Film adaptations of the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man
Shots of Tobey Maguire (2007), Andrew Garfield (2012), and Tom Holland (2017) in costume as Spider-Man in the live-action films. All three incarnations of the character appear together inSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Columbia developed a Spider-Man film trilogy directed bySam Raimi and starringTobey Maguire in the 2000s, followed by a reboot duology featuringMarc Webb as director andAndrew Garfield as the titular superhero in the early 2010s.Marvel Studios produced another Spider-Man film series under a renewed licensing agreement with Sony, incorporating the character into theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Three MCU films starringTom Holland as Spider-Man were released between the 2010s and the 2020s:Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017),Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), andSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021), with a fourth MCU entry,Spider-Man: Brand New Day, scheduled for release in 2026. Holland has also appeared incrossover films within the MCU. The animatedSpider-Verse spotlight several reimagined Spider-Men, chieflyMiles Morales, the main protagonist voiced byShameik Moore.Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) operates with a loosely shared continuity to all existing Spider-Man film franchises but does not explicitly feature the character. Amateur films about Spider-Man explore a range of interpretations from ordinary people.
The mainstream Spider-Man films are highly successful, collectively grossing over $9 billion worldwide. The most successful entry,No Way Home, is theeighth highest-grossing film of all time. Critical opinion of films skew positive, occasionally garneringAcademy Awards recognition for achievement in special effects and animation.
Nicholas Hammond in character onThe Amazing Spider-Man set (1977)
In the 1970s,Marvel Comics partnered withCBS to produce TV adaptations of their characters, includingSpider-Man.[1] The Marvel–CBS partnership yielded three Spider-Man films starringNicholas Hammond for the live-action programThe Amazing Spider-Man, which aired sporadically for thirteen episodes.[2] The first film, anE. W. Swackhamer-directedTV-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) andSpider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge (1981), were developed from unaired footage ofThe Amazing Spider-Man resulting from budget constraints.[4] Each film received minor distribution in theaters outside of the United States.[5]
A Japanese Spider-Man adaptation was conceived in the same period.Toei Company undertook atheatrical spinoff of thelive-actiontokusatsu 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 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.[7]
After the success ofSuperman (1978), Marvel began a concerted effort to produce more ambitiousfeature film projects.[8] They abandoned several early Spider-Man proposals, including a musical and another concept culminating in a battle againstNazis and a 100-foot robot.[9] By 1982,Roger Corman, an experienced producer of low-budgetB films,optioned the rights to develop an adaptation withOrion Pictures from Spider-Man co-creatorStan Lee'sfilm treatment.[9][10] Lee's original treatment featuredDoctor Octopus as the primary antagonist and a narrative withCold War subtext, exemplified with a subplot of nuclear war with theSoviet Union.[9] However, Lee and Corman ended their collaboration when they could not agree on a budget.[11]
The Cannon Group executivesMenahem Golan andYoram 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.[12][13] They brought onTobe Hooper to outline an origin story with screenwriterLeslie Stevens, the result being one depicting Spider-Man as a literal spider.[14] Lee, upset with the changes, persuaded Cannon to discard the work and begin anew.[14]Joseph Zito replaced Hooper as director, and a script was concocted from a pitch developed by Ted Newsom andJohn Brancato.[14] In total, Cannon spent $2 million on a script and subsequent rewrites, but financial woes and disputes over the artistic direction frustrated the development.[15] AfterPathé Communications purchased Cannon, Galon and Globus split, and the Spider-Man film rights transferred to Golan's21st Century Film Corporation through aseverance package, before being sold toCarolco Pictures for $5 million in 1988.[16] Carolco hiredJames Cameron as director and screenwriter with a stipulation that granted him the right to control producing credits, similar to his contract forTerminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).[17] Cameron'sscriptment, which was about 57 pages long, concentrated on Spider-Man as a dark, morally ambiguous character.[18] In the meantime, Carolco extended Cannon's original deal with Marvel to May 1996,[19] 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.[16]
A period of protracted litigation over the disposition of the Spider-Man copyrights followed, with Golan suing Carolco in 1993 over the claim that it had violated his contractually guaranteed credit as producer in the Cannon–Marvel agreement.[19] Carolco then suedViacom andSony subsidiaryColumbia Pictures over thesyndication 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.[20][21]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.[18] By the mid-1990s, Carolco, 21st Century, and Marvel filed for bankruptcy, complicating the dispute.[22]Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) purchased all 21st Century-owned assets and Carolco's film rights during the proceedings,[13][23] and instigated another lawsuit alleging fraud in the Cannon–Marvel deal.[19] According to aLos Angeles Times report, legal inquiries found that Marvel's licensing agreements overlapped, at times on terms that were dubious and poorly documented.[18]
After Marvel reemerged from bankruptcy in 1998, the courts ruled that the rights sold to Golan had expired, reverting the rights to the company.[20] The studios spent the following year settling the remaining lawsuits, owing in part to soaring attorney fees.[21] Marvel settled with Sony in a merchandising joint venture that conveyed the rights to produce film, television, and sequels to Sony and subsidiary Columbia.[24] At the same time, MGM compromised with Sony by surrendering its claim to the Spider-Man film rights in exchange for rights toCasino Royale (2006) and the global distribution rights to all subsequentJames Bond films.[25] Sony's ownership is perpetual provided that they release a new Spider-Man film at least once every five years.[26]
A sequel toSpider-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.[39] Koepp,Alfred Gough, andMiles Millar conceived a draft thatMichael Chabon reworked into the screenplay,[29] itself modified further by Raimi, his brotherIvan Raimi, and Sargent.[40] Maguire received an upfront salary of $17 million after months of negotiations for a new contract.[41] The actor complained of persistent pain in his back sustained while shootingSeabiscuit (2003), and Columbia fired him as they considered his behavior disruptive.[41] The studio reversed its decision whenRonald Meyer, the then-president ofVivendi Universal and Maguire's father-in-law, intervened.[41] TheSpider-Man 2 plot was partially inspired by the "Spider-Man No More!" story arc inThe Amazing Spider-Man comics.[42] 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 mentorDr. 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, andSpider-Man 2 premiered in theaters in June 2004.[29] The film wonBest Visual Effects at the77th Academy Awards.[43]
Because the studio wanted to commence soon on a sequel, the Raimis spent about two months preparing a treatment whileSpider-Man 2 was in theaters.[44] Sargent returned to write a screenplay following the direction of the Raimi treatment.[44][45] The filmmakers were interested in resolving the character arcs with a tale of redemption and forgiveness.[46] They also developed the script with an emphasis on Parker's evolving relationship withMary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst).[44]Spider-Man 3 sees Parker facing multiple threats, includingFlint Marko / Sandman (Thomas Haden Church), an extraterrestrialsymbiote that nearly consumes him, andEdward "Eddie" Brock Jr. /Venom (Topher Grace). Filming took place from January to July 2006,[47] and the film was released in May 2007.[48] Despite ending the theatrical run grossing $890.9 million,[49]Spider-Man 3 drew mixed reviews in the media.[50]
"Spider-Man 4" redirects here. For the upcoming fourth film in the Marvel Cinematic UniverseSpider-Man film series, seeSpider-Man: Brand New Day.
Media coverage ofSpider-Man 4 gives contradictory accounts about the project's development. One report disseminated byDeadline said Sony was prioritizing the sequel toshoot back-to-back with a fifth film.[51] However, Raimi maintained in a 2009 interview that the studio only pursuedSpider-Man 4 and had no definitive proposals for further sequels.[52] Even so, Sony recruited screenwriterJames Vanderbilt to write scripts for a fourth, fifth, and sixth Spider-Man film after initial reports claimed the studio was negotiating with Koepp.[53][54] TheSpider-Man 4 script was rewritten byDavid Lindsay-Abaire andGary Ross in November 2008 and October 2009.[55] Raimi had been unhappy withSpider-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.[56] They were such that the release was postponed several times to accommodate additional rewrites.[57] Ultimately, Raimi withdrew asSpider-Man 4 director, prompting Sony to cancel the film for a reboot in January 2010.[57] The media has since publicized information about plot, characters, and casting from interviews conducted with filmmakers involved in the project.[a]
Following Maguire's appearance inSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021), a fan campaign went viral onTwitter under thehashtag "#MakeRaimiSpiderMan4" calling for the revival of Raimi'sSpider-Man franchise.[64] Despite support from Dunst and Maguire,[65][66] Raimi stated that he had no immediate plans for such a project.[67]
Columbia committed to a Spider-Man reboot withMarvel Studios, envisioning an origin story that would showcase Parker's civilian life.[68] They hiredMarc Webb as director from a shortlist of filmmakers includingDavid Fincher andWes Anderson.[69] Sargent andSteve Kloves produced the finished script, which coalesced from Vanderbilt'sSpider-Man 4 draft.[70][71] Casting reflected specifications for mostly unknown actors.[72]Andrew Garfield joined asPeter Parker in July 2010, signing a three-picture deal with a starting salary of $500,000.[73] Webb said he was convinced by Garfield'sscreen test of a cutscene eating a burger.[74] The filmmakers felt it was important Parker's perception as an outcast be adapted to a modern context.[75]The Amazing Spider-Man features Parker confronting theLizard, the monstrous form of Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), anOscorp scientist who previously had a partnership with Parker's deceased father. It was shot from December 2010 to April 2011,[76][77] and was released in the United States in July 2012.[78]The Amazing Spider-Man finished as theseventh highest-grossing film of 2012, amassing $758 million at the box office.[79]
Webb and Garfield were confirmed in the press to be returning forThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 in September 2012.[80] Vanderbilt resumed his duties for the drafting,[81] while scriptwriting responsibilities were assigned toJeff Pinkner,Roberto Orci andAlex Kurtzman.[80][82] Filmmakers redesigned the eyes, suit fabric, and web shooters of the Spider-Man costume to more closely resemble comic book suits.[83]The Amazing Spider-Man 2 depicts Parker's quest to protectGwen Stacy (Emma Stone), resulting in battles with the electricity-manipulatingElectro (Jamie Foxx) and a vengefulHarry Osborn (Dane DeHaan). Filming lasted about 100 days, followed by the theatrical rollout in May 2014.[84][85]The Amazing Spider-Man 2, while profitable, failed to replicate the success ofThe Amazing Spider-Man.[86]
The Amazing Spider-Man's success spawned immediate discussion of an expanded Spider-Man film universe.[87] Sony commissioned a third and fourth sequel for releases in 2016 and 2018; they secured Webb's commitment as director only for the former.[88][89][90] Eventually, a number of spinoff projects took precedence, owing to the relative failure ofThe Amazing Spider-Man 2, and sequel development collapsed when Sony entered a new licensing agreement with Marvel and parent companyThe Walt Disney Studios.[91][92]
A Twitter campaign under the hashtag "#MakeTASM3" went viral after Garfield's appearance inSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021), demanding the revival ofThe Amazing Spider-Man franchise.[93] Garfield expressed interest in returning should such a project be considered.[94]
Marvel had been seeking to incorporate Spider-Man into their multimedia franchise, theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), as early as 2014.[95] By this point, they were pursuing control of the film rights thanks to their recent box office success.[96] Studio presidentKevin Feige suggestedretroactively integratingThe Amazing Spider-Man franchise into the MCU toAmy Pascal, then-Sony co-chairman, to improve the prospects of associated films.[97][98] At the same time, Pascal and producerAvi Arad had attempted to establish continuity by authorizing use of the design ofThe Amazing Spider-Man's Oscorp Tower forThe Avengers (2012), but the approval process occurred too late into the production ofThe Avengers.[99] Another idea brought forward was acrossover film combiningThe Amazing Spider-Man universe with that of the Raimi trilogy.[100] In December 2014, an anonymous grouphacked 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 filmCaptain America: Civil War (2016).[100] Negotiations over the copyrights stalled until Sony and Disney brokered an agreement in February 2015.[101][102] It reinstated the conditions of their preexisting arrangement, with a clause that entitled Marvel the right to reduce their annualroyalty payments to Sony based on the performance of their films.[96][103]
The studios once more renegotiated in 2019, briefly resulting in the dissolution of their partnership.[104] Sony sought to maintain their original agreement, which conferred merchandising rights and 5% offirst-dollar gross to Disney.[105][106] 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.[107] 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.[108][109]
Work on an MCU Spider-Man production began in February 2015.[110]Ted Melfi,Jonathan Levine, andJon Watts were among the filmmakers executives considered to directSpider-Man: Homecoming, with Watts ultimately signed as director in June 2015.[111] Watts came to Marvel's attention for his work in the independent thrillerCop Car (2015).[112] The studios hired a succession of writers to produce the script forHomecoming.[113][114] Some 1,500 actors were scouted for the role ofPeter Parker / Spider-Man.[115] Six of the actors auditioned in screen tests withRobert Downey Jr. in character asIron Man / Tony Stark, which the producers viewed to observe their onscreen chemistry.[111][115] The filmmakers held further auditions whenTom Holland andCharlie Rowe were picked as the finalists.[111] 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.[116][117]Homecoming details Parker's transformation into Spider-Man, in what the filmmakers described as acoming-of-age story.[112][114] Shooting took place from June to October 2016,[118][119][120] and the film was released in July 2017.[121]
Studio executives were already contemplating sequels toHomecoming before the original film's release.[122][123] The filmmakers developedSpider-Man: Far From Home as the final film of thethird phase of the MCU's Infinity Saga.[124][125] Watts and screenwritersChris McKenna andErik Sommers were confirmed to be returning for the film in late 2017.[126][127] Watts was especially interested in resolving the narratives about the Spider-Man characters fromAvengers: Endgame (2019) because they received an ambiguous resolution.[128] InFar From Home,Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) recruits Parker to helpMysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal) defeat theElementals. Filming occurred from July to October 2018,[129][130] and the theatrical release was scheduled in July 2019.[131]Far From Home became the first Spider-Man film to gross $1billion at the box office.[132]
A third entry in the MCU Spider-Man franchise began development shortly after Sony and Marvel's contract was effective.[109] Watts continued his duties as director,[133] while McKenna and Sommers returned to write the screenplay of what would becomeSpider-Man: No Way Home.[134] The writers conceived amultiverse story from an idea inspired by the fantasy dramaIt's a Wonderful Life (1946), wherein Parker convincesDr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to reverse the events leading to the exposure of his identity as Spider-Man with aspell.[135] 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.[135][136][137]No Way Home's production lasted from October 2020 to March 2021,[138] and the film debuted in theaters in December 2021.[139] By the end of the global rollout, it became thehighest-grossing film of 2021 with a box office take of $1.910billion.[140][i]
Pascal announced work on a second trilogy of MCU Spider-Man films in 2021.[141] AlthoughNo Way Home had been Holland's final contracted standalone film as Spider-Man, the actor was confirmed to be reprising the role forSpider-Man: Brand New Day in 2024.[142][143] The film will be directed byDestin Daniel Cretton.[144] Principal photography was postponed to accommodate Holland's simultaneous commitments toAvengers: Doomsday and theChristopher Nolan-directed filmThe Odyssey (both 2026).[145]Brand New Day is scheduled for release on July 31, 2026.[146][147]
Captain America: Civil War marked Spider-Man's first appearance in the MCU.[100][148] Filmmaking duoAnthony and Joe Russo helmedCivil War; they lobbied intensively to reintroduce the character through the film's story.[149] Filming ofCivil War commenced in 2015, lasting four months.[150][151]
Marvel produced twoAvengersfilms featuring Holland as Spider-Man:Avengers: Infinity War (2018) andAvengers: Endgame (2019).[152][153]Infinity War andEndgame were initially conceptualized as atwo-part film, but the studios later split the project into two distinct films that they shot concurrently in 2017.[154][155] Holland is slated to appear in the forthcomingAvengers: Doomsday.[156]
Studio discussions for a sequel,Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, preceded the release ofInto the Spider-Verse.[168]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.[169] Lord and Miller returned to undertake the scriptwriting withDavid Callaham, based on a plot depicting a romance between Morales andGwen Stacy / Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld).[170][171] Sony engagedJoaquim Dos Santos,Kemp Powers andJustin K. Thompson to directAcross the Spider-Verse.[172] The film is distinguished with an expanded cast of Spider-People, led by Johnson,Oscar Isaac,Issa Rae,Daniel Kaluuya, andKaran Soni.[173][174] Production was mired in labor disputes.[175] After a delay in the release schedule,Across the Spider-Verse opened to theaters in June 2023,[176][177] finishing the year as thesixth highest-grossing film with $690.9 million.[178] As well, the film was a candidate for Best Animated Feature at the96th Academy Awards.[179]
Creation ofSpider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse coincided withInto the Spider-Verse.[180] Sony originally scheduled a March 29, 2024 release date forBeyond the Spider-Verse, but postponed the film indefinitely in the wake of the2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[177][181] The studio plans to release the film on June 18, 2027.[182]
Due to the success of theSpider-Verse, development is ongoing on spinoffs that explore the mythology of Spider-Man.[171] The completed projects take the form of short films. The first,Spider-Ham: Caught in a Ham, was released in tandem withInto the Spider-Verse's digital launch on February 26, 2019, featuring Mulaney reprising his role asSpider-Ham.[183] On the other hand,The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story premiered at theAnnecy International Animation Film Festival in France in June 2023 and later onYouTube in March 2024.[184][185]A Spider-Verse Story depicts Morales undergoing apanic attack induced by stress in his personal life.[184]
Among the upcoming projects are a Spider-Women spinoff and aSpider-Punk adaptation.[171][186][187] Kaluuya is writing the script for the Spider-Punk film with Ajon Singh.[187] The premise of the Spider-Women spinoff will be a Stacy-centric narrative introducingCindy Moon / Silk andJessica Drew / Spider-Woman onscreen.[186] In May 2023, reports emerged that Sony was contemplating a live-action Morales film, which would take priority after the releases ofBrand New Day andBeyond the Spider-Verse.[188][189]
Since 2018, Sony has distributed a series of live-action films based on secondary characters of the Spider-Man canon, part of a broader multimedia project dubbedSony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU).[190][191] The franchise's first entry isVenom (2018), itself comprising a trilogy withVenom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) andVenom: The Last Dance (2024).[192] Three other titles complete the SSU:Morbius (2022),Madame Web, andKraven the Hunter (both 2024).[193] Sony ceased their output of films indefinitely after the box office failures ofMadame Web andKraven the Hunter.[194] The SSU operates with a loosely shared continuity to all existing Spider-Man film franchises but does not explicitly feature the character beyond the depiction of Parker's birth inMadame Web.[b]
Production of amateur Spider-Man films has continued into the twenty-first century.Italian Spiderman (2007), a short film released in snippets onYouTube, parodies Italian adventure films of the mid-twentieth century though bears little resemblance to the source material.[200]Spider-Man: Lotus (2023) depicts a story partially shaped by director Gavin J. Konop's struggles as a high school student.[209] Konop crowdfunded $112,000 for the budget throughIndiegogo and released the film in August 2023.[209][210]Lotus was derided by fans, and leaked texts of racist comments sent by Konop and lead actor Warden Wayne drew widespread coverage in the media.[209][210]
In March 2024, Sony spearheaded a re-release campaign of the live-action Spider-Man films to commemorate Columbia'scentennial anniversary.[230] They commenced the theatrical rollout with the Raimi trilogy in April, followed byThe Amazing Spider-Man films in mid-May, before concluding with the MCU trilogy in multiple weekends from late May to early June.[230] Sony again screened the Raimi trilogy in a two-weekend release campaign in late 2025, part of a joint venture withFathom Events.[231]
^abDespite being portrayed by the same actor from theSpider-Man original trilogy, this is a different version of the character belonging to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
^Simmons voices different versions of the character.
^This character based on Grant is named Rita Conway.
^Appears briefly, albeit a single shot from behind. Woodley filmed additional scenes forThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) but was ultimately removed from the final cut.[214]
^abcdThis version of the character uses the alias of theGreen Goblin.
^Despite his alter ego being marketed and noted on the credits as the New Goblin inSpider-Man 3 (2007), the character never uses such alias in the film.
^abcThis version of the character is Otto Octavius as adapted from the source material.
^This version of the character is female and named Olivia Octavius.[215]
^This version of the character becomes the Lizard.
^Additionally, a student in Peter Parker's university class inSpider-Man 2 (2004), portrayed byBrianna Brown, is identified as Gwen Stacy in the film's novelization.
^This version of the character is known asSpider-Woman.
^This version of the character is named Adriano Toomino.
Peaslee, Robert Moses; Weiner, Robert Jr., eds. (2016).Marvel Comics Into Film: Essays on Adaptations Since the 1940s.McFarland & Company.ISBN978-0-7864-4304-8.
Burnham, Jeff. "'The Primetime Heroics of Small Screen Avengers: Finding Sociopolitical Value in Marvel TV Movies'". InPeaslee & Weiner (2016).
Smith, Matthew J. (2013). Duncan, Randy (ed.).Icons of the American Comic Book: From Captain America to Wonder Woman.Bloomsbury Publishing.ISBN9798216100577.
O'Connell, Sean (2022).With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood During the Golden Age of Comic Book Blockbusters.Rowman & Littlefield.ISBN9781493066209.
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