10 Movie Sequels That Turn Wimps Into Total Badasses
2. Harry Osborn - Spider-Man 3
The Harry Osborn of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 was a charming, yet gutless character.
Sure, he was a good friend to Peter and a comfort to Mary-Jane, but he had a smarmy attitude about him, his relationship with his father feeling awfully reminiscent of the Draco/Lucius Malfoy dynamic in the Harry Potter series.
Plus, he never really did anything of note. He had Otto Octavius go out and capture Spider-Man since he wouldn't do it himself, and even when he did have the webslinger at his mercy, he found it difficult to act.
It wasn't until the closing moments of Spider-Man 2 and into Spider-Man 3 that he changed from a passer-by who just floated through the story to a man who goes out and physically makes things happen.
Partly influenced by the spirit of his dead father and partly driven by some good old fashioned vengeance, Harry dons the Green Goblin outfit, and - in what's presumably his first day on the job - almost takes down the mighty Spider-Man.
And then, after a massive change of heart during the third act, he sacrifices himself to ensure that Peter lives.
This new Harry was a million miles away from the harmless, juvenile rich-kid we met in Spider-Man, and his transformation was a welcome one, taking a flat character and injecting him with a healthy dose of drive and determination.