Spider-Man 2

## More Information

*"Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them how to hold on a second longer. I believe there's a hero in all of us, that keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride, even though sometimes we have to be steady, and give up the thing we want the most. Even our dreams."*
―May Parker to Peter Parker
***Spider-Man 2*** is a 2004 superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. This is the second installment in the Spider-Man Trilogy and is a sequel to *Spider-Man*.

The film is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Harry Osborn, Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus, Rosemary Harris as May Parker, J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson and Donna Murphy as Rosalie Octavius.

Using the concept of the multiverse, both Maguire and Molina reprise their roles as Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film *Spider-Man: No Way Home*.

## Synopsis

When a failed nuclear fusion experiment results in an explosion that kills his wife, Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) is transformed into Dr. Octopus, a cyborg with deadly metal tentacles. Doc Ock blames Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) for the accident and seeks revenge. Meanwhile, Spidey's alter ego, Peter Parker, faces fading powers and self-doubt. Complicating matters are his best friend's (James Franco) hatred for Spider-Man and his true love's (Kirsten Dunst) sudden engagement to another man.

## Plot

Two years after the death of the Green Goblin, Peter Parker is struggling to balance his crime-fighting duties as Spider-Man alongside the demands of his normal life. Peter is growing further apart from both his love interest Mary Jane Watson and best friend Harry Osborn, who still harbors resentment towards Spider-Man, believing him to be guilty of killing his father. His obligations as Spider-Man take their toll on his ability to focus on his academic work as well as his financial situation. As a result, Peter loses a job as a pizza delivery boy, faces finanical securities and struggles to maintain his college grades at Columbia University.

Now head of Oscorp's research division, Harry sponsors the research of brilliant nuclear scientist Otto Octavius. Octavius's goal is to perfect fusion power. He wears a harness of powerful robotic arms with artificial intelligence for an experiment in sustained fusion. Though the experiment succeeds at first, it quickly becomes unstable but Octavius refuses to shut it down, before Spider-Man intervenes. Octavius's wife, Rosalie Octavius is killed in the accident, the neural inhibitor chip which prevents the arms from influencing his mind is destroyed, and the arms are fused to his spine. He is taken to a hospital, but the tentacles, having developed their own artificial intelligence with the inhibitor chip destroyed, savagely kill the medical crew. The tentacles corrupt Octavius's mind, and lead him to the resolution that he must complete his experiment regardless of the moral cost. To finance his work, Octavius - now called Doctor Octopus or "Doc Ock" - robs a bank, where he takes Aunt May hostage. When Doctor Octopus is about to stab Spider-Man with his spear, May smashes a sunglasses lens with her umbrella, sparing Spider-Man, but Doctor Octopus drops her from a building. Spider-Man manages to save his aunt, but Ock returns to his lair with loot stolen from the bank.

While attending a party to take photographs, Peter learns that Mary Jane is engaged to J. Jonah Jameson's son, renowned astronaut John Jameson, and gets into a fight with Harry over his "loyalty" to Spider-Man. As Doctor Octopus rebuilds his experimental reactor, Peter begins to lose his powers, due to an emotional breakdown after experiencing another web block. After a doctor tells him that his physical problems are due to mental stress, he gives up being Spider-Man and disposes of his costume in a trash bin. During this time away from his vigilante duties, Peter begins to succeed in his college classes and subsequently mend his relationship with Mary Jane.

A garbage man brings Spider-Man's discarded costume to sell at the *The* *Daily Bugle*. Jameson takes credit for Spider-Man's disappearance, but later admits that he was indeed a hero, and the only person capable of stopping Octavius. Peter, out of guilt, tells Aunt May that it was his fault for his Ben's death. After Peter tells his aunt everything from the thief to Ben's death, May forgives Peter and advises him that sometimes it is necessary to sacrifice one's dreams for the greater good. After saving a little girl from a burning building, Peter learns a person got trapped on the fourth floor, never making it out, making him feel guilty. Realizing that the city's need for Spider-Man is greater than his personal ambitions and the crime rate increasing, Peter decides to become Spider-Man once again. Even so, his powers are still gone.

Doctor Octopus, having rebuilt his fusion reactor, needs tritium for his reactor to activate it. He goes to Harry to get it at his penthouse. Harry agrees to give Octavius all the tritium he possesses in exchange for bringing Spider-Man to him, and tells him that Peter, who is supposedly good friends with Spider-Man, is the key to finding him; however, he tells Doctor Octopus not to harm Peter. Doctor Octopus finds Peter and tells him to find Spider-Man, and abducts Mary Jane in the process. Following this, Peter finds that his powers have been restored, and he dons his costume again after stealing it back from the Bugle. A furious Jameson continues to denounce Spider-Man as a menace once again.

Spider-Man then angrily proceeds to battle Doctor Octopus on the Westside Tower before their battle continues on a train which Doctor Octopus destroys the speed bar on the train after accelerating it. Doctor Octopus jumps to a wall, leaving Spider-Man to rescue the runaway train, the damaged controls explodes into Peter's mask, making it blurry as he unintentionally takes it off. Upon seeing the tracks lead to a dead end, he tries to stop the train in many ways but he uses his spider strength and webbing to stop it, almost making the train fall off the unfinished track. He saves the people and is exhausted. He almost falls off but the passengers catch him and learn that he is only a kid as Peter wakes up. Two boys hand Peter his mask and promise not to reveal his true identity. Doctor Octopus returns, and ends up knocking Spider-Man (due to him still being exhausted) unconscious and delivers him to Harry.

After giving Doctor Octopus the tritium, Harry pulls out the knife and prepares to kill Spider-Man, but he first relents and unmasks him. He is shocked when he discovers that Peter is Spider-Man. Peter wakes up, and convinces Harry to reveal Doctor Octopus's whereabouts, before leaving him in tears. Spider-Man makes his way to Doctor Octopus's waterfront laboratory, with the doctor putting the finishing touches on his makeshift reactor. Although Spider-Man attempts to rescue Mary Jane discreetly, Doctor Octopus catches on and they fight once more. Spider-Man ultimately subdues Octavius and reveals his identity to him, pleading for a way to stop the reactor. Free from the tentacles, Octavius uses his mechanical arms to collapse the building, successfully drowning the reactor at the cost of his own life. Mary Jane sees Peter unmasked and understands that as long as he is Spider-Man, she and Peter cannot be together. Spider-Man returns Mary Jane to John and leaves.

Back at the Osborn Penthouse, Harry is still shocked by the trauma caused by revelation of Peter's identity as Spider-Man. He suddenly has a vision of his father, Norman in the mirror ordering him to avenge his death. Refusing to hurt his best friend, Harry shatters the mirror with his dagger. This reveals a secret room containing all of the Green Goblin equipment (which Peter hid after his death). Harry looks at the equipment and takes the green serum his father did. The following day, Mary Jane is getting ready for her wedding, but she has a quick change of mind, and leaves John on the altar. She arrives back at Peter's apartment, surprising him. She tells Peter that she now knows his alter-ego, why he is protecting her, but she wants to be with him no matter what risks can be caused. After they share a passionate kiss, a fire truck is heard and Mary Jane encourages Peter to respond as Spider-Man, quietly apprehensive of the dangers they are about to face together from now on.

## Cast

* Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker/Spider-Man
* Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
* James Franco as Harry Osborn
* Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus
* Rosemary Harris as May Parker
* J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson
* Donna Murphy as Rosalie Octavius
* Daniel Gillies as John Jameson
* Dylan Baker as Doctor Curt Connors
* Bill Nunn as Robbie Robertson
* Vanessa Ferlito as Louise
* Aasif Mandvi as Mr. Aziz
* Willem Dafoe as Norman Osborn/Green Goblin
* Cliff Robertson as Ben Parker
* Ted Raimi as Ted Hoffman
* Elizabeth Banks as Betty Brant
* Bruce Campbell as Snooty Usher
* Gregg Edelman as Doctor Wally Davis
* Elya Baskin as Mr. Ditkovich
* Mageina Tovah as Ursula Ditkovich
* Daniel Dae Kim as Raymond

## Appearances

### Locations

* Earth
	+ United States of America
	+ New York
		- New York City
		- Peter Parker's Apartment
		- Osborn Penthouse
		- Mary Jane Watson's Apartment
		- The Daily Bugle Tower
		- Octavius' Labs
		- Doctor Octopus' Hideout
		- Parker Residence
		- Watson Residence
		- Columbia University
		- Manhattan General Hospital
		- The Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space
		- Manhattan Memories
		- Laundromat

### Events

* Green Goblin's Rampage (Mentioned)
* Doctor Octopus' Campaign
	+ Attack at the Manhattan General Hospital
	+ Robbery at the Manhattan Bank
	+ Attack on Mary Jane Watson
	+ Duel on the Subway Train
	+ Battle at the Fusion Reactor

### Items

* Spider-Man Suit
* Doctor Octopus' Tentacles
* Fusion Reactor
* Green Goblin Armor
* Goblin Formula
* Pumpkin Bombs

### Vehicles

* Peter Parker's Scooter
* Goblin Glider

### Creatures

* Birds
* Dogs
* Cats (mentioned)

### Mentioned

* Dennis Carradine
* Doctor Strange
* Thomas Edison
* Gugliemo Marconi
* Ludwig von Beethoven
* Johann Bernoulli
* T.S Elliot
* Phillip Watson
* Madeline Watson
* Edward Leeds

## Production

* Filming schedule took place in New York City, New York, Los Angeles, California and Chicago, Illinois in 2003 and later concluded that year. Before shooting began, Tobey Maguire injured his back while filming Seabiscuit, but he later recovered and was able to reprise his role. He used this as inspiration for the "my back" scene.

## Music

* *Spider-Man 2 - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack*

## References

The Spider-Man Trilogy Wiki has a collection of images and media related to **Spider-Man 2**.

## External Links

* Spider-Man 2 on Wikipedia
* Spider-Man 2 on IMDb
* Spider-Man 2 on Disney+