Although Spider-Man 3 is generally considered the weakest film in Sam Raimi’s trilogy, its box office success looks even more impressive 18 years later. Tobey Maguire’s iteration of the character was the first live-action adaptation of Spider-Man that took the world by storm, becoming largely successful even before the creation of the MCU.
In the current age of the MCU, huge box office numbers have almost become an expectation for projects. A film can make millions and still be considered a box office bomb given how high the standards are. Spider-Man 3 premiered at a time when it wasn’t as easy to make a major superhero blockbuster, making its place in Marvel’s highest-grossing films list all the more impressive.
Spider-Man 3’s Box Office Is A Considerable One
Spider-Man 3 Made $895 Million Worldwide
Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy was largely popular when it first premiered, with the first film making $822 million at the worldwide box office. Two years later, Spider-Man 2 made slightly less with $795 million, and it felt like Spider-Man 3 was going to follow the downwards trend.
Despite the odds and the fact that it’s generally considered the weakest film in the trilogy, Spider-Man 3 still managed to make a whopping $895 million worldwide. It was the third highest-grossing film of 2007, behind only major franchise movies in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
Spider-Man 3’s Place In The Marvel Box Office Lineup Has Gotten More Impressive With Age
Only 12 Marvel Films Have Made More Than Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3’s box office numbers were extraordinary for the era in which it premiered, and its success has only become even more impressive with time. 17 years have pᴀssed since the MCU’s official start in 2008, and to this day, only 12 of the 36 films have managed to surpᴀss Spider-Man 3’s worldwide box office total.
With how much the film industry has progressed in the last decade and the rise in social media marketing, it’s been easier for studios to produce a blockbuster film. MCU films already have a reputation to them, so it’s no surprise that they do well at the theaters. That just makes the fact that Spider-Man 3 can stand up against them all the more impressive.
Why Spider-Man 3 Has Marvel Studios’ 13th-Ranked Box Office Over 2 Decades Later
Raimi’s Trilogy Performed Consistently Throughout
Two decades after its initial release, Spider-Man 3 still finds itself as the 13th highest-grossing Marvel Studios film of all time, and for good reason. Even though the film isn’t the strongest in the trilogy, it’s still a relatively solid film when it comes to the superhero genre. Sequels may take a dip in quality, but the endings of trilogies tend to do well.
Spider-Man is such a fan-favorite character that any project involving him is bound to do well. Especially since Raimi’s previous films in the trilogy did so well, Spider-Man 3 was destined to follow the trend. Its box office numbers are no small feat, and the fact that newer Marvel films haven’t been able to overtake it only helps its case.
