March 8, 2017 | Josh Mendelssohn

Amazing Facts About The Spider-Man Movies


Since his creation by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko in 1962, Spider-Man has appeared in seven live-action films. In all the films, Spider-Man’s alter ego is Peter Parker, a young photographer and aspiring scientist who develops superpowers after being bitten by a radioactive spider. With a total production budget of over a billion, the films have a worldwide box office gross of nearly four billion dollars, ranking fifth all time.

Here are a few things you might not have known about Spider-Man’s adventures on and off the silver screen.


Spider-Man Movies Facts

39. The First Rodeo

Advertisement

Spider-Man made his live-action debut in “The Amazing Spider-Man,” a television series that aired in 1977. In 1978, episodes from the television series were recut and released outside the US as a feature film titled “Spider-Man Strikes Back.”

Spider-Man Movies FactsMax Pixel

Advertisement

38. Spider-Man: Top Gun

A Spider-Man film was almost made in the 80s by Cannon Films, who had bought the rights from Marvel for $225,000 with an expiration clause should a film not be made by April 1990. A script was written with Dr. Octopus as the villain. Rising star Tom Cruise was considered as Spidey while Lauren Bacall and Katharine Hepburn were considered for Aunt May. However, due to lack of money, the film went nowhere.

Spider-Man Movies Facts

Advertisement

37. Spider-Man vs. The Terminator

In the 90s, there was another push the make a Spider-Man film, this time with James Cameron penning the screenplay. Arnold Schwarzenegger was attached as Dr. Octopus. Cameron’s script was heavy on profanity, included a climactic battle on top of the World Trade Center, and also included a scene where Spider-Man and Mary Jane get frisky on the Brooklyn Bridge, which cannot be safe.

Arnold Schwarzenegger factsGetty Images

Advertisement

36. A Complicated Web

Spider-Man had a long convoluted legal history as both MGM and Columbia had reasonable arguments that they owned the film rights to the comic book character. Columbia threatened to make an alternate James Bond film (they had the rights to 007 and related characters via “Thunderball”), which would have undermined MGM’s franchise. In 1999, the studios settled their differences with Columbia agreeing not to start a rival 007 franchise in exchange for MGM doing the same with Spider-Man.

Spider-Man Movies FactsFlickr

Advertisement

35. Spidey Money

“Spider-Man” (2002) was the first film to gross $100 million on its opening weekend, even after adjusting for inflation.

Advertisement
Spider-Man Movies FactsPixabay

Advertisement

34. Color Coordination

Because of their costume colors, Spider-Man was filmed in front of a green screen, while the Green Goblin was filmed in front of a blue screen.

Spider-Man Movies FactsSpider-Man (2002), Marvel Entertainment

Advertisement

33. Watered Down

During the famous upside-down kissing scene in “Spiderman” (2002), Tobey Maguire’s sinuses kept filling up with water, making filming difficult. His hardships were somewhat alleviated by having Kirsten Dunst attached to his face.

Spider-Man Movies FactsFlickr

Advertisement

32. Total Recall

After the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Sony recalled already-released posters that showed a close-up of Spider-Man’s face with a New York skyline that included the World Trade Center towers reflected in his eyes. Not all the posters were recalled, however, and the ones that are still in the wild are now considered highly valuable collector’s items.

Spider-Man Movies FactsFlickr

Advertisement

31. Together We Stand

The New York citizens on the bridge throwing things at the Green Goblin was added post 9/11 as a way to illustrate the unity of the city.

Spider-Man Movies FactsPxHere

Factinate

Sign up to our newsletter.

History’s most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Making distraction rewarding since 2017.

Thank you!
Error, please try again.
Advertisement

30. Exhaust Port

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man costume had to be slightly modified because the original version didn’t have any way for him to go to the bathroom. They added a vent to allow him to void his innards without having to take the entire costume off.

Advertisement
Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

29. Ohhhh Yeaaaaahhhhh

Bonesaw, the wrestler that the 2002 Spider-Man fights for money, was played by “Macho Man” Randy Savage who used to wrestle under the name Spider.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

28. Catchy

The scene in 2002’s “Spider-Man” where Peter Parker catches Mary Jane’s lunch on a tray didn’t involve any CGI or camera tricks. Toby Maguire actually performed the trick as seen on screen. It took 156 takes.

Spider-Man Movies FactsSpider-Man (2002), Marvel Entertainment

Advertisement

27. It’s Not a Metaphor

In the comics, Peter Parker’s web is a synthetic fluid fired from mechanical wrist guns of Parker’s own design. In the movie, the web originates from Parker’s body. To defend himself against angry nerds, director Sam Raimi said it made much more sense that the web would be produced this way, rather than invented by a high school student living with his aunt who has no resources and little spare time.

Spider-Man Movies FactsPxHere

Advertisement

26. Will the Real Tobey Maguire Please Stand Up?

When two studio executives were shown footage of the computer-generated Spider-Man, they actually believed that it was the real Tobey Maguire doing his own stunts.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

25. Spider-Man: Oscar Winner

Leonardo DiCaprio was considered for the role of Spider-Man. Had he gotten the role, he likely would have played a version of Spider-Man that was eaten by a bear.

Advertisement
Spider-Man Movies FactsFlickr

Advertisement

24. Ribbit

While on the set of Spider-Man (2002), James Franco referred to Tobey Maguire’s features as “frog-like,” which Maguire did not appreciate very much at all. This led to a rivalry between the two actors that still exists to this day. That’s the problem with frogs. They have no sense of humor.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

23. Named Tentacles

In “Spider-Man 2” (2004), Alfred Molina, who played Dr. Octopus, named his four tentacles Larry, Harry, Flo, and Moe. Flo was so named because that particular tentacle was deemed the “most motherly,” removing his sunglasses and feeding him sips of his drink.

 

Spider-Man Movies FactsSpider Man 2, Marvel Studios

Advertisement

22. Baby Got Back

Tobey Maguire almost dropped out of filming the sequel because of a bad back. Jake Gyllenhall was fully prepared to take the role, but at the last minute, Maguire returned and Gyllenhall went on to become the whitest Persian ever in “Prince of Persia.”

Spider-Man Movies FactsFlickr

Advertisement

21. Red State

Kirsten Dunst dyed her hair red for the sequel. In the original film, she wore a wig. Apparently, she liked having red hair because nerdy dudes dug it. “I attract a different kind of boy when my hair’s red. I get more quality men—like a more thoughtful, nerdy dude.”

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

20. Fist of Legend

In the third movie, the aptly named “Spider-Man 3,” Thomas Haden Church injured himself during the scene in which he punches out part of a wall. The effects team told him that while the top and bottom bricks were real, the one in the middle was fake. Unfortunately, the fake brick hadn’t yet been installed, and on the first take, Haden Church turned, and promptly broke three knuckles on a real brick.

Advertisement
Spider-Man Movies FactsSpider-Man 3, ‎Marvel Studios‎

Advertisement

19. The Littlest Stuntman

Bryce Dallas Howard performed all her stunts in the third film while completely unaware she was pregnant at the time and defying death for two.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

18. Switcheroo

Kirsten Dunst, who is a natural blonde, played a redhead in the film, while Bryce Dallas Howard, a natural redhead, played a blonde.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

17. Enter Sandman

In the fight scene where Spider-Man punches through Sandman’s chest, amputee boxer Baxter Humby stood in for Maguire. Born without a right hand, Humby made the effect of punching into Sandman’s chest more believable.

Black Friday Horror Stories factsShutterstock

Advertisement

16. Ze Goggles, They Do Nossin’

Real sand was used for Sandman, except for when characters were buried, which might have been hazardous. In those instances, they used ground up corn cob, which made an excellent snack for the cast and crew.

Spider-Man Movies FactsPxHere

Advertisement

15. Cry Me a River

Stepping into Tobey Maguire’s role, Andrew Garfield put on the Spidey costume for the 2012 reboot “The Amazing Spider-Man,” and he admitted that, the first time he put it on, he cried. To be fair, he also cried the 100th time he put it on. And when Betty Spaghetti died in “A League of Their Own.” And at the smell of freshly cut grass. Garfield is a sensitive soul.

Advertisement
Spider-Man Movies FactsFlickr

Advertisement

14. Little Genius

In the rebooted franchise, the web that Spider-Man shoots come from artificial devices, much to the satisfaction of the comic book purists who were angered by the alterations in Sam Raimi’s trilogy. New director Marc Webb explained that this was a creative decision to emphasize that Peter Parker was already special. The fact that he was bitten by a radioactive spider and didn’t immediately die of cancer was a bonus.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

13. Escape Room

During the filming of the otherwise silent scene in which Peter goes into the web harvesting room with the spiders, Garfield requested that they play the song “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. We would have gone with No Doubt’s “Spiderwebs.”

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

12. Take that, Jackie Chan.

Most of the stunts were performed by the actors and stuntmen rather than via CGI because Marc Webb wanted a more realistic and physical film. When filming in New York, the crew built a rig that was hundreds of feet long over Riverside Drive in Harlem while a car rig was also built to help with VFX, which required serious acrobatic skills.

Spider-Man Movies FactsPicryl

Advertisement

11. Speechwriter

In the sequel to “The Amazing Spider-Man,” the graduation speech given by Gwen Stacy was written by Emma Stone, who given her white hot career, will be giving a lot of speeches.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

10. Black History

Jamie Foxx, who played Electro, was the first African-American to play a villain in any of the Spider-Man films.

Advertisement
Spider-Man Movies FactsFlickr

Advertisement

9. Divergent

Shailene Woodley was meant to be in the sequel as Mary-Jane Watson and had even filmed some of her scenes. However, she was cut from the film because the filmmakers felt there were already too many characters.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

8. Moonlighting

Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone met during screentests for “The Amazing Spider-Man” and became a real life couple for at least three years. While the status of their relationship is currently tabloid fodder, it is clear that Garfield still has quite a bit of affection for Stone based on the look of adoration he gave her during her Oscar win for Best Actress in “La La Land,” which won the Oscar for Best Pict- oh, sorry, that was “Moonlight.”

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

7. Puppy Love

The dog that Gwen walks while Peter spies on her from a rooftop was adopted by Garfield and Stone in 2013. No word on who got to keep the dog following their breakup.

Spider-Man Movies FactsShutterstock

Advertisement

6. Behind Every Superhero…

When asked about Gwen’s relationship to Peter, Emma Stone said that, “She saves him more than he saves her. She’s incredibly helpful to Spider-Man. He’s the muscle, she’s the brain.”

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

5. Not My Tempo

Jonah Jameson, the hateful news boss, was one of the most iconic characters in the Spider-Man universe. And yet, he didn’t make an appearance in the rebooted series. Producers claim that it was because they couldn’t find an actor who could measure up to J.K. Simmons’ legendary portrayal.

Advertisement
Spider-Man Movies FactsSpider-Man (2002), Marvel Entertainment

Advertisement

4. News Man

Stan Lee said that if he were 30 to 40 years younger, he would have happily taken a stab at playing J. Jonah Jameson.

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

Advertisement

3. Guess Who’s Not Coming to Dinner?

A Sony e-mail hack revealed that Garfield got fired because he insulted Sony chief Kaz Hirai by snubbing him at a big gala celebrating the end of the World Cup. Hirai was planning on introducing Garfield as the star of “The Amazing Spider-Man 3” in a speech before 750 guests, but Garfield never came down for dinner, much to Sony’s consternation. Hirai then fired Garfield and cancelled the next film. Overreaction, much?

Spider-Man Movies FactsGetty Images

We think they should have continued with the movie and had this kid replace Andrew:

Advertisement

2. Change of Plans

There was originally supposed to be an “Amazing Spider-Man 3” and 4 and a spin-off of the Sinister Six. However, none of that will happen because Garfield got himself fired. Instead, Sony and Marvel teamed up and Spider-Man became a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, making his debut in
“Captain America: Civil War.”

Spider-Man Movies FactsShutterstock

Advertisement

1. A Whole New World

“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” coming in 2017, will be the first Spider-Man set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will feature Iron Man, the first time a MCU character will ever appear in a standalone Spider-Man film.

Spider-Man Movies FactsSpider-Man: Homecoming, Columbia Pictures

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5

Advertisement

More from Factinate

Featured Article

My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.

Dark Family Secrets

Dark Family Secrets Exposed

Nothing stays hidden forever—and these dark family secrets are proof that when the truth comes out, it can range from devastating to utterly chilling.
April 8, 2020 Samantha Henman

Featured Article

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.

Madame de Pompadour Facts

Entrancing Facts About Madame de Pompadour, France's Most Powerful Mistress

Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
December 7, 2018 Kyle Climans

More from Factinate

Featured Article

I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.

These People Got Genius Revenges

When someone really pushes our buttons, we'd like to think that we'd hold our head high and turn the other cheek, but revenge is so, so sweet.
April 22, 2020 Scott Mazza

Featured Article

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.

Catherine of Aragon Facts

Tragic Facts About Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s First Wife

Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but very few people know her even darker history.
June 7, 2018 Christine Tran



Dear reader,


Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!


Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!


Warmest regards,



The Factinate team




Want to learn something new every day?

Join thousands of others and start your morning with our Fact Of The Day newsletter.

Thank you!

Error, please try again.