Andrew Garfield's highly anticipated return as Spider-Man in the blockbuster film Spider-Man: No Way Home, alongside Tobey Maguire and the current Marvel Cinematic Universe's Tom Holland, marked a significant moment for fans. This reunion propelled the movie to nearly $2 billion globally in 2022, during a period when the theatrical market was still recovering. For Garfield, this return was particularly poignant, as his solo iteration of Spider-Man had been unceremoniously cut short following the critical and commercial shortcomings of The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

Released in 2014, just two years after Garfield's debut as the character in The Amazing Spider-Man, the sequel is largely regarded as the worst live-action depiction of the iconic superhero and one of the most disappointing superhero sequels ever made. While the first film, released in 2012, garnered over $750 million worldwide against a reported budget of $230 million and earned moderately positive reviews for its more realistic, Christopher Nolan-inspired take and Garfield's acclaimed performance, its successor struggled significantly.

Directed by Marc Webb, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was plagued by an overabundance of characters and subplots, including multiple villains, a tease of the Sinister Six, an abandoned romantic storyline, and even a major character death. Produced on a budget reported to be as high as $293 million, the film managed to gross a little over $715 million globally, falling short of expectations. The aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reflects its struggles with a 51% score, where the critics' consensus highlighted its