11 Years Later, I Need Marvel Fans to Admit They Were Wrong About This Controversial Spider-Man Movie (2025)

By Ryden Scarnato

Published 11 hours ago

Follow

Followed

Thread 3

Link copied to clipboard

Quick Links

• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Featured the Best Action and Visuals of the Franchise

• Peter and Gwen’s Relationship Is Better Than Most Comic Book Movies

• Andrew Garfield Proved He’s the Best Spider-Man

  See AlsoEight Classic (And Not-So-Classic) Sci-Fi Movies Set In 2025 - SlashFilm

Overall, Sony's Spider-Man franchise has been incredibly successful for the studio and most of the films have delivered. Despite the many hits, there are still some films like Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 that fans consider to be low points. As of late, Sony has struggled to put together a Marvel universe outside the Spider-Man films with his villains. Part of those issues stem from The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, which teased a Sinister Six team-up that would never come to pass.

11 years ago, when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out, it had the potential to become the franchise's biggest hit with so many exciting elements, from Jamie Fox's Electro to the film's scale. Unfortunately, the film failed to become the success Sony desired. However, it all worked out in the end since Marvel Studios would take over creatively and bring the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Andrew Garfield would get a chance to reprise the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Looking back, many still view The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as one of the worst outings for the wall-crawler, and while the Marc Webb film certainly has its flaws, I believe it is far better than people give it credit for.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Featured the Best Action and Visuals of the Franchise

• Marc Webb returned to direct The Amazing Spider-Man 2 after helming the first film.
• Dan Mindel, who's worked on films like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Star Trek, served as the cinematographer on The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

In 2002, director Sam Raimi brought Spider-Man to the big screen and captured a lot of what was possible with the character in live-action for the first time. The swing sets were visually stunning and left audiences in awe by using the groundbreaking special effects at the time. Raimi also had a good eye for action and the sequences in his films still hold up to today's comic book movie standards. Therefore, director Marc Webb had a lot to live up to with The Amazing Spider-Man films. The first entry took a more grounded approach to Spider-Man's swinging abilities and still managed to showcase the thrill of it all through a different lens supported by a heavy emphasis on 3D.

Related

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Gave Norman Osborn's Trusted Ally the Perfect Role

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had multiple villains appear in the movie. But one villainous role perfected Norman Osborn's most mysterious coworker.

Posts

When it came to The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Webb took the web swinging even further and to this day, delivered some of the best the franchise has seen right from the early moments of the film. The incredible swinging in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 also led to some strong action sequences with Electro and Green Goblin. Webb's Spider-Man moved the way I always imagined it in the comics with a more acrobatic movement. Garfield's Spider-Man also adopted a new suit that's as comic-book-accurate as one we've seen, with the big eyes in particular, adding so much. Spider-Man is one of the best characters to play around with visually in the live-action medium, and no film has done it better than The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Peter and Gwen’s Relationship Is Better Than Most Comic Book Movies

• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 delivered a strong adaptation of the iconic "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" moment from the comics.
• Gwen's death occurred in The Amazing Spider-Man #121, published in June 1973.

Romance is a major part of most Spider-Man stories and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is no exception. Since the Raimi trilogy leaned heavily into the relationship between Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, The Amazing Spider-Man films focused on Peter Parker's first love: Gwen Stacy. The chemistry between Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy and Garfield's Peter Parker was palpable in the first film and that flowed right into the next.

Related

How Gwen Stacy's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Death Compares to the Comics

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 featured an unforgettable scene when Spider-Man is unable to save Gwen Stacy in time, but the comic was actually worse.

Posts

Unlike the relationship between Mary Jane and Peter in the Raimi films, The Amazing Spider-Man film series didn't play the game of whether Gwen knew if Peter was Spider-Man or not, instead, she found out early on. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 handled the ramifications of the reveal and ultimately led to an adaptation of Gwen's death from the comics. Romance in comic book movies can be very hit or miss since it relies so much on the chemistry and writing between the two actors and characters. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 featured some of the best superhero romance there's ever been, and part of that is likely due to the real-life relationship at the time between Garfield and Stone. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 takes the relationship even further than the first film with more stakes, heartbreaking situations, and fun moments that make way for an emotional rollercoaster that warrants celebration.

Andrew Garfield Proved He’s the Best Spider-Man

Part of why Sony's Spider-Man franchise has been as successful as it has been is because the studio has continuously nailed the casting of the character. That's why seeing Garfield united with Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland was so special in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Three great Spider-Man interpretations have also led to much debate on who's the best of the bunch. In No Way Home, many walked out thinking Garfield was the standout Spider-Man, but I made that discovery years earlier.

“I’m gonna disappoint you. Yeah, no. But I know no one’s gonna trust anything I say from now on. If it felt in line with my soul and was gonna be fun. Maybe I'm gonna have like five kids at some point, and I'm gonna need to start saving up for the school tuition or something.” -- Andrew Garfield on a potential return in Marvel Studios' Spider-Man 4.

In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Garfield delivered a wonderful performance that showcases the range of emotions the character goes through perfectly. Garfield excelled with the comedic beats as Spider-Man and also made you believe his pain after Gwen's death. Garfield clearly gave it his all, and it's a comic book movie performance that still sticks with me today. The actor has shared his love for the character repeatedly and it's evident he understands him just as much. Garfield's acting talents were on full display in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and many have failed to acknowledge this because of the other issues the film has.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 certainly has its flaws, ranging from the story to its many villains, but to compare the film to Batman & Robin is egregious. There's a lot to love about The Amazing Spider-Man 2, from the Gwen and Peter romance to the high-flying action. I didn't even mention the score by Hans Zimmer, who created an incredibly underrated theme for Spider-Man while taking some musical risks with Electro in the process. There have been some great Spider-Man films that have followed the 2014 film and the franchise is probably in a better place after its failure because it's allowed Marvel Studios to flourish with the character in the MCU.

Related

Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man was Comic Accurate - Here's How

Nearly a decade later, it's time we finally admit that Andrew Garfield's Amazing Spider-Man films unfairly got the short end of the stick.

Posts

However, as time has gone on and more Spider-Man films have come out, I've realized more and more how well The Amazing Spider-Man 2 handles certain areas of the mythos. Making a well-received film that becomes a box office success is a near impossible task and Sony's ambition for The Amazing Spider-Man franchise did the film no favors. Since there's a lot in the film I adore, I'm able to look past some of its mistakes and recognize where it truly shines. Over a decade after its release, it's time for fans to reapproach their perspective on the film. There's so much craftsmanship and care that goes into major comic book movies like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and the positives deserve some recognition.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

4

10

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

PG-13

Action

Adventure

Superhero

When New York is put under siege by Oscorp, it is up to Spider-Man to save the city he swore to protect as well as his loved ones.