Can Spider-Man: Homecoming restore the character to his rightful place at the top of the superhero genre? As you know, this is the third reboot of Stan Lee’s classic character since Sam Raimi’s original iteration back in 2002, leaving many to wonder how much damage was done to the brand by Marc Webb’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014. Additionally, Sony hasn’t had a major blockbuster success since James Bond’s Spectre in 2015.

Marvel also has a lot on the line, they need to prove that their mastery of the genre can extend to other studios. Marvel needs to maintain a positive relationship with Sony to ensure the character remains a cog in the ongoing MCU. Returning the character to pop-culture prominence is good for everyone involved, obviously. Spider-Man will also appear in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War next year, so it will be interesting to observe his interactions with Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) and watch for clues or hints about that storyline.

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Early feedback on Spider-Man: Homecoming has been positive, and as we recently reported a full trio of films are already planned before the first has even arrived in theaters. As you know, Sony overplayed their hand with the Marc Webb Amazing Spider-Man films, which sought to establish an ongoing “Spiderverse,” but fizzled after just two films.

According to Deadline, Spider-Man: Homecoming is tracking for an initial domestic opening between $90-$108 million, which places them firmly between Wonder Woman and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In Sony’s favor, some outlets are suggesting that the film has broad appeal and plays well with families.

This has been an up-and-down year at the domestic box office, wherein some films performed spectacularly (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Wonder Woman) while others faceplanted to varying degrees (The Mummy, Alien: Covenant, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales). Expectations are naturally through the roof for both Sony and Marvel.

Also helping Spider-Man’s cause is relatively weak competition. Transformers: The Last Knight opens on June 21st and Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver on June 28th, but there isn’t much competition that weekend. However, War for the Planet of the Apes opens the following weekend, and will certainly cut into Spider-Man’s box office.

Do you think Spider-Man: Homecoming will represent a major return to form for the character and his franchise? Let us know in the comments down below!

Spider-Man: Homecoming hits theaters on July 7, 2017.

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SOURCE: Deadline