We can thank Sam Raimi’s 2002 movie Spider-Man for setting the standard for the modern superhero blockbuster. Much of its success can be attributed to Tobey Maguire’s winning performance and writer David Koepp’s script, which balances deep character development with large-scale spectacle. But Koepp’s original plan for this Spider-Man adaptation was more than just a one-off film. Once upon a time, Koepp had his own vision for Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, and it would have made the series much different. In a new interview with Colliderthe screenwriter revealed his intentions for a second and third movie, including the killing off of (gasp!) Gwen Stacey. Said Koepp:

Basically [my trilogy idea] was the telling of the Gwen Stacey/Harry Osbourne story but I spaced everything out differently. I wanted Gwen to be killed in the middle of the second movie, because that follows sort of the Empire Strikes Back model, and I had different villains I wanted to use. Just a different way to tell that story.

So there you have it. Koepp’s idea for Spider-Man was to give it an epic structure similar to Star Wars. Years later, Koepp would have the opportunity to bring his ideas back to life when he was in talks to pen The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and The Amazing Spider-Man 3. But according to the screenwriter, he felt like “that moment had passed” from when he had first brought his ideas to the table. The Amazing Spider-Man films attempted to explore Gwen’s storyline, but the sequel didn’t receive the love Sony had hoped for. Since then, the Spider-Man franchise has continued with the Tom Holland-led Spider-Man:Homecoming

Since his Spider-Man days, Koepp has most recently made the thriller You Should Have Left, which will be released on Video on Demand June 18.

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