Marvel Comics' web-slinger Spider-Man has been adapted into movie format twelve times, each delivering a fresh take on the iconic Marvel hero. Prior to Spider-Man's blockbuster movies, the young hero was the star of several TV series and made-for-TV movies, along with various acclaimed cartoons. In decades past, Spider-Man's film rights had been a major point of contention, thwarting plans for directors Tobe Hooper and James Cameron to bring the character to the big screen. Eventually, Columbia Pictures acquired the film rights to Spider-Man, allowing Sony to develop their first Spider-Man franchise under the watchful eye of Sam Raimi.
