Development of
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 began after the success of
The Amazing Spider-Man. DeHaan, Giamatti, Jones, and Cooper were cast between December 2012 and February 2013. Filming took place in
New York City from February to June 2013. The film was released in 2D,
3D, and
IMAX 3D on May 2, 2014, in the United States with two international premieres being held between March 31 & April 10, 2014. The film received mixed reviews, and although it grossed $709 million worldwide and became the
ninth-highest-grossing film of 2014, it was the lowest-grossing film in the series.
[5] However, the film was declared a "hit" in the overseas markets with high openings and a wide cinematic release. The film subsequently won awards for its music composition and acting, notably one
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award and two
ASCAP Awards.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was originally envisioned as the beginning of a shared fictional universe, which would have continued with two sequels and several spin-off films. Due to its performing below expectations, all subsequent installments were cancelled and a
new iteration of the character, portrayed by
Tom Holland, appeared in the
Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with the 2016 film
Captain America: Civil War. Holland is scheduled to appear in
his own film, due out in July 2017.
In 2000,
Oscorp scientist Richard Parker records a video message to explain his disappearance. Later, he and his wife, Mary, are aboard a private jet hijacked by a man sent to assassinate Richard. The plane crashes, killing both Richard and Mary, after he uploads the video.
Fourteen years later, Richard's son Peter continues to fight crime as
Spider-Man. He pursues and apprehends
Aleksei Sytsevich. Later, Peter meets with Gwen at their high school graduation ceremony and, insisting he keep his vow to her father, ends their relationship. Peter's childhood friend,
Harry Osborn, returns to Manhattan to see his terminally-ill father,
Norman, CEO of OsCorp. Norman explains his illness is genetic, and Harry is at the age where it first develops. Norman gives Harry a small device he claims contains his life's work. The next day, Norman dies and Harry is appointed the new OsCorp CEO.
While working in an OsCorp laboratory, electrical engineer
Max Dillon shocks himself by accident and falls into a tank of genetically-engineered
electric eels. They attack him, and he mutates into a living electric generator. Meanwhile, Peter attempts to maintain a friendship with Gwen, but she reveals that she may move to England for schooling. Before they can discuss it, Dillon wanders into
Times Square, accidentally causing a blackout, and is stopped by Peter after a battle. Dillon is taken to
Ravencroft Institute, where he is studied by German scientist Dr. Kafka. Meanwhile, the first symptoms of Harry's illness are showing, and he uses the device Norman gave him to deduce that Spider-Man's blood could help save him. He asks Peter, who has been selling photos of Spider-Man to the
Daily Bugle, to aid him in finding Spider-Man. Peter refuses, unsure of what effects the transfusion would have. Although he later comes to Harry as Spider-Man, he still refuses, and Harry develops an intense hatred towards Spider-Man. The OsCorp board-members, in particular the vice-president, Donald Menken, frame Harry for covering up Dillon's accident, remove him as CEO, overthrow him and take control of Oscorp. Harry's assistant, Felicia Hardy, informs him of equipment that could help him, so he makes a deal with Dillon, who now calls himself "Electro," to get him back inside the OsCorp building. There he finds a suit of armour and other equipment made by Norman, as well as venom from the now-destroyed genetically-altered spiders. The venom accelerates Harry's illness and transforms him into a
goblin-like creature, but the suit's built-in emergency protocol restores his health and cures his disease.
Peter uses information left by his father to locate the video message in an abandoned subway station's hidden lab. Richard explains he had to leave because he refused to cooperate with Norman's biogenetic weaponization plans. Peter then hears a voicemail from Gwen, telling him she was offered the British scholarship and is heading to the airport earlier than expected. He manages to catch her and professes his love for her, and, vowing to go wherever she goes, they agree to go to England together. Electro causes another blackout, and Peter heads off to fight him as Spider-Man. Gwen follows, and together they restore power and
overload Electro's body, killing him.
The transformed Harry, who now calls himself "Green Goblin", arrives equipped with Norman's armor and weaponry. Upon seeing Gwen, he deduces Spider-Man's secret identity and, swearing revenge for being refused the blood transfusion, kidnaps her and takes her to the top of a clock tower. Peter manages to defeat the Green Goblin, but his webbing breaks during the battle and Gwen falls to her death. Peter, depressed and distraught, mourns over Gwen's death and ends his career as Spider-Man.
Five months later, Harry is coping with the aftereffects of his transformation while incarcerated at Ravencroft. His associate,
Gustav Fiers, visits Harry and the pair discuss forming their own
team. Harry orders Fiers to start with Sytsevich. Later an unknown team of men break Sytsevich out of prison. Equipped with electromechanical suit armor, Sytsevich calls himself the Rhino and rampages through the streets. Peter, inspired by Gwen's graduation speech, resumes his career as Spider-Man and confronts him.
