Two Underappreciated Spider-Man Movies Get New Streaming Home (And We Still Want a Third)

The universe sometimes has an intriguing way of handling Spider-Man‘s television rights – it certainly does! From February 1st, fans can re-experience Andrew Garfield’s critically acclaimed but brief stint as Spidey when both ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and its sequel take flight on Peacock. This timing seems rather significant considering the recent chatter about the series’ abrupt ending, such as screenwriter Alex Kurtzman’s disclosures about the abandoned third installment and Garfield’s hints about possibly reprising his role. Initially, there was doubt about revitalizing the character so swiftly following Tobey Maguire’s trilogy, but Garfield’s performance managed to win over fans, with the duo grossing more than $1.4 billion at the worldwide box office combined. With discussions brewing about the Spider-Verse and Tom Holland’s upcoming ‘Spider-Man 4’, these often-neglected chapters in the story now have a chance to captivate new audiences.

In 2012, The Amazing Spider-Man made its entrance amid doubts about reprising the character so swiftly following Sam Raimi’s trilogy. Yet, Andrew Garfield won praise for his portrayal of Peter Parker. This movie, which raked in over $758 million worldwide on a production budget less than $230 million, presented a novel perspective on Spider-Man’s origins. The screenwriters, James Vanderbilt, Alvin Sargent, and Steve Kloves, skillfully integrated Peter’s parents into the storyline while preserving key aspects such as Uncle Ben’s (Martin Sheen) poignant demise.

In the movie, an outstanding lineup of actors like Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Irrfan Khan, Denis Leary, and Sally Field were part of the cast. The film’s popularity promptly sparked a follow-up in 2014 titled “The Amazing Spider-Man 2“. This sequel showcased Jamie Foxx as Electro, Paul Giamatti as Rhino, and Dane DeHaan portraying Harry Osborn/Green Goblin. Notably, this film also introduced several beloved characters who didn’t fully come into their own, such as Felicity Jones playing Felicia Hardy and B.J. Novak as Alistair Smythe.

The response to this two-part movie series was somewhat divided. The initial film received a solid 71% positive feedback on Rotten Tomatoes, but its follow-up saw a dip to 50%. Critics such as David Sims from The Atlantic criticized the sequel for being overly crowded with ideas for subsequent films that ultimately didn’t come to fruition. However, despite these criticisms, the second movie managed to perform well financially, grossing approximately $717 million worldwide.

For numerous fans, the abrupt ending of the franchise is still painful, given that Sony had already mapped out future projects such as “The Amazing Spider-Man 3” and a Sinister Six film. However, these plans were put on hold when Sony struck a deal with Disney to merge Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring Tom Holland in “Captain America: Civil War.

At the red carpet event for Star Trek: Section 31, screenwriter Alex Kurtzman shared an interesting tidbit with Screen Rant. He confessed that unlike the first two films, a script for the third movie was never penned down. In his own words, “You know, we never wrote it. We never wrote it. I did 2 and that was it for me.

As the character of Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home, sharing screen time once more with Maguire and Holland, I can only express my hope that there may be opportunities to reprise this iconic role in future Spider-Man productions. However, at this moment, the certainty remains elusive.

In a recent interview with GQ, Garfield hinted at speculations surrounding his role in the next Spider-Man film, saying, “I’m going to let you down. No, not happening. But after this, I don’t think anyone will believe anything I say.” Yet, he left room for a possible comeback as the character.

To the crowd, the actor indicated a readiness to resume the character’s role given suitable conditions, stating, “Should an idea arise that seems fitting and enriches the character’s storyline, absolutely… It needs to be meaningful.

The Spider-Man series is doing well across different versions, with Tom Holland’s portrayal heading towards its fourth film in July 2026, while the animated Spider-Verse progresses to its third season. On Disney+, a new animated series titled “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” has been introduced. However, many fans are still intrigued by the unfinished run of Garfield’s portrayal, a tantalizing “what if” in superhero movie history. As the Amazing Spider-Man films find their new home on Peacock, viewers can rewatch these undervalued movies and contemplate what could have been.

2025-02-02 18:13

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