Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 didn’t simply swing into theaters in 2004, however cemented itself as among the finest superhero films ever made. Twenty-one years later, it stays a masterclass in balancing spectacle with deeply human storytelling. Rewatching it now, I can’t assist however hope that Tom Holland’s upcoming Spider-Man: Model New Day borrows from the identical playbook.
Raimi’s movie wasn’t nearly supervillains and web-slinging—it was about Peter Parker as an individual: broke, exhausted, responsible, and barely protecting his life collectively. That emotional core, mixed with thrilling, easy-to-follow motion and a layered villain, is what makes Spider-Man 2 not solely among the finest Spider-Man films, however as Roger Ebert praised, “heroically human.” It’s a top quality the MCU typically overlooks, and one Holland’s subsequent outing may significantly profit from.
Actual Dramatic Battle Retains Us Invested
One cause Toby Maguire’s second outing because the web-slinger works so properly even 21 years later is that Peter’s issues really feel crushingly actual. He’s failing his lessons, broke past perception, dodging his landlord, and spiraling underneath the burden of guilt over Uncle Ben’s dying. His finest good friend secretly hates him, and his love life with Mary Jane is a continuing reminder of what he’s denied himself.
It’s no marvel he quickly loses his powers, a bit that, on reflection, is a bit performed out and doesn’t completely work, however Raimi cleverly makes it a psychological downside born of stress and doubt. That’s grownup storytelling in the midst of a comic book ebook film. For Holland’s Spidey 4, grounding Peter in these sorts of struggles, monetary instability, fractured friendships, and guilt would give audiences extra than simply one other multiverse showdown. It could give us one thing deeply human. And based mostly on how we discover Pete on the finish of Spider-Man: No Manner Residence, all indicators are pointing to the upcoming Marvel film heading on this path.
Motion Scenes Ought to Be Thrilling However Clear
Rewatching Raimi’s set items is a reminder of how good superhero motion can look when it’s not drowning in CGI blur. Even a pizza supply sequence brims with power as a result of Raimi is aware of find out how to transfer a digital camera. Then, after all, there’s the enduring prepare combat with Physician Octopus—an all-timer not only for its spectacle, however as a result of we will clearly comply with each punch, each swing, and each determined try to cease catastrophe.
Too typically, new superhero films favor frenetic enhancing and weightless CGI. Holland’s Model New Day may stand out by embracing motion that’s clear, seen, and suspenseful within the Raimi custom. Allow us to really feel each swing.
A Villain With Depth
Lastly, there’s Physician Octopus. Alfred Molina doesn’t simply play a foul man; he performs a person undone by grief, pleasure, and hubris. He’s sympathetic and terrifying unexpectedly, and is a villain who displays Peter’s fears about failure and accountability.
Holland’s web-head wants that very same form of nemesis: somebody compelling sufficient to problem him emotionally, not simply bodily. A well-crafted villain may make Model New Day as memorable as Raimi’s sequel.
Rewatching Spider-Man 2 jogged my memory that one of the best superhero films aren’t solely about spectacle, they’re about humanity. Raimi understood that Peter Parker’s mess of a private life was as important to the story as his battles in costume. If Tom Holland’s subsequent journey because the pleasant neighborhood hero follows that instance, then the subsequent chapter may ship not simply one other MCU flick, however a genuinely nice Spider-Man story. You possibly can revisit Spider-Man 2 or the entire Spider-Man films so as, with a Disney+ subscription.
Spider-Man: Model New Day hits the 2026 film schedule on July 31.