Spider-Man was released in 2002, and to call it a game-changer for superhero movies would be an understatement. Blade and X-Men had laid the groundwork, but Sam Raimi’s take on the web-slinger ushered in a new era for comic book movies.
The filmmaker followed that with the now-classic Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, a movie which received a slightly more tepid response from fans (it’s no secret that Raimi was forced to include Venom, a villain he had little love for).
Still, Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 set the benchmark for movies featuring Peter Parker, and both The Amazing Spider-Man franchise and Marvel Studios’ “Home” trilogy have fallen short in the eyes of some, not all, fans.
During a recent interview for Send Help, Raimi was asked about the iconic web-swinging scenes in his Spider-Man movies and revealed a surprising favourite.
“My favourite [scene] of Toby swinging—and thanks to his performance and CGI, the great artists that worked on that—is the first time that he tries to swing. Not actually his very first time, but the time he has to use it to bring the crook to justice.”
“So he has to, at night, climb up a building, and what little practice he had—which he’s been unsuccessful with so far—he has to apply to the max right now,” Raimi continued. “His life, and bringing this villain to justice, depends upon it.”
The director is referring to Spider-Man, in his wrestling costume, swinging into action to bring Uncle Ben’s killer to justice. Unfortunately, the third movie threw Sandman into the mix and somewhat diminished this moment, but the less said about that, the better.
Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 was supposed to be released in 2011, but ultimately fell apart. During another interview, he confirmed that he remains open to returning to the franchise should the opportunity present itself
“I think the kids would like to see [Tobey’s Spider-Man],” Raimi said. “Right now, Marvel is very successful on their own tangent with their own Spider-Man, where he is involved with The Avengers and the other superheroes.”
“I don’t think it makes sense right now to break up that great, successful run they’re having, just to allow me to make another Spider-Man movie,” he continued. “I’d love to. The day might come, and I’d love to do it.”
You can hear more from Raimi in the player below.