Film guide · 2007

Spider-Man 3 (2007, Tobey Maguire)Complete Guide

The parts that are hard to follow from the film alone, explained with a story summary, a character map and key terms.

Released
2007
Runtime
139 min
Set in
Alternate universe

Good to know before watchingNo spoilers

The trilogy finale

It concludes the story begun in Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2.

Harry's discovery

At the end of the last film, Harry found his father's secret room.

Three villains

Harry, Sandman and Venom all appear.

No post-credits scene

There's nothing after the credits.

Character mapSpoilers

Who's who in Spider-Man 3 (2007), with Peter at the center.

Because of copyright, we can't use stills, posters or any other images of the characters as they appear in the film. All face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors themselves (non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site; people without a photo are shown with initials).

Drag to move, pinch (or scroll on a computer) to zoom. Tap a person to read about them.

All characters

About the images

Face photos are freely licensed photos of the actors from Wikimedia Commons, cropped to a square and resized. Non-human characters are original illustrations made for this site, and people without a photo are shown with a placeholder (initials).

StorySpoilers

Read the story (spoilers up to the ending)

1. Good times

Life is going great, and Peter plans to propose to MJ.

2. Harry attacks

Harry uses his father's gear to attack Peter.

3. Sandman

An escaped convict becomes a man made of sand.

4. The black suit

The symbiote bonds with Peter, and he changes.

5. The final battle

Peter fights to save MJ.

Read the detailed scene-by-scene story

Key terms

The symbiote
An alien substance that arrives with a meteorite. It boosts its host's strength but makes them aggressive.
The black suit
The black Spider-Man suit formed when the symbiote bonds with Peter.
Sandman
A man fused with sand who can reshape and grow his body.
Venom
The monster born when the symbiote bonds with another human.

Confusing parts, explainedSpoilers

Contains spoilers about the ending.

What does Sandman have to do with Uncle Ben?

The film reveals that Flint Marko, Sandman, was the one who shot Uncle Ben. In the end, it turns out the gun went off by accident.

Who becomes Venom?

Eddie Brock, a rival photographer at the Bugle who blames Peter for ruining his career.

How does Peter get rid of the symbiote?

He discovers it can't stand loud sound, and uses the ringing of a church bell to tear it off.

Easy-to-miss details

The jazz club dance

Under the symbiote's influence, a cocky Peter shows off on the dance floor of a jazz club.

Gwen Stacy

Peter's classmate Gwen Stacy appears.

Sandman is born

Flint Marko's first moments as Sandman play out in a quiet scene with no dialogue.

The ending and post-creditsSpoilers

After the end credits

No post-credits scene.

What to watch next

More Marvel movie guides