Sam Raimi’s unmadeSpider-Man 4andSpider-Man 5could have achieved the same storytelling trick as theMCU’sAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame. One ofthe most popular pre-MCU Marvel movie franchisesis Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy, which laid the foundations for the Marvel Cinematic Universe alongside early-2000s hits like theBlademovies and Fox’sX-Menfranchise. But whileSpider-Man 2raised the bar afterSpider-Man’s success,Spider-Man 3failed to make the same impression, anddirector Sam Raimi decided not to makeSpider-Man 4, which was then replaced byThe Amazing Spider-Man.
Sam Raimi’s plans forSpider-Man 4were almost ready for production before the movie’s cancelation. Raimi’sSpider-Man 4storyboards show how Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man would have fought a few low-level enemies like Bruce Campbell’s Mysterio before taking onSpider-Man 4’s main villain — John Malkovich’s Vulture. According to writer James Vanderbilt,Spider-Man 4’s script was complete, but the project soon stopped development anyway, and Sam Raimi agreed with Sony to leave theSpider-Manfranchise as a trilogy. Curiously, though,Spider-Man 4wasn’t the only sequel originally devised as a continuation of Raimi’sSpider-Man 3.
Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4 & 5 Originally Planned To Film At The Same Time
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Sequels Almost Filmed Back-To-Back
In 2008,Deadlinereported that Sony was planning to filmSpider-Man 4andSpider-Man5back-to-back because"doing that is so cost effective"and the studio allegedly considered it the best way to ensure that the cast could reprise their roles for both sequels. The 2008Deadlinearticle also reported thatSpider-Man 4had hired the screenwriters for aVenomspinoff, which was also canceled after plans forSpider-Man 4fell through. Back then, none of the members ofSpider-Man 4’s main cast were officially attached to the project, andSpider-Man 4’s main antagonist was still unknown.
It made sense for Sony to fast-trackSpider-Man 5alongsideSpider-Man 4, as it would have guaranteed a consistent continuation of Peter Parker’s story
At $895 million worldwide,Spider-Man 3got the biggest box office of Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy — $74 million aboveSpider-Man’s $821 million and $100 million aboveSpider-Man 2’s $795 million.Spider-Man 3got much lower reviews, but general interest in a sequel was still high for a few years afterSpider-Man 3’s release. From a business perspective, it made sense for Sony to fast-trackSpider-Man 5alongsideSpider-Man 4, as it would have guaranteed a consistent continuation of Peter Parker’s story. IfSpider-Man 4presented the first chapter of a new story and failed, it would have left a worse impression thanSpider-Man 3’s poorly received plot.
The MCU’s Avengers: Infinity War And Avengers: Endgame Are A Single Two-Part Event
Sony’s early plans forSpider-Man 4andSpider-Man 5resemble Marvel Studios' filming schedule forAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame.Not only didAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgametell two parts of a single overarching story, but both movies were also filmed back-to-back specifically to guarantee continuity between the two installments.Avengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgame’s dozens of Marvel charactersrequired most of Marvel Studios' biggest stars to be available at the same time. Marvel filmed both Phase 3 crossover movies not simultaneously, but back-to-back, as certain characters' physical appearance changed drastically from one film to the next.
Avengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgamewere originally calledAvengers: Infinity War - Part IandAvengers: Infinity War - Part II.
It must have been easier for Marvel Studios to budget and scheduleAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgameas a two-part event rather than two separate movies. Marvel basically filmed a huge $1 billion project split into two — both in terms of filming and release — to deliver a final chapter for the Infinity Saga that did justice to every major character introduced in the more than twenty installments that preceded it. This decision was entirely justified, as the five-year timejump betweenAvengers: Infinity WarandAvengers: Endgameis a key element in the Infinity Saga’s conclusion.
What Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4 & 5 Filming Plan Could’ve Meant For The Story
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 Could Have Ended In A Cliffhanger For Spider-Man 5
The split of the Infinity Saga’s conclusion into two movies has a clear in-story reason.Thanos needed to defeat the Avengers inAvengers: Infinity Warto cement himself as the biggest enemy the heroes ever faced. The Avengers' defeat also motivated the survivors to do"whatever it takes"in order to bring everyone back and give some MCU icons a well-deserved farewell. If it weren’t forAvengers: Infinity War’s heart-wrenching cliffhanger, the Avengers' victory inAvengers: Endgame’s final battle likely wouldn’t have been so satisfying that theaters roared like stadiums when Phase 3’s final crossover movie came out.
Spider-Man’s Sam Raimi Directing Avengers: Secret Wars Would Be Perfect For 2 Major Reasons
Spider-Man franchise’s Sam Raimi has commented on directing Avengers: Secret Wars, and he could be the best choice for it due to exciting reasons.
LikeAvengers: Infinity War, Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man 4could have ended with a harrowing cliffhanger that raised the stakes forSpider-Man 5. HowSpider-Man 4would have achieved a similar feat is a mystery,but it would have needed to be more dramatic than anything that happened in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy. For instance, Vulture kidnapping Mary Jane wouldn’t have caused the same reaction as Thanos snapping away half of all life in the universe, as Mary Jane was kidnapped in every previous movie. Instead,Spider-Man 4could have killed off Aunt May or left Peter Parker’s life hanging by a thread.
Everything We Know About What Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4 & 5 Could’ve Been About
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 And 5 Could Have Been As Crowded As Spider-Man 3
Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man 4went through various drafts before settling on a story focused on Vulture, played by John Malkovich. Spider-Man would have also crossed paths with Felicia Hardy a.k.a. Black Cat, played either by Anne Hathaway or by Angelina Jolie. In some drafts, Felicia Hardy’s alter ego wouldn’t have been Black Cat, but Vulture’s villain daughter, “the Vulturess”. Dylan Baker’s Dr. Curt Connors would have also returned in a bigger role, meaning that he could have finally turn into The Lizard. Other villains inSpider-Man 4would have included Mysterio, the Shocker, and Stilt-Man, who would have been defeated effortlessly by Spider-Man in an opening montage.
A two-part story split betweenSpider-Man 4andSpider-Man 5could have turned Vulture into an overarching villain like Thanos
Whileplenty of information aboutSpider-Man 4has been made public, little is known about Sam Raimi’sSpider-Man 5. None of the main villains in Sam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy survived the events of their respective movies, and Vulture’s relentlessly evil personality (evidenced in storyboards forSpider-Man 4’s action scenes) likely would have led him to a death similar to Green Goblin’s, Doctor Octopus', and Venom’s. However, a two-part story split betweenSpider-Man 4andSpider-Man 5could have turned Vulture into an overarching villain like Thanos, and his death could have been reserved forSpider-Man 5, or perhaps evenSpider-Man 6.
