Superhero movies are so common these days that comic book characters you’ve never heard of still get their moment on the movie theater marquee. But when we think of the best of the genre, we keep coming back to the huge names: the Avengers, Superman, Spider-Man, and Batman. And out of all of those films, popular opinion says that Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight is the greatest superhero film ever made.

What Christian Bale and Heath Ledger pulled off in 2008 was certainly iconic. But sorry to the Caped Crusader: the best superhero movie is still one that came before it. Because in 2004, Sam Raimi changed the direction of superhero movies forever with Spider-Man 2, a film that brought us a stand-out supporting cast, jaw-dropping action sequences, and a deep exploration of its hero’s mind. To say that Spider-Man 2 is better than The Dark Knight is not to argue that the latter doesn’t deserve all the accolades it gets. Instead, calling Spider-Man 2 the greatest superhero movie is to recognize that it takes a very special film to even be compared to Nolan’s masterpiece — and that its breakthroughs are part of what made The Dark Knight possible.

Peter Parker Is a More Compelling Character Than Bruce Wayne

Part of what elevates Spider-Man 2 over The Dark Knight is its main character. As fantastic as Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is, Tobey Maguire‘s Peter Parker is superior. Some of this is inherent in the character: Bruce Wayne is purposefully limited, holding his emotions in for the most part. He wears the part of a billionaire as his costume. It’s only when he puts on the cape that he becomes his true self.

That’s not so with Peter Parker. Alvin Sargent‘s script for Spider-Man 2 gives us a deeply sympathetic look at the kid behind the mask. By now, Parker has his role as a hero all figured out; in this film, he learns that he must live with the cost. Not only did he lose his Uncle Ben, but people have been hurt and killed because of his powers and how he chose to use them. In the first film, Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe) died. Now, his son, Harry (James Franco), is simultaneously Parker’s best friend while also seething with hatred towards Spider-Man. Peter must carry that weight, along with the knowledge of how often he is putting Mary Jane’s (Kirsten Dunst) life on the line.

Batman is the epitome of dark cool. Spider-Man is relatable precisely because he is not cool; rather, he is an everyman who is either blessed or cursed with a gift. No matter how many good things he does, the weight of responsibility and its repercussions is almost too much to carry.

‘Spider-Man 2’ Is Carried By Its Stellar Supporting Cast

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

While Tobey Maguire is excellent as Peter Parker, his successes wouldn’t matter if he doesn’t have a great cast of characters to interact with. Rosemary Harris‘ May Parker is the soul of the family, keeping Peter grounded when everything feels like it’s coming undone. And this time around, everything in his relationship with MJ is turned up a notch. Their relationship is now much more than awe, mystery, and upside-down kisses in the rain; in Spider-Man 2, fantasy meets reality. Mary Jane wants to be with Peter, which he wants more than anything. However, his fear of her getting hurt because of who he is leads him to push her away, straight into the arms of John Jameson (Daniel Gillies). We know Peter and MJ will eventually be together, but the film makes our two leads earn it, resulting in the stunning, third act reveal of Peter’s secret identity in front of Mary Jane. Romantic subplots are often afterthoughts in superhero movies but Spider-Man 2 does its love story splendidly well.

And no great superhero can exist without a great villain. Spider-Man 2, like The Dark Knight, has two. No one can compare with the genius of Heath Ledger’s Joker, but Sam Raimi’s well-written baddies were a refreshing one-two punch in a time when villains were often one-note tropes. The audience can understand both their motivations. Of course, Norman Osborn brought his demise on himself, but still, what son wouldn’t defend his father? Seeing only the good in his dad is how Harry Osborn grieves. He’s tormented by a deep pain that brings out the worst in him.

Even better is Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius, a good man and scientist turned tragic villain Dr. Octopus. Whereas there is no curing the Joker, Doc Ock is a bad guy who is intimidating while also being sympathetic, who eventually comes to his senses and tries to help. This all comes together to make Spider-Man 2 a deeply human story where the action is secondary to the emotional performances.

‘Spider-Man 2’ Is the Perfect Blend of Action and Emotion

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

Despite its emphasis on character development, Spider-Man 2 does not get lazy with its action sequences. In fact, Spider-Man 2 is one jaw-dropping action scene after another. But while they show off inventive set design and gasp-inducing fight choreography, what gives them all their power is the emotion behind them.

Spider-Man 2‘s train scene, which is perhaps its most famous sequence, is a prime example of this. Raimi’s direction and Danny Elfman‘s score blend together in a moment that spotlights exactly how hard Peter Parker will fight to save the innocent — he’ll damn near rip himself in half for the people of New York City. And he does it all unmasked, his identity exposed. Afterward, when he collapses, Spider-Man 2 delivers its most powerful scene, as the citizens carefully move his body to safety, in a show of connection. They don’t want to reveal his identity; they see this superhero as a person and are thankful. Three years after 9/11, the idea of community in the Big Apple was a tearjerker. 22 years later, it still gets the waterworks going.

Spider-Man 2 was a revelation when it was released. Before it, outside of a few examples like Blade and X-Men, comic book movies were looked down on. They were for kids and no one else. In his perfect four-star review, Roger Ebert wrote that Spider-Man 2 is “a superhero movie for people who don’t go to superhero movies, and for those who do, it’s the one they’ve been yearning for.” It’s the starting point for everything that came after. Two decades later, it’s the benchmark, the one that changed everything.

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Spider-Man 2

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Release Date

June 30, 2004

Runtime

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127 minutes

Director

Sam Raimi

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Writers

Alvin Sargent, Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, Michael Chabon

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Frankie Muniz and his wife, Paige Price Muniz, announced that they are ending their marriage after seven years. While the news came as a surprise to many fans, some focused on how the actor chose to share the update.

Some online users criticized the “Malcolm in the Middle” star for the video that accompanied the announcement, in which he was seen joyfully dancing with Paige and their young son. Paige has responded to the public criticism, noting how cruel people can be while defending Muniz’s post.

Former Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is officially a single man, as his divorce from his ex-wife, Kayla Reid, has been finalized. In a new interview, Reid, a Florida-based realtor, opened up about her split from Lochte, 41, calling their separation one of “the hardest experiences of my life.” Before today, Lochte and Reid exchanged blows in the headlines, with Reid accusing the swimmer of drug use and cheating, and Lochte appearing to call the mother of his children a “gold-digger.”

Lochte and Reid are finally divorced! Speaking with PEOPLE, Reid told the outlet that she was ready to move on with her life after a lengthy court battle. “Divorce has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but it has also revealed a strength I didn’t know I had,” the 34-year-old said. “I’m grateful to be moving forward with clarity, peace, and a lot of faith in what’s ahead.”

Reid announced her plans to divorce the gold medalist in the summer of 2025, according to The Blast. On Instagram, she explained that she faced several “trials” during her marriage. “I’ve come to the understanding that staying isn’t always the most loving decision someone can make. For me, leaving was an act of love, for those around me and for myself,” she said.

Reid Said Her ‘Best Chapters’ Are Ahead Of Her After Divorcing Ryan Lochte Following Nearly 10 Years Of Marriage

Later in her interview, Reid said there were still hurdles she’d need to overcome, but implied she was eager to be free finally. “I genuinely believe the best chapters of my life are still unwritten,” she said.

She went on to say that leaving a situation that was no longer beneficial to her has been “incredibly empowering,” adding that while she doesn’t want to celebrate the end of her marriage, she’s finding strength in the process.

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Reid finished, “To my family, friends, community, and everyone who showed up for me when I needed it most: thank you. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

Ryan Lochte And Reid Exchanged Jabs In The Headlines Over The Last Year

Reid’s divorce from Lochte was anything but smooth sailing. According to The Blast, Reid alleged that the swimmer had cheated on her with his new partner, Molly Gillihan, and used drugs in their family home. She also accused the athlete of being incapable of fully providing for their three minor children, claiming that he’s fallen asleep at the wheel and even passed out while watching the children when he was the only adult present.

Another report from The Blast details an alleged email Lochte sent to Reid earlier this year that read, “Molly is a ten times better mother then [sic] you will ever be and I think if it was bad idea we wouldn’t go.” He allegedly added, “Look at the offer I just sent to your lawyer and move on with your gold digging life.” Months before that, Lochte caught the attention of many when he posted a screenshot of Kanye West’s “Gold Digger” to his Instagram Stories.

Are Things OK Between Lochte And Reid?

While the pair are officially divorced, it’s unclear whether they’re on good terms today. In February 2026, Reid spoke candidly about where she stood with Lochte, admitting that they were “not in a good place.”

She explained that she was praying for Lochte to step up and “become the father our kids deserve” before revealing that they have “minimal interaction” with each other.

Lochte Is Engaged!

It’s great to know Lochte’s divorce has been finalized, considering the new Missouri State swim coach recently proposed to Gillihan at dinner in Florida, per The Blast.

He released his own statement, saying he was on to “bigger and better” things and that he was looking forward to marrying his new fiancée.

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Regarding the proposal, Lochte popped the big question while out at dinner in Gainesville, revealing that Gillihan was overcome with emotions.

“She immediately started crying and said, ‘What took you so long?’” Lochte said.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are indirectly doing a good deed with their highly publicized union.

The lovebirds are set to tie the knot on July 3, with all eyes on Madison Square Garden in New York City. Thanks to the growing attention, officials are more focused on the unhoused population in the area.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce became engaged in 2025 and have been far from open about their wedding plans, leading to various speculations.

According to new reports, the growing interest in Swift and Kelce’s wedding has pushed New York City officials to prioritize the unhoused population around Madison Square Garden. A source with direct knowledge about the matter confirmed the news.

They claimed the Department of Homeless Services would send out a “significant force” to MSG and the Penn Station areas from July 2 through July 4. The deployment team would include more outreach workers than usual to help people experiencing homelessness in the neighborhood.

The source stressed to TMZ that the increased personnel in the area wasn’t about clearing the way for Swift and Kelce’s wedding. Instead, the city was prioritizing the unhoused population due to the dangerous heat set to hit New York around the same time as the couple’s festivities.

The Homeless Are Being Warned To Seek Shelter

The Penn Station area is reportedly one of the city’s largest homeless dens, with Swift and Kelce’s union set to draw more crowds to the site. On that note, officials were concerned about how the unhoused population would fare when the heat wave strikes.

They were particularly concerned about the hours between noon and 8 PM when the heat would be at its worst, and the couple’s wedding festivities around MSG would be at their busiest. The Department of Homeless Services would allegedly deploy about 200 two-person outreach teams.

These teams would prioritize the MSG area to warn unhoused people about the heat wave. People without housing would be told to leave the area and head to shelters or cooling centers, but the outreach teams cannot force anyone unwilling to move.

The Soon-To-Be Newlyweds Have Racked Up A Massive Security Bill

Although the outreach teams could not force the unhoused population to leave the MSG area, they could provide alternatives like encouraging people to seek shelter inside Penn Station. The news of the city’s plans for people without homes follows reports of Swift and Kelce’s wedding security bill.

The Blast covered the story, reporting sources claimed the lovebirds could spend six figures on their security. They allegedly enlisted the services of more than 70 NYPD officials, costing around $80 to $90 per hour, who would be stationed around the MSG area from July 2 to July 3.

The bill for these NYPD officials would allegedly exceed $95,000. The couple’s security measures continued with an additional 50 police officers, working nine-hour shifts at approximately $70 per hour. These officers added an estimated $63,000 to the security expenses.

The Couple May Be Planning A Fairytale-Themed Event

Swift and Kelce’s security wasn’t the only thing they were splurging on, as their wedding preparations might cost a pretty penny. The Blast shared that crews were working round-the-clock preparing for the couple’s big day, with what appeared to be fairytale-themed decorations.

Construction teams were recently seen unloading large, massive scenic pieces labeled “Garden Party 1 (Scenic)” at MSG. The letters “GP” were also spray-painted outside the venue, sparking speculations that Swift and Kelce were building an elaborate garden with a castle.

These theories matched the duo’s fairytale narrative, including their engagement, which was a scene out of a romance story with its picturesque flower scenery. There were also speculations that the “Garden Party” label could be an easter egg for Swift’s future music.

Taylor Swift And Travis Kelce Are Reportedly Stressed By Their Wedding Plans

As their highly anticipated union approaches, Swift and Kelce are allegedly under pressure to ensure everything goes perfectly. The Blast reported that sources claimed the duo was stressed, with one insider saying:

“They’ve invited so many people, and they want every single one of them to have the time of their lives, so the pressure they’re putting on themselves is enormous.”

The insider added that Swift was “having stress dreams about everything from the cake to her dress going wrong.” They explained that she and Kelce were very involved in their wedding plans rather than leaving it all to the hired professionals.

Actor Frankie Muniz is opening up about his divorce from his “baby momma,” Paige Price Muniz. After 10 years of marriage, the “Big Fat Liar” performer said that he and his soon-to-be ex-partner have realized that they’re better off as friends. Frankie and Paige first met in 2016, and later eloped in October 2019. They were married at a formal celebration in February 2020.

Frankie, known for his role in “Malcolm in the Middle” and the reboot “Malcolm in the Middle: Life’s Still Unfair,” shared a video of himself and his soon-to-be ex-wife, Paige, dancing with their 5-year-old son, Mauz. In the caption, Frankie broke his silence on their decision to split.

“Life update! Following a period of separation that we kept private, Paige and I have decided to move forward with ending our marriage,” he wrote. “After 10 beautiful years together, we’ve grown in ways that made us realize our relationship feels most natural and strong as a deep friendship and as co-parents.”

Frankie added text to his video that said, “Who says you can’t stay best friends with your baby momma?” (Frankie has since deleted the original video after facing backlash in the comments and replaced it with the post above.)

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Frankie Muniz Says He’s ‘Endlessly Grateful’ To His Wife, Paige Price Muniz, Following Separation Announcement

Frankie and Paige’s son, Mauz, was born in March 2021. In his separation announcement, the actor said that his son is the “center” of his and Paige’s world, adding that they’re both “happier, stronger parents because of the love and growth we’ve shared.”

According to Frankie, the 40-year-old is “endlessly grateful” for his relationship with Paige, and thanked her for what she’s done for him and their family.

“She put her own dreams on hold so I could chase mine, and she was always my biggest supporter,” he wrote. “That foundation of respect and friendship isn’t going anywhere. We’re excited to keep building Muniz Racing together and to co-parent our boy with the same teamwork and love we’ve always had.”

Frankie Muniz Previously Called His Wedding To Wife, Paige, ‘Perfect’

After getting married in February 2020, Frankie opened up to PEOPLE about the special day, saying everything about the occasion was “perfect.”

“From the moment of waking up together and jumping on the bed hyping each other up, to helping our wedding planner with setting things up at the venue, all the way to walking down the aisle with my best friend hand in hand with our closest friends and family in attendance. Everything was just so us,” the “Rookie” guest star said.

Frankie asked Paige to spend forever with him back in the winter of 2018 at an annual lantern festival in Arizona. “So thankful this Thanksgiving for my FIANCEE!” Frankie wrote on social media. “Yep, @pogprice said yes! She makes my life instantly better! We’re eating our Thanksgiving dinner at Boston Market, but I wouldn’t want it any other way, as long as [I] have her by my side! #sheismyrock.”

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Another Celebrity Has Divorced The Mother Of His Children

Frankie isn’t the only public figure who’s parting ways with his partner of several years. According to a previous report from The Blast, Olympian Ryan Lochte has finalized his divorce from his ex-wife, Kayla Reid. The pair revealed their plans to separate last summer, and as of July 1, their contentious battle has concluded. They share three children.

“Divorce has been one of the hardest experiences of my life, but it has also revealed a strength I didn’t know I had,” Reid said about the divorce. “I’m grateful to be moving forward with clarity, peace, and a lot of faith in what’s ahead.”

Jelly Roll Says Goodbye To Bunnie Xo

Adding to the list of celebrities headed for divorce street, country singer Jelly Roll filed for divorce from his partner, Bunnie Xo, in May 2026, per PEOPLE. He broke his silence on their split in June, denying the rumors that the pair had any bad blood between them.

“While we’re talking about liars, the internet is a liar too,” he said on stage at his “Little A** Shed Tour.” He added, “Me and my wife are best friends, we will always be best friends. I will love her. She will probably be the only woman I’ll ever love the way I loved her.” The “Wild Ones” singer went on to slam the claims that they decided to end their marriage due to infidelity.

By Chris Snellgrove
| Published 28 seconds ago

After the success of last year’s Superman, hopes were high for Supergirl. In fact, they were up, up, and away! This movie was going to flesh out the DCU while adding a strong, independent female character to this cinematic universe. Had the movie been successful, it would have been lauded as proof that the general moviegoing public is ready for a new kind of hero and a new kind of cinematic universe. Unfortunately, the movie was dead on arrival, leaving fans and critics alike to ask the same question: “what the heck happened here?” Some think they have the answer: men happened, damn it!

Specifically, there is a growing narrative among Supergirl fans that the movie is great and that its bad reputation is due to woman-hating misogynists. This is a comforting narrative, of course, allowing someone to believe that anyone who hates their favorite media must 1) Have bad taste, and 2) Be a bad person. However, you don’t need X-ray vision to see just how weak and even dangerous this narrative really is. Why dangerous? Simple: if creators like DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn start blaming all their failures on invisible enemies, then these superhero movies will never, ever get any better.

A Familiar Narrative

One of the emerging fan narratives surrounding Supergirl shouldn’t surprise you, especially if you’ve been paying attention for the last decade or so (more on this very soon). Plenty of fans really love the movie, and they can’t understand how it ended up “rotten” on Rotten Tomatoes and made so little money in its opening weekend. Some of those superfans decided that the only logical conclusion was misogyny. That is, they believe that men who would normally turn up for a superhero movie stayed home and that male influencers killed the chance for bad word-of-mouth by loudly complaining about the movie online.

This narrative doesn’t make sense once you examine it, of course. For one thing, if misogyny killed Supergirl, it would reflect in the demographics, leaving more women seeing it than men. That didn’t happen, though: 59 percent of the audience was men and only 41 percent was women, indicating that the ladies didn’t show up in the same numbers as they did for, say, Captain Marvel and Wonder Woman. Men didn’t show up in the same numbers, either, revealing a hard truth: Supergirl just wasn’t very popular. There was no misogynist conspiracy to keep the masses from seeing it. Rather, the movie’s marketing department did that all on its own.

Who Ya Gonna Blame?

Now, the idea that misogynists sunk Supergirl didn’t come out of nowhere. You can basically throw a rock and hit some weird, right-wing influencer offering hot takes on why the film failed. The Critical Drinker, for example, predictably declared that most female-led superhero movies are doomed to poor box office. Megyn Kelly called Supergirl star Milly Alcock “very weirdly small” and “loathsome.” Jesse Waters and Greg Gutfeld clutched their pearls about a Supergirl who is both “woke” and “bisexual.” Matt Walsh lamented how our “female-centric society” produced the “comedically absurd premise” of “some 105-pound girlboss action hero.” 

The Supergirl fans blaming misogyny on the film’s failures are looking at narratives like these and believing this toxicity explains everything. But they aren’t considering something deceptively simple: these guys were always going to make these exact same complaints. Prominent conservatives were never going to give a glowing review to a movie about an illegal immigrant who is stronger than almost any male in the entire universe. Such critics made the same critiques of Captain Marvel, which earned over a billion dollars. For the haters whose misogynistic reviews were likely written long before the premiere, Supergirl bombing was just the icing on the cake.

In short, Supergirl fans who blame the movie’s failure on misogyny because of these comments are putting the cart before the horse. These reviews didn’t keep people from seeing the movie. By the time they went live, most fans had decided whether or not to plonk down a small fortune to see it on opening weekend. Supergirl was doomed long before these conservative voices spoke out, and in a bit of irony, trying to blame them for the movie’s failure may doom this franchise.

Apathy Is The Real Enemy

What do Ghostbusters: Answer the Call, Star Trek: Discovery, and Supergirl all have in common? Simple: they all had major flaws and fans who thought you weren’t allowed to notice the flaws. If you hated Ghostbusters for its poor script and bad improv, fans would argue that you simply hated women. If you hated Discovery for Michael Burnham’s emotional overreactions, fans would argue that you simply hated women. Now, if you hate Supergirl for its bad script and bland direction, fans will argue (you guessed it!) that you simply hate women. It’s a narrative producers encourage because it shifts the blame from creators to a bunch of nameless incels.

However, buying into this narrative actually hurts the franchises in a tangible way. Once fans  start blaming invisible targets (“those chuds just weren’t ready for the ultimate girlboss!!1!!”), they let the actual culprits (such as bad writers and directors) off the hook. Like, if you want future DCU movies to be better, it’s important to figure out why audiences were so “meh” on Supergirl in the first place. But when fans blame other fans, studios just keep cranking out the same crappy movies filled with the same preventable mistakes. Time to break the cycle, be honest about Supergirl’s flaws, and encourage DC Studios to make better films.  

If that doesn’t work, there’s always Plan B: pretending that the only reason fans ever complain about superhero slop is because we hate women!