Tobey Maguire and Sam Raimi revolutionized the superhero genre when their Spider-Man was released in 2002. It made the wall-crawler insanely popular among the general audience and had a massive cultural impact. The superhero franchise established by Raimi is still enjoying success with other actors. As per a recent report, the Spider-Man franchise is currently the second highest-grossing film franchise.
We have often seen on the internet how the fans debate over the best among the three popular iterations of Spider-Man. While each version had its pros and cons, it cannot be denied that Tobey Maguire set a standard in the genre that others have not really been able to meet. He had a primary contribution in skyrocketing the franchise to a level that is presently greater than Star Wars or DC.
Spider-Man has reached an insane level of success
Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, was introduced in the comics to present a relatable superhero to the fans. Later in 2002, when Sam Raimi brought the superhero on the big screen, the fans got to witness one of the most perfect superhero castings in Tobey Maguire. The actor played a significant part in popularizing comic book movies to the general audiences.
It can be undeniably stated that Tobey Maguire beautifully embodied the role of both the nerdy and awkward Peter Parker as well as the witty and courageous Spider-Man. Later, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland also found their fair share of success with The Amazing Spider-Man duology and the MCU Spider-Man trilogy, Maguire’s charm still persists among the fans. It was even felt in the insane hooting and cheering we witnessed during his cameo in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
According to a recent stat posted by Culture Crave, the Spider-Man franchise stands in second place among the highest-grossing movie franchises with a record $10.61 Billion.
Highest-grossing film franchises ever 💰 pic.twitter.com/VdyCF9voAS
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) July 25, 2024
The most notable film in the Spider-Man franchise was Spider-Man: No Way Home which earned a monstrous $1.92 Billion worldwide (see Box Office Mojo). Although Spider-Man is far behind the entirety of the Marvel Cinematic Universe ($29.3 Billion), Peter Parker’s saga stands taller than Star Wars ($10.34 Billion), DC ($7.19 Billion), and even the Wizarding World ($9.66 Billion) franchises.
The fans are overjoyed at Spider-Man’s success
When Sam Raimi first ventured into the Marvel Universe with Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, several factors worked in his favor. From path-breaking visual effects to impressive villains and an iconic portrayal, made way for a movie that became a pop culture phenomenon.
After the recent stat was posted, many fans were overjoyed to see their favorite superhero sitting in such a high position. Interestingly, the list also revealed why Sony is still so reluctant to give away the full rights of the character to the Kevin Feige studio.
Now you know why Sony doesn’t wanna give up Spiderman 😂
— JBond 🍌 (@jbondwagon) July 25, 2024
Peter Parker the icon you are https://t.co/A9KRVF7HXv
— Wolverine ⓧ (@maaz_riasat) July 25, 2024
— Thiru (@thirutamil07) July 25, 2024
my god spiderman is in a league of his own pic.twitter.com/YUutqN7zJm
— Alia (@Alia_MovieGirl) July 25, 2024
Spider man on the highest list, omg! I miss that movie
— #Costine Austine (@honestObedient) July 25, 2024
Besides Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland also contributed to the character in their own way. They have done a fabulous job in carrying forward the legacy of Maguire. Despite being an initial failure, Andrew Garfield attracted more praise after his cameo appearance in No Way Home. On the other hand, Tom Holland is all set to reprise his role in the fourth MCU Spider-Man movie.
After the success of No Way Home, it remains to be seen if our MCU version of Spider-Man, who has lost everything, can recreate the magic of the 2021 film. According to Screen Rant, active development is going on for the fourth MCU Spider-Man movie and we may get it before Avengers 5 and Secret Wars.
All the Spider-Man movies can be rented on Apple TV+.
