The speculation about Spider-Man 4 continues. Spider-Man: No Way Home was a massive success that brought back Tobey McGuire and Andrew Garfield as the masked vigilantes. That film was by no means perfect, but it was one of the best Spider-Man adaptations to date. The ending teased a new beginning for Peter Parker, but there hasn’t been much news on the development of Spider-Man 4.
There have been rumors that Sony and Kevin Feige don’t exactly see eye-to-eye on the approach to the fourth film, but none of the plot details have been confirmed. However, a new rumor has surfaced, which could see the return of Sam Raimi. The prolific filmmaker brought the Spider-Man comics to life in 2002 and the first two films are highly regarded as some of the best superhero films ever made. With Raimi’s filmography more hit than miss, should the man who started the live-action Spider-Man craze finish off Tom Holland‘s journey?
The Original Spider-Man Trilogy
When the first Spider-Man was released in 2002, the world of comic book films was still relatively new. Though films like Batman and Superman were a hit decades prior, the Joel Schumacher films put the specialty genre in a bad place. Blade restored some faith in comic book fans and X-Men continued the exciting hype. However, Spider-Man was the perfect example of how to make a superhero origin story. Sam Raimi did an excellent job of bringing a grounded realism to a world full of colorful characters.
He nicely captured the spirit of Peter Parker/Spider-Man. Plus, he developed one of the best live-action villains to date: Green Goblin. Spider-Man 2 not only expanded on the lore of the Marvel character, but it proved that a comic book film can be more than just a mindless popcorn spectacle. A villain like Doc Ock shouldn’t work, yet, Sam Raimi managed to focus on the humanity of the character and bring a tragic story that justifies his existence.
The horror elements of the film are a great contrast between the mechanical arms and Otto Octavius. One was a clear monster and the other was a misguided bystander who mourned the loss of his wife. However, this wasn’t just a great vehicle for the villain as Peter Parker trying to balance real life with his superhero work made for a compelling arc. Spider-Man 2 is arguably the best Spider-Man film made so far. The same can’t be said for Spider-Man 3. It was a letdown, unfortunately, but it wasn’t without its charms. Without the critical and commercial success of these films, studios wouldn’t have never taken such a huge risk with their other properties and made superheroes such a hot commodity.
Sam Raimi’s Return To Marvel Wasn’t Too Great
Following the cancellation of Spider-Man with Tobey McGuire, Raimi ventured back to his horror roots and got more experience as a producer as well. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was his first superhero film since 2007 and it wasn’t particularly great. Multiverse of Madness wasn’t a bad film per se, just a misguided one. The biggest mistake was casting Wanda as the villain following the events of WandaVision.
However, it wasn’t just that Wanda was misused in the sequel, but the film felt like a mix of numerous ideas that were never fully realized. Can we blame Sam Raimi for his lackluster return? Studio interference was huge during the scriptwriting process. In fact, Michael Waldon was forced to rewrite the script 33 times. Script rewrites are not uncommon in films, but the studio demanding it suggests that Marvel could’ve ruined something great in the process.
Raimi did what he could with the material to some success. Raimi’s style worked perfectly with Doctor Strange, as he always manages to organically bring in horror elements that work. In truth, the directing wasn’t the issue with Multiverse of Madness.
Should Sam Raimi Return To Spider-Man 4?
Sam Raimi is no stranger to studio interference. That’s pretty much why Eddie Brock/Venom was in the third Spider-Man because the studio demanded it. Raimi doesn’t particularly have a strong track record when that happens, which is why Marvel needs to trust their long-time filmmaker to write a compelling Spider-Man story.
This isn’t to say that Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 didn’t have any directives from the studio, but it’s clear that the veteran understands the lore of Spider-Man and can craft a compelling piece out of its characters. Raimi should return because he’s genuinely a good storyteller with a unique style that can boost Spider-Man 4.
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