Spider-Man, created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, first appeared on screen in a 1977 CBS TV film, but his cinematic journey truly began when Sony acquired the film rights for $7 million in 1999. Sony then produced a blockbuster trilogy starring Tobey Maguire (2002–2007), followed by a reboot with Andrew Garfield (2012–2014), before integrating the character into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Tom Holland, starting in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Beyond live-action, the animated Spider-Verse franchise centers on Miles Morales, while Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) features related characters without explicitly including Spider-Man himself. Collectively, these mainstream films have grossed over $11 billion worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film franchise of all time. The series has also earned critical acclaim, including Academy Awards for achievements in visual effects and animation.