Spider-Man in film

TV films

Spider-Man is the superhero persona of high school student Peter Parker, a character created by Marvel Comics writer-editor Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962 to entice teenage readers. In the 1970s, Marvel partnered with CBS to produce a TV adaptation of the character. The Marvel–CBS partnership yielded three Spider-Man films starring Nicholas Hammond for the live-action program The Amazing Spider-Man, which aired sporadically for thirteen episodes. The first film, Spider-Man (1977), follows the character's quest to thwart an extortionist's plot to kill a group of civilians with a mind control device. Two sequels, Spider-Man Strikes Back (1979) and Spider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1981), were composites of individual episodes of The Amazing Spider-Man. Each film received minor distribution in theaters outside of the United States.

A Japanese Spider-Man adaptation was conceived in the same period. Part of a four-year licensing deal with Marvel, Toei Company developed a theatrical film, Spider-Man (1978), as a spinoff to the live-action tokusatsu series of the same name, commonly referred to by its Japanese pronunciation Supaidāman.[2] The film's origin story is a significant departure from the 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.

Feature film development

After the success of Superman (1978), Marvel began a concerted effort to produce more feature film projects. They abandoned several early Spider-Man proposals, including a musical and another concept culminating in a battle against Nazis and a 100-foot robot. By 1982, Roger Corman, an experienced producer of low-budget B films, optioned the rights to develop an adaptation with Orion Pictures from Lee's film treatment.[3] Lee's original treatment featured Doctor Octopus as the primary antagonist and a subplot of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. However, Lee and Corman ended their collaboration when they could not agree on a budget.[4]

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.[5] They brought on Tobe Hooper to outline an origin story with screenwriter Leslie Stevens, the result being one depicting Spider-Man as a literal spider. Lee, upset with the changes, persuaded Cannon to discard the work and begin anew. Joseph Zito replaced Hooper as director, and a script was concocted from a pitch developed by Ted Newsom and John Brancato.[6] In total, Cannon spent $2 million on a script and subsequent rewrites, but financial woes and disputes over the artistic direction frustrated the development. 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. Carolco hired James Cameron as director and screenwriter with a stipulation that granted him authority over producing credits, similar to his contract for another studio production, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Cameron's scriptment, which was about 57 pages long, concentrated on Spider-Man as a morally ambiguous character. In the meantime, Carolco extended Cannon's original deal with Marvel to May 1996,[7] but the total cost of production rose to $50 million from its initial $15 million budget, leading the company to abandon the project by 1992.

Protracted litigation ensued over the disposition of the Spider-Man copyrights, with Golan suing Carolco in 1993 over the claim that it had violated his contractually guaranteed credit as producer in the Cannon–Marvel agreement.[7] 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. 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.[8] By the mid-1990s, Carolco, 21st Century, and Marvel filed for bankruptcy, complicating the dispute. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) purchased all 21st Century-owned assets and Carolco's film rights during the proceedings,[9] and instigated another lawsuit alleging fraud in the Cannon–Marvel deal.[7] 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.[8]

After Marvel reemerged from bankruptcy in 1998, the courts ruled that the rights sold to Golan had expired, reverting the rights to the company.[10] The studios spent the following year settling the remaining lawsuits, owing in part to soaring attorney fees. Marvel settled with Sony in a merchandising joint venture that conveyed the rights to produce film, television, and sequels to Sony and subsidiary Columbia for $7 million.[11][12] At the same time, MGM compromised with Sony by surrendering its claim to the Spider-Man film rights in exchange for rights to Casino Royale (2006) and the global distribution rights to all subsequent James Bond films.[13] Sony's ownership is perpetual provided that they release a new Spider-Man film at least once every five years.[14]

Spider-Man (2002)

Columbia began developing Spider-Man after their rights acquisition in 1999.[10] Sam Raimi was not an immediate favorite to direct the film, but producers appointed him director because they were impressed with his enthusiasm. Screenwriter David Koepp was hired to write the Spider-Man script, expanding on ideas introduced in Cameron's treatment.[8] The script was revised under Scott Rosenberg and again by Alvin Sargent to improve dialogue.[15] 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.[16][17] Maguire was Raimi's preferred choice based on his performance in The Cider House Rules (1999). Leonardo DiCaprio, Freddie Prinze Jr., Heath Ledger, Scott Speedman and Wes Bentley were among the actors Columbia considered to star.[18] Spider-Man explores Parker's struggles adapting to his newfound superpowers, which he acquires from the bite of a genetically engineered spider. After the death of his uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson), Parker vows to contain crime in New York, climaxing in a confrontation with the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe). Spider-Man was shot from January to June 2001,[15] and released in May 2002 after Sony extended the post-production schedule.[19] It emerged as the third highest-grossing film of 2002 with $825 million globally, and was nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound at the 75th Academy Awards.[20][21] Spider-Man was a catalyst in the rise of superhero film and greatly influenced Hollywood conception of superheroes.[22]

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 the creation of the original film.[23] The completed script coalesced from a draft conceived by Koepp, Alfred Gough, and Miles Millar,[15][24] with Sargent credited as the lead screenwriter.[25] Maguire received an upfront salary of $17 million after months of negotiations for a new contract. The actor complained of persistent pain in his back sustained while shooting Seabiscuit (2003), and Columbia fired him as they considered his behavior disruptive.[26] The studio reversed its decision when Ronald Meyer, the then-president of Vivendi Universal and Maguire's father-in-law, intervened.[26] The Spider-Man 2 plot was partially inspired by the "Spider-Man No More!" story arc in The Amazing Spider-Man comics. Parker's powers become impotent as a result of strife in his daily life, forcing him to repudiate his duties as 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.[15] The film won Best Visual Effects at the 77th Academy Awards.[27]

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Because the studio wanted to commence soon on a sequel, Raimi and his brother Ivan spent about two months preparing a treatment while Spider-Man 2 ran in theaters.[28] Sargent returned to write a screenplay following the direction of the Raimi treatment.[28][29] The filmmakers were interested in resolving the character arcs with a tale of redemption and forgiveness.[30] They also developed the script with an emphasis on Parker's evolving relationship with Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).[28] Spider-Man 3 sees Parker facing multiple threats, including Flint Marko / Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), an extraterrestrial symbiote that nearly consumes him, and Edward "Eddie" Brock Jr. / Venom (Topher Grace). Filming took place from January to July 2006,[31] and the film was released in May 2007.[32] Despite ending the theatrical run grossing $890.9 million,[33] Spider-Man 3 drew mixed reviews in the media.[34]

Cancellation

Media coverage of Spider-Man 4 gives contradictory accounts about the project's development. One report disseminated by Deadline Hollywood said Sony was prioritizing the sequel to shoot back-to-back with a fifth film.[35] However, Raimi maintained in a 2009 interview that the studio only pursued Spider-Man 4 and had no definitive proposals for further sequels.[36] Even so, Sony recruited screenwriter James Vanderbilt to write scripts for a fourth, fifth, and sixth Spider-Man film after initial reports claimed the studio was negotiating with Koepp.[37][38] The Spider-Man 4 script was rewritten by David Lindsay-Abaire and Gary Ross in November 2008 and October 2009.[39] Raimi had been unhappy with Spider-Man 3 and wanted to create a satisfying narrative to conclude the franchise, but found himself at odds with Sony because he was unable to rectify problems in the story within the allotted time.[40] The problems were such that the release was postponed several times to accommodate changes in the writing.[41] Ultimately, Raimi withdrew as Spider-Man 4 director, prompting Sony to cancel the film in January 2010 and begin development of a reboot.[41] The media has since publicized information about plot, characters, and casting from interviews conducted with filmmakers involved in the project.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Columbia committed to a Spider-Man reboot with Marvel Studios, envisioning an origin story that would showcase Parker's civilian life.[48] They hired Marc Webb as director from a shortlist of filmmakers including David Fincher and Wes Anderson.[49] Sargent, Vanderbilt, and Steve Kloves produced the finished script.[50] Casting reflected specifications for mostly unknown actors.[51] Andrew Garfield joined as Peter Parker in July 2010, signing a three-picture deal with a starting salary of $500,000.[52] Webb said he was convinced by Garfield's screen test of a cutscene eating a burger.[53] The filmmakers felt it was important Parker's perception as an outcast be adapted to a modern context.[54] The Amazing Spider-Man features Parker confronting the Lizard, the monstrous form of Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), an Oscorp scientist who previously had a partnership with Parker's deceased father. It was shot from December 2010 to April 2011,[55][56] and was released in the United States in July 2012.[57] The Amazing Spider-Man finished as the seventh highest-grossing film of 2012, amassing $758 million at the box office.[58]

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Webb and Garfield were confirmed in the press to be returning for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in September 2012. Vanderbilt was brought back to outline a draft, while scriptwriting responsibilities were assigned to Jeff Pinkner, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.[59][60] Filmmakers redesigned the Spider-Man costume to more closely resemble both comic book suits and the suit in the Raimi films.[61] The Amazing Spider-Man 2 depicts Parker's quest to protect Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), resulting in battles with the electricity-manipulating Electro (Jamie Foxx) and a vengeful Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan). Filming lasted about 100 days, followed by the theatrical rollout in May 2014.[62][63] The Amazing Spider-Man 2, while profitable, failed to replicate the success of The Amazing Spider-Man.[64]

Cancellation

The Amazing Spider-Man success spawned immediate discussion of an expanded Spider-Man film universe.[65] Sony commissioned a third and fourth sequel for releases in 2016 and 2018; they secured Webb's commitment as director only for the former.[66][67] Eventually, a number of spinoff projects took precedence, owing to the relative failure of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and sequel development collapsed when Sony entered a new licensing agreement with Marvel and parent company Walt Disney Studios.[68][69]

Licensing agreement with Marvel Studios

Marvel had been seeking to incorporate Spider-Man into their multimedia franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as early as 2014.[70] By this point, they were pursuing control of the film rights thanks to their recent box office success.[71] Studio president Kevin Feige suggested retroactively integrating The Amazing Spider-Man franchise into the MCU to Amy Pascal, then-Sony co-chairman, to improve the prospects of associated films.[72][73] At the same time, Pascal and producer Avi Arad had attempted to establish continuity by authorizing use of the design of The Amazing Spider-Man Oscorp Tower for The Avengers (2012), but the approval process occurred too late into the production of The Avengers.[74] Another idea brought forward was a crossover film combining The Amazing Spider-Man universe with that of the Raimi trilogy.[75] In December 2014, an anonymous group hacked Sony's computer networks and leaked confidential information, among them emails of discussions between Sony and Marvel pertaining to the licensing of Spider-Man for the MCU film Captain America: Civil War (2016).[75] Negotiations over the copyrights stalled until Sony and Disney brokered an agreement in February 2015.[76][77] It reinstated the conditions of their preexisting arrangement, with a clause that entitled Marvel the right to reduce their annual royalty payments to Sony based on the performance of their films.[71][78] Conversely, Sony retained full creative control of the MCU Spider-Man films.[79]

The studios once more renegotiated in 2019, briefly resulting in the dissolution of their partnership.[80] Sony sought to maintain their original agreement, which conferred merchandising rights and 5% of first-dollar gross to Disney.[81][82] On the other hand, Disney demanded that future Spider-Man films produced by Feige be funded equally in a cooperative venture, increasing their share of profits.[83] Negotiations resumed after public backlash to Sony, and the studios reached a new deal that September, the terms of which guaranteed a third Spider-Man film and a related MCU project.[84][85]

Title roles

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Work on an MCU Spider-Man production began in February 2015.[86] Ted Melfi, Jonathan Levine, and Jon Watts were among the filmmakers executives considered to direct Spider-Man: Homecoming, with Watts ultimately signed as director in June 2015. Watts came to Marvel's attention for his work in the independent thriller Cop Car (2015).[87] The studios hired a succession of writers to produce the script for Homecoming.[88][89] Some 1,500 actors were scouted for the role of Peter Parker / Spider-Man. Six of the actors auditioned in screen tests with Robert Downey Jr. in character as Iron Man / Tony Stark, which the producers viewed to observe their onscreen chemistry.[90][91] The filmmakers held further auditions when Tom Holland and Charlie Rowe were picked as the finalists.[90] Holland was cast as Parker in June 2015, signing a six-picture deal to appear in three Spider-Man films and three other MCU films.[92][93] Homecoming details Parker's transformation into Spider-Man, in what the filmmakers described as a coming-of-age story.[87][89] Shooting took place from June to October 2016,[94][95][96] and the film was released in July 2017.[97]

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Studio executives were already contemplating sequels to Homecoming before the original film's release.[98][99] The filmmakers developed Spider-Man: Far From Home as the final film of the third phase of the MCU's Infinity Saga.[100][101] Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers were confirmed to be returning for the film in mid 2017.[102][103] Watts was especially interested in resolving the narratives about the Spider-Man characters from Avengers: Endgame (2019) because they received an ambiguous resolution.[104] In Far From Home, Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits Parker to help Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) defeat the Elementals. Filming occurred from July to October 2018,[105][106] and the theatrical release was scheduled in July 2019.[107] Far From Home became the first Spider-Man film to gross $1billion at the box office.[108]

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

A third entry in the MCU Spider-Man franchise began development shortly after Sony and Marvel's contract was effective.[85] Watts continued his duties as director,[109] while McKenna and Sommers returned to write the screenplay of what would become Spider-Man: No Way Home.[110] The writers conceived a multiverse story from an idea inspired by the fantasy drama It's a Wonderful Life (1946), wherein Parker convinces Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to reverse the events leading to the exposure of his identity as Spider-Man with a spell.[111] The film connects Sony's Spider-Man universes to the MCU and features several of the associated characters, including Maguire and Garfield's Spider-Men.[111][112][113] No Way Home production lasted from October 2020 to March 2021,[114] and the film debuted in theaters in December 2021.[115] By the end of the global rollout, it became the highest-grossing film of 2021 with a box office take of $1.910billion.[116]

Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

Pascal announced work on a second trilogy of MCU Spider-Man films in 2021.[117] Although No Way Home had been Holland's final contracted standalone film as Spider-Man, the actor was confirmed to be reprising the role for Spider-Man: Brand New Day in 2024.[118][119] The film will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.[120] Principal photography was postponed to accommodate Holland's simultaneous commitments to Avengers: Doomsday and the Christopher Nolan-directed film The Odyssey (both 2026).[121] Brand New Day is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026.[122][123]

Ensemble roles

Captain America: Civil War marked Spider-Man's first appearance in the MCU.[75][124] Filmmaking duo Anthony and Joe Russo directed Civil War, and they campaigned intensively to reintroduce the character in the film.[125] Production for Civil War commenced in 2015, lasting four months.[126][127]

Marvel produced two Avengers films featuring Holland as Spider-Man: Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).[128][129] Infinity War and Endgame were initially conceptualized as a two-part film, but the studios later split the project into two distinct films that they shot concurrently in 2017.[130][131] Holland is slated to appear in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday.[132]

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

On the strength of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony began planning spinoffs to rehabilitate the franchise, including an animated film.[75] Pascal approached, then hired, the filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for a co-production.[117] Their concept gleans from the "Spider-Verse" story arc of The Amazing Spider-Man comics, featuring Miles Morales, an alternate incarnation of Spider-Man from Marvel's Ultimate Comics imprint, as the main protagonist.[133][134] Lord and Rodney Rothman prepared the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse script, and the responsibility for directing was split between Rothman, Bob Persichetti, and Peter Ramsey.[135][136] Actor Shameik Moore stars as Morales, which was announced in the media in April 2017.[137] Jake Johnson, John Mulaney, Nicolas Cage, and Chris Pine voice Spider-Men from alternate universes.[138][139][140] The Spider-Verse timeline exists independently from the live-action Spider-Man films.[141] After its December 2018 release,[142] Into the Spider-Verse became the first non-Disney film to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in seven years.[143]

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

Studio discussions for a sequel, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, preceded the release of Into the Spider-Verse.[144] Across the Spider-Verse originated from a planned two-part film that was revised once the filmmakers developed the story to indicate a separate follow-up film.[145] Lord and Miller returned to undertake the scriptwriting with David Callaham, based on a plot depicting a romance between Morales and Gwen Stacy / Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld).[146][147] Sony engaged Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson to direct Across the Spider-Verse.[148] The film is distinguished with an expanded cast of Spider-People, led by Johnson, Oscar Isaac, Issa Rae, Daniel Kaluuya, and Karan Soni.[149][150] Production was mired in labor disputes.[151] After a delay in the release schedule, Across the Spider-Verse opened to theaters in June 2023,[152][153] finishing the year as the sixth highest-grossing film with $690.9 million.[154] As well, the film was a candidate for Best Animated Feature at the 96th Academy Awards.[155]

Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027)

Creation of Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse coincided with Across the Spider-Verse.[156] Sony originally scheduled a March 29, 2024 release date for Beyond the Spider-Verse, but postponed the film indefinitely in the wake of the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[153][157] The studio plans to release the film on June 18, 2027.[158]

Spin-offs

Due to the success of the Spider-Verse, development is ongoing on spinoffs that explore the mythology of Spider-Man.[147] The completed projects take the form of short films. The first, Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham, was released in tandem with Into the Spider-Verse digital launch on February 26, 2019, featuring Mulaney reprising his role as Spider-Ham.[159] On the other hand, The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in France in June 2023 and later on YouTube in March 2024.[160][161] A Spider-Verse Story depicts Morales undergoing a panic attack induced by stress in his personal life.[160]

Among the upcoming projects are a Spider-Women spinoff and a Spider-Punk adaptation.[147][162] Kaluuya is writing the script for the Spider-Punk film with Ajon Singh.[162] The premise of the Spider-Women spinoff will be a Stacy-centric narrative introducing Cindy Moon / Silk and Jessica Drew / Spider-Woman onscreen.[163] In May 2023, reports emerged that Sony was contemplating a live-action Morales film, which would take priority after the releases of Brand New Day and Beyond the Spider-Verse.[164][165]

Theatrical re-releases

In March 2024, Sony spearheaded a re-release campaign of the live-action Spider-Man films to commemorate Columbia's centennial anniversary.[198] They commenced the theatrical rollout with the Raimi trilogy in April, followed by The Amazing Spider-Man films in mid-May, before concluding with the MCU trilogy in multiple weekends from late May to early June.[198] Sony again screened the Raimi trilogy in a two-weekend release campaign in late 2025, part of a joint venture with Fathom Events.[199]

Box office

Critical and public response