Maybe that's why I find a franchise like Spider-Man more compelling than, say, those old Batman films of the late '80s and early '90s. Likewise, the behind-the-scenes talent is also often in it for the long haul, giving many of today's biggest franchises a unified consistency of tone, approach and performance that's quite unique to recent cinema. That means that the guy you fell in love with playing Spider-Man in the first movie is almost certain to be the same guy you'll see in Part III.
If there's one good thing to come out of Hollywood's love affair with film franchises, it's that now, even before a movie proves itself to be a blockbuster, usually the cast and filmmakers have already been contractually locked in for later sequels.
