Sam Raimi on Why ‘Spider-Man 4’ Fell Apart: ‘I Didn’t Want to Just Make Another One That Pretty Much Worked’

variety.com:

Wilson Chapman editorNext week, Sam Raimi will be making his long-awaited return to the superhero genre with the Marvel blockbuster “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” The film represents his first time back in the director’s chair after a nine-year hiatus following “Oz the Great and the Powerful” in 2013, as well as his first superhero movie since the end of his beloved “Spider-Man” trilogy in 2007.In a wide-ranging interview with Rolling Stone, Raimi discussed stepping back into superhero films, and his memories of the original “Spider-Man” trilogy, which are widely regarded today as a turning point for superhero films.

The series, however, ended on a less triumphant note with “Spider-Man 3,” which received mixed reviews. Although a fourth film was planned, it ultimately was cancelled in favor of a series reboot.

During the interview, Raimi revealed “Spider-Man 4” was aborted due to issues with the script, which wasn’t up to the standard he had for the film.“It was a very painful experience for me,” Raimi told Rolling Stone writer Brian Hiatt. “I wanted to make a Spider-Man movie to redeem myself for that. [The aborted] ‘Spider-Man 4’ — that was really what that was about.

I wanted to go out on a high note. I didn’t want to just make another one that pretty much worked. I had a really high standard in my mind.