For over five decades, the Spider-Man universe has been one of the most well-known media franchises in both popular and Internet culture. Created by the one and only legend Stan Lee, and Steve Ditko, this beloved franchise started off from comics and finally came to the big screen in 2002, headed by director Sam Raimi. Tobey Maguire stars both as Peter Parker and his crime-fighting alter-ego, Spider-Man. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy (2002-2007) is well-loved in pop culture and provokes childhood nostalgia for those who grew up watching the movies. Who could forget Maguire’s iconic dance in Spider-Man 3? 

Later on, in 2012, Sony announced that the franchise would be rebooted as The Amazing Spider-Man (TASM) (2012-2014). Directed by Marc Webb, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man only shot two movies that are widely thought to be the least popular films in the Spider-Man franchise. As a result, the TASM trilogy is incomplete. However, after Spider-Man: No Way Home  debuted in theaters, many fans started an online campaign to demand a third movie for Garfield’s Spider-Man with the hashtag #maketasm3 on Twitter and Instagram. 

In Captain America: Civil War (2016), Tom Holland’s Spider-Man made his first appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Throughout the MCU, Holland’s Spider-Man appears both within the MCU’s Spider-Man trilogy (2017-2021) and outside of it. He appeared in Marvel’s Infinity War (2018) and Endgame (2019) as well.  

Finally, in 2020, Sony and Marvel teamed up to make one of the biggest Spider-Man movies that fans are never going to forget. Directed by Jon Watts, who was also behind Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home was a dream come true for Spider-Man fans. 

The movie went beyond fans’ hopes and dreams when it came to the big screen. With a budget of $200 million, the movie exceeded one billion dollars in revenue in just a couple of weeks, defying expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The movie gave Spider-Man fans an overwhelming viewing experience. 

Overall, these eight films, including Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The franchise has grossed over $6.3 billion at the Global Box Office. 

Some Minnetonka students who saw Spider-Man: No Way Home, like Rowan Bickett, ‘23, who has been a Marvel fan ever since he was five years old, said that Marvel holds a special place in his heart. 

“I’m really excited to see what’s in the future for Marvel,”

said Bickett. “I definitely want to see more movies than TV shows, and I’m hoping that they’ll make some new paths and go in new directions, rather than just relying on what’s already happened.”

“It was over my expectations,” 

said Abby Weigel, ‘22. “I was never super into Marvel, but I really liked this movie. I would encourage others to watch it. 

“I think it was entertaining for everyone, regardless of whether or not they are a fan,” 

Weigel added. 

Marvel’s Spider-Man is one of the most well-liked media franchises that has been going on for decades in comics, TV shows, games and movies. Fans are proud of how much Spider-Man has impacted Internet culture and entertainment. They are hoping that Marvel and Sony will be making more Spider-Man movies in the future for them to swing on one by one.