Outstanding content, spectacular effects, and no rivals… help “Spider-Man 3” become the only movie to reach a billion dollars during the pandemic.
On the morning of December 27 (Hanoi time), Spider-Man: No Way Home (played by Tom Holland) reached 1.05 billion USD after 12 days of release, the only film to reach this milestone after two years of the pandemic. Since Avengers: Endgame (2019), audiences have witnessed a work that dominated the global box office. Forbes predicts that if released in the Chinese market, Spider-Man 3 has a chance to surpass Black Panther ($1.34 billion), becoming the most successful standalone superhero film of all time.
Trailer “Spider-Man: No way home”. Video: Marvel Studios
Before its premiere, the film had already generated a lot of buzz as it was a project to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Spider-Man franchise. Audiences were buzzing with rumors that the film would feature the reunion of three versions of Spider-Man played by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland. On forums, Marvel fans analyzed every detail in the trailer to predict the plot, “scrutinized” behind-the-scenes photos, and leaked information. A video circulating on social media recorded fans in Mexico fighting in front of the theater to get early tickets to see Spider-Man. On many fan pages, audiences said they went to see it just to see if the two legendary versions they loved would appear.
The presence of a series of villains in the previous parts evokes nostalgia, making fans excited. Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) participated in the first series of Spider-Man. Two of Spider-Man’s enemies – Lizard (Rhys Ifans) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) – participated in The Amazing Spider-Man parts . Many viewers were moved when Doctor Octopus’ familiar line rang out in the movie – “Hello Peter”.
Spider-Man with his girlfriend MJ (played by Zendaya). Photo: Marvel Studios
The content satisfied the expectations of the majority of viewers, helping the word-of-mouth effect of the film spread widely. In the US, Spider-Man: No Way Home received a “shower” of praise from critics. According to statistics from Rotten Tomatoes , the film achieved 93% positive from a total of 336 articles, being one of the highest-rated Marvel works on this site. The work was rated 8.9/10 points with 280 thousand viewers on IMDb , entering the top 10 highest rated on this site.
Compared to the first two parts – Home coming and Far from home , Spider-Man 3 has a more complex plot, expanding into the multiverse. The multiverse is the concept of a world where all Marvel characters exist, considered the key direction of the company in phase four (after Avengers: Endgame ). Among the Marvel movies released this year , Spider-Man 3 is the only movie that exploits this aspect.
The film begins when Peter Parker’s life and that of his family are turned upside down because of his identity as Spider-Man. Peter seeks out Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) and asks him to use magic to make people forget that he is Spider-Man. While doing so, Doctor Strange accidentally opens up the multiverse, leading to the appearance of a series of villains. As the film progresses, the multiverse theory is expanded, continuing the work Doctor Strange 2 – released next year.
Tom Holland as Spider-Man. Photo: Marvel Studios
In the second half, the film touches on the emotional depth when exploring Spider-Man’s internal struggle. At times, Spider-Man wonders whether what he did was right or wrong when many tragic events occurred. Tom Holland’s performance created sympathy for the audience. They realized the tragedy of Spider-Man as a boy who had just reached adulthood but had to live two different lives.
The film’s special effects and action also satisfy fans. In addition to the acrobatics and web-shooting between skyscrapers in New York – scenes that made Spider-Man famous, the film also exploits the scenes between Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. The fight in the mirror world is invested in graphic effects with the city bending and winding, creating a strong visual impression. Writer Alci Rengifo of Entertainment Voice commented: “Director Sam Raimi’s work is the most successful in the Spider-Man series when skillfully combining images and emotions, making it one of the best superhero movies of all time.”
Released without a worthy rival, Spider-Man maintained its position as the year’s box office king . In its second week of release, Spider-Man 3 still topped the box office charts. The Matrix Resurrections – Keanu Reeves’ return to the Matrix franchise – failed to create the expected effect, only coming in second with $22.5 million in its opening weekend in North America.
Compared to other Marvel movies released in the same year, Spider-Man 3 stands out in terms of appeal. Shang-Chi – revenue of 432 million USD – introduces a new hero but an old story, built on a family-oriented motif, similar to Thor (2011) or Black Panther (2018). Eternals – revenue of 400 million USD – with Angelina Jolie’s participation was still negatively reviewed by critics, only achieving 48% positive points on Rotten Tomatoes, being the first Marvel work to be classified as “rotten tomatoes”. Black Widow achieved revenue of 379 million USD, the audience was not very interested because they already knew the fate of the character in Avengers: Endgame .
In addition, the release format helps Spider-Man ensure sales. While many works choose to be released simultaneously in theaters and online, Sony Pictures is determined to show exclusively in theaters. The company also scours social media to remove videos spreading about the film’s content, maintaining its appeal until its release date.
