The Amazing Spider-Man 1 vs 2: Comparing the Box Office and Ratings That Sank the Franchise

The first Amazing Spider-Man movie was actually a success by the numbers, but the sequel is where things fell apart. Comparing the box office and critical scores of both films shows exactly why the franchise never got a third entry.

For fans still wondering what went wrong with Sony's attempt to reboot Spider-Man in the 2010s, these numbers lay out the story plainly.

The Amazing Spider-Man Scored Solid Reviews and a Real Profit

The first movie scored a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes along with a 77% audience score. On IMDb, it landed a 6.9 out of 10. Financially, it grossed $757 million on a budget of $230 million. "So, it was without question a successful movie," is the verdict on the first film. The failure of the franchise cannot be pinned on this entry.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Is Where the Franchise Actually Failed

The blame for the franchise's collapse falls on the second movie. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 scored a 50% on Rotten Tomatoes along with a 64% audience score, and on IMDb it dropped to a 6.6 out of 10, lower marks across the board compared to the first film. On the box office side, the sequel grossed $78 million on the same $230 million budget as its predecessor.

Underperforming Sony's Expectations Even Without Being a Total Bomb

The sequel wasn't a box office failure by any means, but it clearly fell short of what Sony was hoping for. "I think it still underperformed compared to Sony's expectations," sums up why The Amazing Spider-Man 2, not the original film, is the real reason this franchise never continued.

Do you think The Amazing Spider-Man 2's lower scores alone were enough to kill the franchise, or was it something else in the film that turned audiences off?