One of the Worst Superhero Sequels of All Time Is Being Blocked by Netflix for Users

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Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy looking up while scared in The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Rahul Malhotra is a Weekend News Writer for Collider. From Francois Ozon to David Fincher, he'll watch anything once.

He has been writing for Collider for over two years, and has covered everything from Marvel to the Oscars, and Marvel at the Oscars. He also writes obsessively about the box office, charting the many hits and misses that are released weekly, and how their commercial performance shapes public perception. In his time at Collider, he has also helped drive diversity by writing stories about the multiple Indian film industries, with a goal to introduce audiences to a whole new world of cinema.

Swing and a miss > measured victory. Also, #JusticeForHan. (He/Him).

Andrew Garfield made a welcome return to playing Spider-Man in the blockbuster film Spider-Man: No Way Home; he was joined by Tobey Maguire, who played the beloved superhero in a trilogy of movies in the early aughts, as well as Tom Holland, the man currently playing the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Their reunion pushed the movie to nearly $2 billion at the global box office, at a time when the theatrical marketplace was still finding its feet in 2022. Garfield had unfinished business, with his own iteration of Spider-Man having been unceremoniously canceled following the critical and commercial failure of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The movie has its fans, but its largely considered the worst live-action depiction of the character, and among the most disappointing superhero sequels ever made. The movie is currently available to stream on Netflix in the U.S., but the streamer has made it inaccessible to subscribers on the ad-supported tier.

A total of 145 titles were blocked on Netflix's ad-supported tier in January, mainly due to rights issues. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was released in 2014, just two years after Garfield made his debut as the character in The Amazing Spider-Man, which grossed over $750 million at the worldwide box office, against a reported budget of $230 million. The first film presented a more realistic, Christopher Nolan-inspired take on the colorful superhero's lore, and earned moderately positive reviews. Garfield's performance as Peter Parker was especially acclaimed. However, the sequel remains a prime example of studios stuffing their superhero movies with characters and subplots, all in an effort to create future universes. The movie imploded, and Sony was forced to reboot the character once again following The Amazing Spider-Man 2's failure.

Plans for a Third 'Amazing Spider-Man' Movie Were Scrapped

Directed by Marc Webb, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 featured multiple villains, a tease of the Sinister Six, an abandoned romantic angle, and even a major death. Produced on a budget that has been reported to be as high as $293 million, the film made a little over $715 million globally. It holds a 51% score on the aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, where the critics' consensus reads, "While the cast is outstanding and the special effects are top-notch, the latest installment of the Spidey saga suffers from an unfocused narrative and an overabundance of characters." Also featuring Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan and more, the movie is available to watch at home, but not to all Netflix subscribers. Stay tuned to Collider for more updates.