There's no denying that Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy has had a lasting impact on the film industry and the superhero genre. The first Spider-Man film launched a franchise, shattered box-office records, and set a new precedent for big-screen heroes. Although they may not all hold up entirely, the influence of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man films can still be felt to this day.

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For one, it's unlikely that The Marvel Cinematic Universe could exist in its current state were it not for Raimi's Spider-Man. In many ways, every MCU movie echoes some of the heroic qualities that were pioneered in the original Spider-Man trilogy.

Colorful Costumes

There was a point in time when bright and colorful superhero costumes were frowned upon in big-screen adaptations. Often, once colorful characters would only wear dark leather outfits in their cinematic adventures. Early X-Men and Daredevil films, for example, shied away from vibrancy.

Fans of the MCU take their bold costumes for granted, and that's all thanks to Sam Raimi's Spider-Man. The first film in the trilogy is undoubtedly the earliest example of a Marvel hero on the big-screen with comics accurate costumes and colors.

Kevin Feige

Today, all fans of movies and comics are familiar with the name Kevin Feige. Feige is best known for orchestrating the biggest modern superhero franchise, not to mention some of the most ambitious crossover events of all time. Long before 2008's Iron Man, Feige was also involved in Raimi's Spider-Man.

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Previous to architecting the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Feige worked as a producer on Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. More recently, Feige has expressed an enduring appreciation for Raimi’s work. In an IndieWire article from 2015, Feige is quoted saying that “Spider-Man 2 is one of the best superhero movies ever,” indicating admiration at the very least, and maybe even inspiration.

Humor

An aspect of Raimi's trilogy that still holds up today is the pervasive sense of humor through the films. Whether that's slapstick gags while Peter explores his powers or awkward love advice from a landlord, the Raimi films maintain a light-hearted tone with their humor.

While earlier superhero films still had occasional jokes, it wasn't until Raimi's Spider-Man films that humor was a widely used aspect of the superhero genre. This jokey tone is echoed and elevated in today's MCU movies. Hardly a moment or story-beat goes by in The Avengers without a perfectly timed quip.

Genre-Bending

Doctor Octopus screaming while his arms flail around him in Spider-Man 2

Although the Spider-Man trilogy is for all ages, Sam Raimi's horror stylings shine through in several moments. Most notably, Doc Ock's surgery scene is especially full of stylistic homages to Raimi's Evil Dead films. Raimi uses his horror roots to create tension and as well as to bring visual freshness to the superhero genre.

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Similarly, the MCU is no stranger to genre-bending. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is perhaps the strongest example of this, as the film blends comic book heroics with the spy-movie genre.

J. Jonah Jameson

J.K. Simmons is hands down, the best casting of a comic book character of all time. Between his appearance, his energy, and his booming voice, he is the spitting image of The Daily Bugle's stubborn editor. His moments throughout Raimi's trilogy are some of the greatest highlights in the series.

It's no wonder then that he was brought back for the MCU in Spider-Man Far From Home. Rather than avoiding the character or recasting him, the MCU simply accepted that J.K. Simmons is the definitive version of J. Jonah Jameson. His fan-praised return to Spider-Man is all thanks to Raimi's trilogy.

Wholesome Tone

Some argue that Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy hasn't held up well due to its "corniness." Moments such New Yorkers standing in defense of Spider-Man throughout the films often come across as cringe-worthy. However, this perceived cringiness is likely due to the trilogy's wholesome tone, a quality that has in many ways carried over into the MCU.

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While not all of the wholesome qualities have aged well, the ones that have can be observed in certain MCU moments, particularly in Captain America himself. Cap's corny video message to teenagers in detention is quite reminiscent of Spidey telling kids to eat their green vegetables in Spider-Man 2.

Optimism, Instead Of Cynicism

The optimism throughout the Spider-Man trilogy was like a breath of fresh air when juxtaposed to other dark superhero movies from the same era. In the early 2000s, fans of superhero movies only got dark adaptations, such as Blade and Batman Begins. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man was like a return to Richard Donner's Superman, not only because of its bright colors but also due to the film's overall sense of positivity.

The current MCU follows in Raimi's optimistic footsteps, offering films that look kindly upon superhero tropes, rather than cynical deconstructions of the characters. For the most part, costumed heroics are depicted as overall good, whether that be true or not.

Embracing The Comics

In 2000's X-Men, Cyclops responds to Wolverine's complaints about their all-leather outfits by sarcastically asking, "what would you prefer, yellow spandex?" This one line alone perfectly summarizes the general attitude towards the superhero genre's comic book origin during this era. The source material was something to be ashamed of and shunned.

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By contrast, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy whole-heartedly embraces the superhero's comic origins, corny as they may be. Entire pages are borrowed and referenced in several instances throughout the films. Likewise, the MCU has also taken a similar attitude towards the comics their characters are based on. Many moments, especially during The Avengers films, feel like a splash page come to life.

Emphasizing Peter Parker's Financial Insecurity

Spider-Man is a character for whom everything always goes wrong. His life is always on the verge of disaster, whether it's due to a supervillain or just paying the rent. His money struggles are perfectly depicted in Raimi's trilogy, particularly in the second and third installments where he is constantly hounded by his landlord, Mr. Ditkovich.

In the MCU, Peter is also depicted as having money struggles without retreading old storylines. He's shown to be a thrifty kid with a broken cellphone who has to dumpster dive for his computers. Emphasis on these realistic struggles is not only comics accurate, but it also helps to render a powerful superhero much more relatable.

The Origin Movie Structure

Like it or not, Sam Raimi's Spider-Man is entirely responsible for popularizing the structure of the superhero origin story. This structure is present in the MCU as well as in just about every other superhero movie that covers a character's early appearance.

Much of the narrative thrust in the origin-movie structure comes from a character struggling with their purpose and identity in the first half of the film. Unfortunately, once their new-found purpose is fully realized, the film's momentum and character motivation often come to a screeching halt.

Raimi's Spider-Man was the first to popularize this structure, and fortunately for viewers, the MCU has been increasingly less reliant on the trope after more than twenty films.

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