They say that Spider-Man is perhaps the most foolproof superhero franchise in Hollywood. Even its lowest-grossing installment wasn't exactly a flop. This can't be said even of the Harry Potter series, whose otherwise glowing track record was damaged by the Fantastic Beasts prequels.

However, even at its lowest, the Spider-Man franchise managed to deliver a 3x return on its reported budget. The franchise will continue this year with a movie destined for box-office success and critical acclaim, like each of its three predecessors. Such was the confidence that Sony had in the series that it revisited the lowest-grossing and least-liked installment while putting together potentially the most high-profile chapter in its history.