Entertainment.[179] The special aired between August 16–25, 2013 on Disney Channel and Disney XD,[180][181] featuring Drake Bell reprising his role from Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Assemble as Peter Parker / Spider-Man, alongside Danny Trejo as Venom.[182]
Live-action Miles Morales film
Producer Amy Pascal revealed in May 2023 that a live-action film centered on Miles Morales was in development after the character was featured in the animated Spider-Verse films.[183] Pascal and Christopher Miller said the film would be made following the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) and the animated Spider-Verse film Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027).[184]
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Recurring cast and characters
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List indicators
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in multiple "franchises" of Spider-Man films.
- An empty grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
- A indicates an appearance through archival footage or audio.
- C indicates a cameo role.
- E indicates an appearance not included in the theatrical cut.
- U indicates an uncredited appearance.
- Y indicates a younger version of the character.
Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee has made cameo appearances in all films from Spider-Man (2002) until Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) following his death in November that year.
Bruce Campbell, a long-time colleague of Sam Raimi, has a cameo appearance in all films in the original trilogy: a wrestling ring announcer who gives Peter the name "Spider-Man" instead of the "Human Spider"; an usher to Mary Jane's play who refuses to let Peter enter after arriving late; and a French maître d' who messes up Peter's proposal to Mary Jane.[190] In the ultimately unmade Spider-Man 4, Campbell's character would have been revealed as Quentin Beck / Mysterio.[191] Mysterio would be later portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).
- Portrays the same version of the character from the Spider-Man original trilogy in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
- Portrays the same version of the character from The Amazing Spider-Man films in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
- Including:
- Chris Pine[185]
- Nicolas Cage as Spider-Man Noir[186]
- Jorma Taccone as Earth-67 Spider-Man[187]
- Josh Keaton as Spider-Man from The Spectacular Spider-Man
- Yuri Lowenthal as Insomniac Games' Spider-Man
- Jack Quaid as Earth-65 Peter Parker / Lizard
- Woodley filmed scenes for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) but was ultimately removed from the final cut. Only one shot of her remains in the film, albeit from behind. No other footage has been revealed since.[188]
- This version of the character uses the alias of the Green Goblin.
- Despite his alter ego being marketed and noted on the credits as the New Goblin in Spider-Man 3 (2007), the character never uses such alias in the film.
- This version of the character is female and named Olivia Octavius.[189]
- Additionally, a student in Peter Parker's university class in Spider-Man 2 (2004), portrayed by Brianna Brown, is identified as Gwen Stacy in the film's novelization.
- This version of the character is known as Spider-Woman.
- This version of the character uses the alias of Scorpion.
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Additional crew
- The one-time supergroup includes Pharrell Williams, Johnny Marr, Mike Einziger, Junkie XL, Steve Mazzaro, and Andrew Kawczynski.
Home media
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Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy was released on DVD, the first two being released exclusively as two-disc sets and on VHS, with the third film being released in both single and two-disc editions. All three films were later packaged in a "Motion Picture DVD Trilogy" box set. Spider-Man 3 (2007) was initially the only Spider-Man film to be released individually on the high-definition Blu-ray format. The first two films were made available on Blu-ray, but only as part of a boxed set with the third film, called Spider-Man: The High-Definition Trilogy. The first two films lacked the bonus features from the DVDs, although Spider-Man 2 (2004) did contain both cuts of the film.[citation needed] Sony re-released the three films on June 12, 2012.[193] The DVDs of the first two films reinstated a selection of the bonus features missing from the earlier Blu-ray releases, although the Spider-Man 3 reissue did not include the bonus disc of additional special features that appeared on earlier Blu-ray releases. All three films which comprise the Raimi-trilogy are available in the U.S. on iTunes.[194][195][196]
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) became the first Spider-Man film released on Ultra HD Blu-ray on March 1, 2016. Sony released the home video release of Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) on UHD and other home video formats on October 17, 2017,[197] as well as sets featuring all of their other Spider-Man movies on UHD. This included Spider-Man: Limited Edition Collection, which includes all three Raimi films, and The Amazing Spider-Man: Limited Edition Collection, which includes both Marc Webb films.[198]
In April 2021, Disney and Sony Pictures reached a multi-year deal to let Sony's titles (such as films from the Spider-Man franchise) stream on Hulu and Disney+. A significant number of Sony titles began streaming on Hulu starting in June 2021.[199] It includes films from 2022 onwards. While the deal only concerns the United States, titles from Sony Pictures began to also be added to Disney+ in regions outside of the U.S., as early as June 2022, starting with the majority of the Spider-Man films.[200]
Theatrical re-releases
In March 2024, Sony announced that all of their live-action Spider-Man films would be re-released in theaters as part of Columbia Pictures' 100th anniversary celebration.[201] The original trilogy films were re-released on April 15, 22, and 29, 2024, respectively. The Amazing Spider-Man films were re-released on May 6 and 13. The three Marvel Cinematic Universe Spider-Man films were re-released on May 20, May 27, and June 3.
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Reception
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Box office
All three films of the Raimi-trilogy set opening day records in North America.[215] The Spider-Man films are among the top of North American rankings of films based on Marvel Comics, with Spider-Man: No Way Home ranking 2nd, Spider-Man ranking 10th, Spider-Man: Far From Home ranking 11th, Spider-Man 2 ranking 13th, Spider-Man 3 ranking 15th, and Spider-Man: Homecoming ranking 16th.[216] In North America, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3 and Spider-Man: Homecoming are ranked 2nd, 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, and 22nd for all superhero films.[217] Worldwide, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man 3, and Spider-Man: Homecoming are ranked 3rd, 11th, 16th, and 17th for all superhero films. The Raimi-trilogy and the MCU films (Homecoming, Far From Home, and No Way Home) are six of the seven most successful films produced by Sony/Columbia Pictures in North America,[218] with No Way Home becoming Sony's highest-grossing film both in North America and worldwide.
Critical and public response
David Ansen of Newsweek enjoyed Spider-Man as a fun film to watch, though he considered Spider-Man 2 to be "a little too self-important for its own good." Ansen saw Spider-Man 3 as a return to form, finding it "the most grandiose chapter and the nuttiest."[283] Tom Charity of CNN appreciated the films' "solidly redemptive moral convictions", also noting the vast improvement of the visual effects from the first film to the third. While he saw the second film's Doc Ock as the "most engaging" villain, he applauded the third film's Sandman as "a triumph of CGI wizardry."[284] Richard Corliss of Time enjoyed the action of the films and thought that they did better than most action movies by "rethinking the characters, the franchise and the genre."[285]
Colin Covert of the Star Tribune praised Spider-Man as a "superb debut" of the superhero as well as Spider-Man 2 as a "superior sequel" for filmgoers who are fans "of spectacle and of story." Covert expressed disappointment in Spider-Man 3 as too ambitious with the multiple storylines leaving one "feeling overstuffed yet shortchanged."[286] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times enjoyed the humor of the first two films, but found it missing in the third installment. Dargis also noted, "The bittersweet paradox of this franchise is that while the stories have grown progressively less interesting the special effects have improved tremendously."[287] Robert Denerstein of the Rocky Mountain News ranked the films from his favorite to his least favorite: Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man, and Spider-Man 3. While Denerstein missed the presence of Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus from the second film, he found the third film – despite being "bigger, though not necessarily better" – to have a "satisfying conclusion."[288]
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Music
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Film soundtracks
Although Spider-Man 3 does have its own soundtrack, the album does not feature any of the film's score composed by Christopher Young. All songs included on the album, with the exceptions of Chubby Checker's cover of "The Twist" and the Snow Patrol single "Signal Fire", are not heard in the film.
Singles
See also
- List of accolades received by the 2002–2007 Spider-Man film series
- List of films based on Marvel Comics publications
- Spider-Man in television
- 3 Dev Adam ("Three Giant Men"), 1973 Turkish film featuring an unauthorized depiction of Spider-Man
Notes
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- United Kingdom, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates – 81,146,702[250]
- India – 11 million[251]
- Russia – 10.8 million[252]
- South Korea – 7,529,648[224]
- Japan – 2,770,000[253]
References
External links
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