Set two years after the original, Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) finds managing both his personal life and duties as the superhero Spider-Man increasingly difficult, and decides to give up. He must return to his duties though, when Dr. Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina) turns insane following a failed experiment and the death of his wife. Using his mechanical tentacles, Octavius is dubbed "Doctor Octopus" and threatens to endanger the lives of the people of New York City and Peter's loved ones.

The film was released on June 30, 2004 in the United States and received mostly positive reviews from critics. It went on to earn over $373.5 million in the US, and $783 million worldwide. The film's success led to another sequel, Spider-Man 3.

Spider-Man 2 can be watched for free on Crackle, Sony Pictures Entertainment's premium video website.