With the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Spider-Man 3 poised to release in movie theatres across the globe at the end of 2021, fans are eagerly anticipating the next installment. Talk is rife that Tom Holland won't be the only webslinger primed to appear, with rumors suggesting Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield will be back having last been seen in Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 respectively. It promises to be quite something.
So in preparation for that, we'll now take a look back at the eight Spider-Man movies so far and check how much they made at the box office in their opening weekends.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse ($35,363,376)
In 2018, Sony decided to give people their first taste of Miles Morales in a Spider-Man title, albeit via the animated form. Into The Spider-Verse released in theatres and was a huge hit with critics, even winning the Academy Award for the best-animated feature.
It saw Miles' world turned upside down when he's bitten by a spider and forced to work with Peter Parker from an alternate world. Along the way, he also recruits Spider-Gwen, Noir Spider-Man, and other enhanced beings to stop Wilson Fisk from destroying New York City.
Given it was a one-off blockbuster at the time, it's understandable why it didn't get off to an electric start. But it was definitely an enthralling ride and the sequel, the appropriately-named Into the Spider-Verse 2, is due to come out in 2022. Whether it's as good as the first installment, however, is something only time will tell.
The Amazing Spider-Man ($62,004,688)
Sony had originally intended to release Spider-Man 4, a continuation of the story involving Maguire as Peter and Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson. That plan fell through, though, so the studio pressed the reboot button with The Amazing Spider-Man instead. It was Garfield's first outing as Peter, with Emma Stone signing on as love interest Gwen Stacy and Harry Potter actor Rhys Ifans appearing as the Lizard.
Part of the reason it doesn't score higher was because many fans were still in love with Maguire's Peter. An opening weekend haul of $62,004,688 is impressive and the movie was enjoyable enough, even if it did tread over some familiar territory. Gwen was arguably the highlight, with Stone's courageous character the polar opposition to how Mary Jane behaved during the events of the Sam Raimi trilogy.
Spider-Man 2: ($88,156,227)
With the first-ever Spider-Man movie being a huge box office hit, the sequel was released in 2004. That year had a terrific summer roster featuring blockbusters, such as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Shrek 2, The Incredibles and The Day After Tomorrow. But fans still parted with their hard-earned cash to see what Raimi would serve up since the prospect of seeing Alfred Molina as Doctor Octopus particularly appealing.
The majority weren't disappointed and, even to this day, Spider-Man 2 remains iconic. Molina as Octavius was superb but the train scene and Maguire's portrayal of a Peter without his powers were all big highlights. It set the stage perfectly for what was to come and is arguably a rare sequel that was better than the first movie. That doesn't always happen in Hollywood.
Amazing Spider-Man 2: ($91,608,337)
The Amazing Spider-Man ended on an intriguing note. Peter appeared to relent on his promise to the dying Captain Stacy, rekindling his romance with Gwen, while Dr. Connors was visited by a mysterious figure after being apprehended. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 continued that story and decided to up the stakes considerably with three villains. Paul Giamatti appeared as The Rhino, Jamie Foxx brought Electro into the fray and Dane Dehaan gave it his all as Harry Osborn, who became the Green Goblin towards the end.
It certainly had its flaws but was an entertaining movie regardless, with the death of Gwen particularly poignant. In fact, we'd go as far to say that's one of the saddest moments in a Spider-Man title so far. It did look like the Sinister Six would be appearing in the next installment, especially with Vulture and Doctor Octopus' armor being spotted at Oscorp. However, The Amazing Spider-Man 3 was scrapped, with the reboot button being pressed again.
Spider-Man Far From Home: ($92,579,212)
Narrowly missing out on the podium places is Spider-Man: Far From Home. It was the third Marvel movie of 2019, hitting theatres after Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame. Having been brought back from the dead, Peter was forced to come to terms with the death of his mentor, Tony Stark. And, to make matters worse, he then had to stop Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio from infiltrating The Avengers. There is some good, however, with Peter finally getting together with Zendaya's MJ.
It's one of the webhead's biggest adventures yet and its haul wasn't bettered again until Joker came out in October. The blockbuster ended with Peter's alter ego being revealed to the world and we can't wait to see how he responds to that big twist. One can imagine he'll be too happy at having his biggest secret put out there for everybody to see.
Spider-Man: ($114,844,116)
In 2002's Spider-Man, the world was introduced to Maguire's portrayal of Peter Parker, who was forced to go up against formidable foe, the Green Goblin. The chemistry of Maguire and Willem Dafoe in their respective roles of Peter Parker and Norman Osborn is a joy, while Dunst and Rosemary Harris impress as Mary Jane and Aunt May. It was one of the biggest box office events of the year, with only The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets making more money worldwide.
Fans had waited a long time to see Peter brought to life on the big screen and it's no surprise it was avidly-watched during the first few days of its release. It was a movie straight from the source material and paved the way for the success the franchise would enjoy in the years that followed.
Spider-Man Homecoming ($117,027,503)
Holland made his debut as Peter Parker in 2016's Civil War. And, though he wasn't a prominent character in that movie with Tony Stark, Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes instead taking center stage. But, it did fans excited for the future nonetheless. Therefore, when Spider-Man: Homecoming hit theatres in 2017 - bringing in Michael Keaton to play the Vulture - the hype increased even further. And this, it seems, is reflected in its opening weekend figures.
It takes home the silver medal and is a thrilling ride. Keaton relishes the chance to play the bad guy and Adrian Toomes is a tricky foe for Peter to overcome, especially given he's got help from villains such as The Shocker and The Tinkerer. Peter eventually earns his way into the Avengers but declines Stark's invite to join the team, despite the billionaire using a fancy new suit as bait. It's a big u-turn from the character, who had spend the whole film attempting to land his golden ticket.
Spider-Man 3: ($151,116,516)
Sitting at the top of the standings is Spider-Man 3, which took home a huge $151,116,516 over its opening weekend. With Spider-Man 2 being so strong, expectations were high for the sequel. Thomas Hayden Church and Topher Grace entered the fray as villains Sandman and Venom, while Bryce Dallas Howard appeared as Gwen Stacy for the first time.
As if that wasn't enough, Harry Osborn becomes the New Goblin, a big revelation over Uncle Ben's death comes to light and Peter finds himself being taken over by a symbiote, turning him into a far deadlier and stronger Spidey.
Like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, it potentially suffered for attempting to cram too much in. But the figures suggest it was popular and it would have been awesome to see Spider-Man 4 made in the aftermath. Alas, due to Raimi's inability to get a perfect script together, that never got to happen.