When the Venom symbiote joined with Spider-Man in Spider-Man 3 we were forced to endure a horrific scene where Tobey Maguire prances around New York doing awfully cheesy dances; nobody in the Big Apple seems bothered by this absurd and strange occurrence. While it is insinuated that the Black Spider-Man suit gives the hero heightened strength and aggression, the film turned Black Spider-Man from an anti-hero to a laughable comedic sketch in the middle of the movie. The third film was heavily criticised by fans and critics alike, and while James Francos New Goblin was unique, it did not butcher loved characters, and it did not radically depart from the source material. Black Spider-Man is iconic, and to use this plotline was in itself a brave move; however this courage did not pay off as the film was atrocious and failed to engage its audiences. Black Spider-Man had the potential to be as intimidating as Batman, yet he was nothing more than a discoloured Spider-Man with some maniacal tendencies. Although Venom was poorly portrayed in this film, his character maintained some of its original traits, Black Spider-Man appeared to be little more than a promotional tool for posters and trailers. This slaughtering was the death knell of the franchise, paving the way for the reboot starring Andrew Garfield.