Sam Raimi makes his directorial return to comic book movies with Drag Me to Hell. Yet, it's arguable he's made just as big a mark in the superhero arena, especially due to his trilogy of Spider-Man movies starring Tobey Maguire.
Outside of Bryan Singer's X-Men films, the Raimi Spider-Man trilogy helped establish that superhero movies could once again be big business at the box office, setting the template for the MCU's forthcoming dominance. While Michael Keaton's Batman and Christopher Reeve's Superman had been box office champions, it had been a long time since a Marvel or DC movie really became crossover hits. Raimi's Spider-Man adventures have had a clear influence on the genre since.
Of course, the mixed reception for Darkman. Darkman's sequels aren't being included, as Raimi declined to return for those in a major creative capacity.
5. Spider-Man 3
Raimi's clashes with Sony executives over what Spider-Man 3 would become are well-known, with Sandman's return in Spider-Man: No Way Home has also been met with appreciation.
4. Darkman
An early career effort of Raimi's, Darkman, resulted from the director not being able to secure the rights to helm a movie based on an established superhero. Raimi created the story for Darkman and is also credited as one of the screenplay's multiple writers, with the initial idea for the character hinging on a crime-fighter who can change his face. A pre-Schindler's List Liam Neeson stars as Dr. Peyton Westlake, a scientist working on a synthetic skin that comes in handy after he's disfigured and left for dead by bad guys. Darkman is basically what would happen if The Phantom of the Opera became a superhero, and also emulates a lot of the gothic, film noir style employed in many cinematic takes on Batman. While not a box office hit, Darkman deservedly amassed a cult fanbase on home video, leading to lesser sequels.
3. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The anticipation levels for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' arrival were quite high, and that's understandable. It's the first MCU movie to focus on Strange since his 2016 debut, it's Raimi's return to the superhero genre, and it's the first MCU movie since the massive success of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Surprisingly though, the reception to Multiverse of Madness has been a bit divided, with some believing it to be a worthy entry into Raimi's filmography but a lackluster addition to the overall MCU narrative. Visually, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is breathtakingly gorgeous and also features macabre imagery unusual for Marvel Studios' PG-13 product. However, the plot feels oddly disconnected from recent MCU efforts, WandaVision. It's a good movie, but not Raimi's best.
2. Spider-Man
It's actually a pretty close race between Raimi's first J.K. Simmons' definitive J. Jonah Jameson, and Willem Dafoe's cackling, creepy rendition of The Green Goblin that's somewhat of a scientist himself. Spider-Man 2002 is one of the best first installments in any superhero franchise.
1. Spider-Man 2
different from Dafoe's Green Goblin. It's truly a pleasure to watch him interact with both Spider-Man and Peter Parker. It's also a joy to see him and Dafoe back for Spider-Man: No Way Home. One can argue there are a few things that don't entirely hold up, such as the very post-9/11 scene in which a bunch of New Yorkers tend to Spider-Man and pledge not to reveal his secret. Still, what few flaws Spider-Man 2 has are greatly outweighed by how much it pulls off excellently, making it definitely Sam Raimi's best superhero movie to date.
