How Spider-Man 3 should have been (rough draft)

[nathan andrew]

I've come up with this rough draft plot outline for what I would have liked Spider-Man 3 to be. That is, if I were forced to include Sandman, Harry, and Venom. Keep in mind that I haven't added all of the elements in here yet, it's pretty sketchy and I don't know if I'm going to revise it anymore. It was just a creative outlet for me, but I still want to know what you guys would have thought if the story went a little more like this.
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Gwen Stacy and Eddie Brock are introduced from the beginning of the movie. It is obvious to us that Eddie Brock has a very strong love interest in Gwen. Either they are in love together, or he is in love with her and obsessed with her as she distances herself from him. As the movie opens and we understand that Spider-man is being accepted and loved by New-York, we also come to realize that Peter has taken an interest in Gwen as well.

Peter is attacked by Harry while on his moped and they fight high above the city. Harry is knocked unconscious and can't regain his memory. Sandman is created. Peter obtains the symbiote and is coming to terms with his new found power while Harry recovers and tries to regain his memories. Peter chases the sandman down and defeats him in the sewers, effectively killing the man who murdered his uncle. We feel his rage, his satisfaction. The city is wary of this new, more aggressive Spider-man.

Meanwhile, Harry comes to face the facts. His memory is returning. Still confused, Harry is convinced that Peter's love lies in Gwen Stacy. He finds an opportunity to hurt Peter by seeking to take back something Peter loves. He wants to kill Gwen to take from Peter what Spider-man took from him. Harry gains information to Stacy's whereabouts and uses a near by crain to plow into a high level story of the building she is modeling in. With precision he manages to strike the exact floor she is on. Spider-man comes to her rescue. Over confident and cocky, he grabs a hold of the building and shoots a web line to catch her. The web attaches to her head. Her neck snaps on the way down. The audience, her father, and Eddie Brock witness the scene. Spider-Man reaches the ground....horrified, he panics, he flees before anyone can get their hands on him.

Eddie Brock will forever blame Spider-Man for the death of Gwen Stacy. His hatred intensifies. Seeking to discredit the wall crawler even further, he creates a fake photo of Spider-man committing crime, and gives a first hand testimonial to the paper of the incident he saw the day that Gwen died. The paper prints, but is later retracted when Peter uncovers the truth about the fake photos to the entire Bugle office. Eddie is fired. All he has left now are hateful thoughts of both Spider-Man and Peter Parker.

Back at home Peter tries to remove the suit. As he peers into his mirror he sees an ugly reflection. He feels it's bond to him, but manages to remove the suit. Mary Jane visits and Peter decides to tell her about Harry's dad. He tells her that Harry attacked him, and that he believes that Peter is responsible for his father's death. Peter explains the truth. He's tried to tell Harry before, but it's too hard, "I don't think he wants to know the truth, he needs somebody to hate." Peter tells her about the symbiote, that he thinks it may be alive and influencing him. She urges him to be rid of the suit and offers her help. Peter rejects her offer, telling her that he doesn't need her help. Mary Jane leaves and plans to visit Harry to set things straight between Peter and Harry.

Suspecting Harry to be responsible for the crain incident that killed Gwen Stacy, Peter confronts his old friend at his very home. They battle, and the upper hand is given to Peter. At the end of the fight Peter quickly returns a grenade that was thrown his direction back to Harry. Coming close enough to kill but not quite, the grenade puts Harry out of the fight and leaves his face scarred. Peter turns to exit and is shocked to see Mary Jane standing there. She must have just arrived. Desperate for answers she tries to stop Peter from leaving. "Get out of my way!" One strike was enough. As Mary Jane lays on the floor, Peter starts to snap out of the symbiote's influence. "Who are you Peter?" "......I...don't know" Peter leaves. Mary Jane stays with Harry. Peter now realizes that the suit has brought him nothing but pain. He is destroying everyone that he loves, he can't stop hurting others no matter how hard he tries to see things the right way. It must be the symbiote.

Spider-man scowers the city in search of a safe place to remove the suit. While Eddie Brock walks the streets below he manages to spot Spider-Man and follow him into the bell tower. Spider-Man sits atop the tower in a moment of contemplation, while Eddie Brock tries to make his way to the tower. In the tower Peter desperately tries to rid himself of the suit, but it's bond has grown stronger now and it is no easy task. He discovers the sound from the bell in the tower weakens the symbiote's strength and uses it to rid himself of it's evil. Eddie Brock below receives the symbiote. He discovers Spider-man's secret. He now knows that the person who killed the one he loves the most, and who caused him to lose his job are one and the same. He also feels the symbiote's anger, it's rage from Peter's rejection of the suit. He hates Parker even more, and has all of the reasoning to do so. Together Venom sees everything. They see a part of Peter's life, his time with the symbiote, they see Mary Jane. Disguising himself as a taxi driver he is able to kidnap her.

When Peter learns of her kidnapping he sets out to save her and is confronted by Venom. There is a huge battle, and Venom is shown stepping up to Spider-Man's every move. There is almost no chance to defeat this menace. Harry shows up to aid Spider-Man, and Spider-man is confused. Harry tells him that Mary Jane explained, he's here to help, and he that he was wrong about Peter. He should have listened. They defeat Venom but at the cost of Harry's life. The symbiote and Brock are separated. Brock falls many stories to the concrete below. The symbiote is weakened and seems to have died, but it has not disinigrated. Spider-man has learned an important lesson about valuing friendship, the meaning of sacrifice, and the darkness of self importance. His sense of responsibility has started to return, but he feels guilt over his actions and the events during his embrace of the dark suit. He feels the regret of allowing the Sandman to die, the death of Gwen and now Harry. He is reassured by Mary Jane and he can not wait to start a new life with her. She forgives him for his actions, and his anger, and Spider-Man learns to forgive himself. After all, he can't get married with any guilt in his heart. At a small church later, a paster is reciting the end of their vows. Peter and Mary Jane give their "I do's" and kiss. They are as happy as can be. They leave the church building and Peter leads Marry Jane around to the back of the church, away from any onlookers. We end the movie here with Spider-Man leaping from the ground, his bride in his arms, swinging off into a brighter future.
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As a fan I was disappointed to see that Gwen Stacy did not die. Her role in Spider-man history has always been important because she's a tragic character, and she is meant to die. This forces a more emotional impact on Spider-Man, and could have been a huge motivator for the character of Eddie Brock. When Spider-man's negative qualities come out they don't seem as empty or unqualified to be there.

I've decided to keep Sandman dead after the sewer scene as well. I like the fact that he is a sorrowful character, and I'd like to see him die at the hand of his own mistakes, that has a really good feeling for me. I don't think his presence is needed in the final act, but that is my opinion. I agree about the moral of forgiveness and second chances, but I don't think that Sandman's story is the right story to carry out that moral statement effectively in this movie since he is given freedom at the end. Sandman can be forgiven, but that doesn't mean it's right to let him live without consequence. If Venom were handled properly he would be a much larger threat on his own anyway. I also don't think the ending where Sandman has to describe every little thing is necessary for closure. His closure, and Ben Parker's closure is in the Sandman's death. This is ultimately tragic for Peter, as his death will be on his conscious for a little while after he gets rid of the suit. The symbiote will have taken him to his darkest alleys and back.

let me know your thoughts!

 

[Prison Mike]

Wow, this would have been a better movie, IMO. It shows Eddie's motivation, which I think lacked in the movie. The only thing is, I would make Sandman a much larger character than he is in your draft. I think he is vital for the "forgiveness" lesson. I liked how complex his character was in the movie. Personally, I would do a movie with Sandman being the only villain and another movie with Venom being the only villain. These two deserve their own movies because when fleshed out, they could really teach Peter a lesson or two.

 

[KyleSBeaver]

Hey, that was a long read, but worth it.

Really dug how Gwen died, totally makes sense.

It's a shame this wasn't the movie we saw. I was really expecting a wedding of an ending.

 

[ManSpider412]

That's actually quite a good story you've got there, take out alot of cocky emo Parker and put in a viscous black spiderman as well. But you cant have a funeral (harry's) than a wedding at the end.

 

[nathan andrew]

You are most definitely right manspider! I didn't think about the funeral at all. Hmmmm I'm not sure what I'd rather see more... It may work, if the funeral and wedding scene happened sequentially with Peter Parker's voice narrating the events as they happen, similar to the end of Spider-Man one, where he has a small narrative line. If the dialog is right, we can understand that those two events have some time between them. The film also opened with some narrative by Peter so it might not be a bad idea to close that way either.

 

[Sidepocket]

I love how you worked the comic book Gwen Stacy death into this.

You beat me too the punch, I was going to write in a whole fan-fic of how I thought the story would have turned out as well. I think I wrote apart of it in the responce to the bad Spider-man 3 book. What is sad is the film had many good ideas but exicuted them poorly.

I am inspired to post my own. First one to the finish line wins!

 

[blitz]

Good try but ultimately the movie is better how it is IMO. One question, why would Harry try to kill gwen? wouldnt he want to kill MJ who peter is obviously in love with and just interested.

 

[Sidepocket]

Good try but ultimately the movie is better how it is IMO. One question, why would Harry try to kill gwen? wouldnt he want to kill MJ who peter is obviously in love with and just interested.

MJ did not kill his dad. Plus, he likes MJ.

Now Gwen, who the hell is she? Kill her! t:

----

P.S. I just realized that the way you have Venom died is very similar to the way Joker dies in Batman, which in turn is a rip from Metropolis.

Then again, people have said that my Venom death is Anken getting burned on Mufastar but 10X better so yay for rip offs.

 

[Victarion]

Wow-I like your idea for Eddie's motivation. Would Sandman still be stealing in an attempt to cure his daughter? If so, it makes Spider-Man seem ten times worse, because in a way, he sentenced the girl to death.

 

[The Only Woj]

I like a lot of what you wrote. it certainly seems like a ballsier storyline than what we got, something that would have surprised the audience.

 

[The Only Woj]

I like a lot of what you wrote. it certainly seems like a ballsier storyline than what we got, something that would have surprised the audience.

 

[nathan andrew]

Thanks for your feedback here. Blitz, Harry would probably try to kill MJ if he wanted to hurt Peter. The only problem there is that Harry is also in love with MJ so that wouldn't work. If Peter were truly stuck between MJ and Gwen (as I think they are trying to show us in the movie) Killing Gwen would be a good alternative to killing MJ to hurt Peter without hurting Harry's love interest. MJ is also still alive and well in the books, and Gwen has died a long time ago (and she's died also in other books like Ultimate, novels, flashback scenes whatever) I can't help wondering why she would be introduced into the movie without fulfilling her role to die anyways. There are a lot of events and changes that could happen in the lives of the characters close to her in this movie. This was a missed opportunity as far as I'm concerned.

Morzan, to be honest with you I don't know if I'd have sandman die or not, I'm indifferent. We also never got any closure and what has happened with his daughter. I think it might be ok if he dies at some point in the movie, but if it is shown that he has somehow managed to help his daughter in the process. Either way I surely did not want to see him escaping at the end of the movie. That's a pretty bad message to me that Spider-Man is unwilling to take down the bad guy because of an emotional feeling of forgiveness. Sandman may very well go on to commit more crime or even murder again, who knows.

 

[Comicfan]

I like your view of the movie, not that different from what we got (actuallty with some reshoots it could have turned this way)

the only thing is that I still think that adding sandman was unnecesary in this film (or your vison of it)

 

[Alexia Dark]

Mmm... I wouldn't know until I'd see the actual script, but a reimagining of basically the same plot we recieved, for the most part, isn't enough for me.

 

[DACrowe]

The only thing I liked about it was that it excluded the butler and Eddie blamed Spider-Man for Gwen's death.

Otherwise it has its own problems. No MJ in the first act. Why is Peter falling for Gwen when he is engaged to MJ? Why introduce Sandman as a sympathetic villain and kill him less than halfway through without ANY development? You do not introduce a character like that and do not explore it. It is called bad storytelling, plain and simple.

Nice try but you just kept the action scenes and removed a few flaws and scenes that did work.

 

[nathan andrew]

thanks for your opinions, but just remember that at the top of this post I said that I haven't added all of the elements yet. I said it was still sketchy, and in the title it says rough draft. What I was exploring are just plot outlines I would have rather seen in the movie. Ideas, not an entire script with each element included.

Peter was never engaged to MJ in this movie. He had some interest in Gwen in this movie. With the right kind of writting he could have easily been in the middle of a tough choice between the two especially with the symbiote's influence over him.

This was only a creative idea; how I might go about the story (kinda-sorta) what direction I would have tried to take. Not a new reimagining for a new film per-se.

 

[HumanTorch09]

I enjoyed your version very much also. I had typed out what I wanted to see for the movie, and used a few of your elements. Here is what I have, feel free to use any of my ideas if you like them. Oh yeah, I didn't spend very much time elaborating my ideas nor did I use proper grammar. But hell, the movie let me down so bad, my fan version can have improper grammar:


First off, during the opening credits, we get Alex Ross art back in there to recap the first two films. They spent 250 million on this movie, they could've gotten Ross back for more amazing art.

The film opens outside of Oscorp (not mentioned at all in SM3) with two burglers somehow breaking in to steal some sort of important item. The police show up and after a nice little gun battle between the robbers and the cops, Spidey shows up to defend Harry's business (still showing remorse for Norman) and captures one of the burglers. The other burgler, Flint Marko, somehow manages to run into some sort of Particle Testing Facility and becomes the Sandman. The sand disappears (not in cloud form), but instead outside, and the audience is left wondering.

Peter shows up to take pictures, has a run in with Harry (who doesn't care that Peter just saved his business, and instead vows to destroy everything he protects).

Next scene is Mary Jane's play, Peter goes to see it. But when he tells that guy MJ is his girlfriend, the guy chuckles. MJ is unsure whether or not she does a good job in the play, but Peter reassures her.

Next scene goes to Harry coming out of the goblin-gas-chamber. We change Harry's goblin-snowboard back to a glider, the way it should be. Harry doesn't have ninja swords and wears a mask similar to the goblin mask in the first film.

Now we'll have a scene with Peter and Gwen in college, with Curt Connors teaching their class. Gwen has problems answering questions, Peter answers all questions asked correctly. After class Gwen stops Peter and asks him for tutoring, he agrees, and gives her a ride home on his scooter (cute, from Spider-Man Blue). The scene ends with her going inside and Peter left with a confused look on his face.

Next scene MJ loses her spot in the Broadway act.

This fades into the next day at the bugle. JJ says something like "Parker! Since you stole my son's girlfriend, go take pictures of him, he's coming back from space today" or whatever.
(I'm going to use the 90's cartoon symbiote-suit origin, simply because it would work so well with the way the second film was written)
Peter goes to the landing site, watches the shuttle land, takes pictures of John Jameson. Jonah is there shouting orders at Peter the whole time.
After all the dialogue in this scene, the camera focuses on the bottom of the shuttle, and a black goo drips out.
All of the sudden Sandman shows up (maybe the shuttle landing is in a sandy area, I dunno, didn't think exactly where it could be) and tries to cause trouble. Peter manages to leave JJ without a photographer, and Spidey shows up to fight the Sandman. The Sandman beats the living daylights out of Spidey, and knocks him towards where the symbiote dripped out.
It attaches itself to Spidey, and he then (black costume) has no problem stopping the Sandman, who then flees. The scene changes to Peter's bedroom, with him out on the bed. His mask is off and he is only wearing the black suit. He tries to take it off but can't. MJ comes home, he shows her the suit, she thinks it's weird but harmless. They both go to sleep (living in the same place at this point, different apartment, sorry Dinkaviches)

Next scene is an Uncle Ben flashback in the car (before the wrestling match in the first film), with Uncle Ben giving the whole " With great power" speech again (not mentioned in SM3). He tells him to use his powers wisely, or they could consume him (we take this dialogue from Aunt May and give it to uncle ben).

Peter jerks awake and touches his chest, MJ wakes up and asks if he is alright. He says he's fine, just worried about the Sandman. The police scanner then goes off with an emergency somewhere. He then leaves.

This is then the scene where Peter and Harry fight, and Harry loses his memory. Peter has the blacksuit on, makes hateful comments, and goes all out on Harry. Peter knocks Harry out, takes him the hospital.

Next scene is the hospital scene, everything seems better now that Harry forgot he was the Green Goblin. Peter has a sort of twisted smile on his face at the end of this scene.

Next scene is Peter studying with Gwen, they kiss, Peter leaves and goes to talk to Aunt May about what is going on in his love life. After talking, Peter leaves, goes to talk to Mary Jane.

Mary Jane tells him she was let go from the play, Peter tells MJ that he cheated on her, MJ leaves distraught.

Next scene is Peter and Harry hanging out. Peter tells Harry all about what is going on. Harry has no advice. Harry exposes that he still has super-human abilities by catching the falling vase and basketball.

Next scene is the next day at the bugle, John Jameson is in talking to JJ, and JJ tells peter that they have hired a new staff photographer to take his place. Eddie Brock introduces himself to Peter, Peter looks at Eddie very sternly, Eddie smiles. Peter argues back with JJ for his spot, and JJ tells them "whoever gets a shot of Spiderman with his hand in a cookie jar gets the job" They leave, Eddie says he'll get the shot, Peter says he won't.

The next scene fades to Harry looking at a picture of his father. He them begins to remember everything, and Norman tells him to strike at the heart.

Next scene is Gwen on a date with Peter. He sees the Sandman on the news holding people in a subway train hostage with a bomb. He tells Gwen he has to leave and apologizes.
Black suit spidey saves the people, fights Sandman, and tricks him into the sewer. Sandman dissolves into the poo water and dies. Spidey rushes home and gets a call from Gwen asking if he was alright. He says he's fine and she invites him to her photo shoot.

(I liked your crain rewrite, so I used it in my version also)
Next scene is the photo shoot, but Goblin causes the crain to break open the building. Goblin grabs Gwen and flies to the top of the building calling out spiderman. Black suit spidey shows up and we have a flashback to when MJ is dropped, and her being caught. Goblin says what he needs to, and drops Gwen. An overconfident Spidey uses a webline to catch her, and her neck breaks. Below, Eddie Brock captures a photo of Spidey web-lining Gwen.
Peter runs into an alleyway and tries to rip the suit off. Brock follows and then a small chase scene begins between Brock and a distressed spidey. He ends up in the clock tower, takes the suit off, and it takes hold of brock (who was snapping photos). We see venom once.

The scene fades to Spiderman in bed, a copy of the bugle with Eddie's photo of Spidey "killing" Gwen on the cover near his bed, and a celebrity news show on his television explaining that millionaire Harry Osbourne is now dating broadway actress Mary Jane Watson. He falls back asleep and the scene fades to Harry and MJ.

This scene opens with MJ and Harry arguing over something pointless, and Harry hits MJ. She says Peter would have never done that, and Harry exposes that he knows Spidey's secret identity and that he will stop at nothing until he is dead. MJ runs away and Harry does not follow her.
MJ goes to Peter's house to let him know who the Goblin is, but he tells her he already knows. Goblin shows up, big fight scene with Spidey, MJ falls from something, Spidey saves her. Spidey gets really beat up, but seems to beat the Goblin, knocking him from his glider. During this fight we see Venom sneaking around the area watching. Spiderman seems to blow up the Goblin with one of his own pumpkin bombs. Getting up to check on MJ, Spidey is grabbed by Venom and gets the hell pounded out of him. He narrowly escapes and grabs MJ.

The final scene would be Peter in bed with a bunch of wounds, and MJ looking at him with an unsure look on her face. We'd hear a venom shriek and the screen would go to credits.

booyah raimi. booyah arad. up the fans.

 

[Dragon]

That storyline makes no sense. Why would Harry think Peter is in love with Gwen and not MJ? Just because?

And you're missing the point of the symbiote. It only attaches itself to Peter after he becomes rage-driven to hunt down Marko. It's not like in the comics where he just winds up with the suit.

 

[DyeLorean]

I'm pretty sure Spider-Man 3 IS a very good movie. The editing cut we got is the bad one.

Nice reading, some of those things for the movie are nice ideas actually. Well done.

D!

 

[sylabdul]

awesome story! with the subjects they decided to tackle, it shouldve had a darker tone, maybe a few more deaths....u nailed it with Gwen's death....

 

[November Rain]

the film is fine, it just needs fleshing out.

It's been obviously drammatically cut down to get the general gist of the story across...

It's not like the first two films which could be pretty much done in one 3 hour film, it has a lot more into it and it feels somewhat rushed.

However we should all realise that it will be rectified with a proper elongated dvd version that you'll all rush out and by.

 

[bellepheron]

Very cool plot ideas, its a much better venom storyline as it actually highlights why eddie hates peter and spiderman sooo much. The film portrays that so badly!!

At the end when eddies like"The same way you humiliated me, do you remember what you did to me?!?" Most people (not spidey fans) were like "he only got you sacked dude he doesnt deserve to die!!!"

 

[November Rain]

i believe there is some dialogue missing there, it seemed like that scene was originally shot longer which also went on about how spidey rejected the symbiote.

I think raimi filmed it to make the symbiote have a personality but was then told the alien idea would be a bit too much so instead went with the idea that it enhances other people's emotions and then caused that scene to get cut down to only showing brock's perspective.

 

[HumanTorch09]

the film is fine, it just needs fleshing out.

that it will be rectified with a proper elongated dvd version that you'll all rush out and by.

If the film was fine, it wouldn't need fleshing. The director's cut version won't necessarily fix any plot holes, or give extra time for characters to develop. It's gonna give us a few scenes that were cut, a few more pointless characters, and it's gonna be $5-10 more than the first DVD release. Director's cuts are a cop-out, and a defense mechanism for crappy movies.

 

[Biosynth]

I like Nathan Andrew's (the original poster) story idea. I liked the whole MJ and Harry and Peter thing and cutting out the Jazzy number in the middle.

Oh well.