How Spider-Man 3 was almost a different movie in an unexpected way

It's been over 17 years since the release of the ill-fated Spider-Man 3, so now that the dust has had almost two decades to settle, it's often fun to imagine what could've been. What did Sam Raimi have to do differently to ensure the movie gathered enough critical success to guarantee a follow-up? The most obvious option is removing Venom from the plot altogether and instead focusing on the Sandman's tragic origin. Additionally, a few different storylines could've resulted in a better movie-going experience, such as actually allowing Peter and Mary Jane to get married and start a new chapter in their lives. However, there was a subtler yet different vision of the film's setting that could've had a great impact.

Spider-Man 3 originally took place during winter

Recently, an unused concept art for Spider-Man 3 depicting Spidey over a snow-covered New York made its way online. That means the movie was supposed to take place during winter, which makes sense when you think about it. After all, most of Spider-Man's scenes where he's wearing the black suit see him swinging across the city at night. Usually, a dark costume over a dark background wouldn't match very well, and even if Sam Raimi made it work, adding a bit of white into the mix could've made that process a bit easier.

User The Spaceman shared a very interesting thread on Twitter breaking down additional proof that Spider-Man 3 would've taken place during winter. The most notable evidence includes a picture of Peter Parker, Mary Jane, and Harry Osborn on an ice-skating rink, pictures of Spider-Man 3 Christmas merchandise meant to go along with the movie's theme, and a still shot of a store sign that indicated Black Friday was during those dates. However, one of the most interesting details is that the New Goblin's costume design would've made much more sense.

When Harry decided to hunt the spider, he used a different equipment than the one his dad used for the same task. As an example: he wore a mask with big and wide lenses akin to those found in snow goggles. Furthermore, his glider had the shape of a snowboard, which would've perfectly fallen in line with the winter theme. To cap things off, the original concept art of the character saw him wearing a big jacket perfect for the cold. All things considered, it seems New Goblin was hand-crafted to be a Christmas villain.

Granted, Spider-Man 3 taking place during winter may not seem like a huge change at first glance. However, it's hard to deny part of the magic of Spidey's final swing in Spider-Man: No Way Home was due to the snowy setting. And if that short sequence is any indication, is that a complete Spider-Man movie executing that concept could definitely work. On that same page; rumor has it the upcoming Spider-Man 4 set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe might be delayed to December, so perhaps that movie could finally bring to life the vision Sam Raimi had all those years ago — bringing the cycle to an end. Wouldn't it be spectacular?

Spider-Man 4 will be released on Jul. 24, 2026.