The Amazing Spider-Man 3: What Really Happened?

5. The Not-So Amazing Spider-Man 2

The Amazing Spider-Man Andrew Garfield
Sony Pictures Releasing

Though The Amazing Spider-Man 2 wasn't a total disaster - it comfortably turned a profit at the box-office, and scored an okay 52 percent on Rotten Tomatoes - it underperformed when compared to the first film.

And not only that, but it massively underperformed when measured against Sony's lofty expectations. Again, this was a time when the MCU was starting to churn out billion-dollar hit after billion-dollar hit, so when The Amazing Spider-Man 2 made just $708 million, it was almost viewed as a failure.

And that's not to mention the fact that this was supposed to be a cinematic universe-starter, which was a bit of a problem considering that one of the film's biggest flaws was its clunky world-building and forced sequel-teasing.

Overall, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was widely regarded as a step down for the franchise, and its lukewarm reception prompted Sony to change course. Although, as it would turn out, one bad movie was the least of the studio's problems...

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Danny has been with WhatCulture for almost nine years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. He has been writing and video editing for 10+ years, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers and uploading them to YouTube (they're admittedly a bit rusty by today's standards). If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order or to tell you about the making of 1988's Remembrance of the Daleks, Danny is the person to ask.