Hollywood might end up learning the worst possible lesson from the box office success of Spider-Man 4.
There is no superhero fatigue in the Spider-Man franchise. Spider-Man: Brand New Day opened to $355 million domestically and $927 million worldwide during its first weekend. As it stands, that is the second-highest opening ever behind Avengers: Endgame, which pulled in $357 million domestically and $1.22 billion worldwide. There is even a chance that Brand New Day passes the $357 million once the final numbers are reported on Monday.
Besides the Avengers, Spider-Man is now the most important character in the MCU’s success thanks to his immense popularity and box office prowess. Spider-Man will return, as Spider-Man 5 is inevitable.
As for Hollywood, there’s nothing it likes more than a hit. The business is a copycat league, so when one studio gets a hit, the others will likely try to replicate it. This is especially true for Marvel and DC. If it worked for one movie, why wouldn’t it work on another?
Why Hollywood will mistake Spider-Man’s success for a bigger-is-better formula
Tom Holland has been the MCU’s Spider-Man for over a decade. Fans have built a strong relationship with the character over the years. They’ve watched him grow from a nervous teenager to a brave Avenger. It’s been a multi-year process, one that requires proper storytelling and patience.
The worst thing Hollywood could do with superhero movies is to forget a character’s decade-long progression and simply try to replicate the spectacle of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Holland’s fourth solo outing as Spider-Man has several recognizable characters from other projects, including Jon Bernthal’s The Punisher and Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner. It also features riveting set pieces and a grand crowd-pleasing finale.
Will that formula—team-up movie with huge stakes and grand set pieces—work for properties like Spider-Man and the Avengers? Sure. But bigger is not always better. Without a relationship with the audience, how is a character expected to become the next Spider-Man?
Hollywood doesn’t want to hear it, but the best thing for a new superhero story is to start small. Craft a grounded story where you can actually learn about the character’s motivations and win over the trust of the audience. If it works, then you can level up in sequels.
Hollywood must take the time to invest in new characters and build them up into stars, just like it did with Holland’s Spider-Man. It’s time to show some patience.
