10 Terrific Scenes From Otherwise Terrible Comic Book Movies
9. Peter Loses The Symbiote (Spider-Man 3)
Sony Pictures
Spider-Man 3 is a lot of things. Josh Brown's favourite film of all time, the lacklustre finale to Sam Raimi's seminal Spider-Man trilogy - take your pick. One thing that cannot be denied, however, is that it's not short on dramatic sequences.
One sequence that is in definite need of another look is the church scene, where Peter finally loses the symbiote and unintentionally gifts it to Eddie Brock. It's a moment ripped straight from the comics (Amazing Spider-Man #299, to be exact), and while we can debate the merits of Topher Grace's performance as Brock, there's no denying that there's plenty to love about this scene.
It's gothic, atmospheric, and a fantastic emulation of one of Spider-Man's most iconic comic book moments. It might not save the film from its dire reputation, or that notorious emo-Peter montage, but it's one of the most genuine comic book moments ever put to film.
Give it a watch if you can bear to sit through the rest of it.
WhatCulture's very own resident movie guy, Ewan has been working in the content creation biz for over 10 years now, having started as a freelance contributor to WhatCulture Gaming all the way back in 2015. After graduating with a First-Class Honours in History from Northumbria University in 2017 (where he won a prize for a totally killer dissertation on the Watergate years), Ewan took on the role of Comics Editor at WhatCulture and quickly developed WhatCulture Comics into one of the biggest superhero-focused channels on YouTube. He followed this with a brief hiatus at Screen Rant in 2021, where he worked across the Gaming and Film sections as a writer and editor, before returning to WhatCulture as a Senior Content Producer / Presenter in 2023. He started his own podcast, We Love Dad Movies, in 2022, and has contributed several written pieces to the Eisner-nominated comics website Shelfdust as well.
In his current role, Ewan incorporates his love of cinema, comic books, and history into written pieces and video essays for WhatCulture's Film & TV channel, as well as WhatCulture Gaming and WhatCulture Horror, with a particular focus on nineties-era Dad Movies, old school Westerns, and Golden Age Hollywood Noir. John Carpenter is his fave, and he thinks Batman Beyond should never have been cancelled. If that's your vibe, you'll probably like his stuff.
