Twenty years ago, when I rented Hong Kong movies at a video store next to the Korean market, I often thought how impressive the Chinese people were.

They would adapt martial arts novels like "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" into dramas, and a few years later, they would remake them again with different actors, and then after about ten years, they would remake them again with the latest CGI.

Sometimes I laughed, wondering how many times they could recycle the story of Zhang Wuji.

But it turns out the U.S. isn't much different.

It's Spider-Man.

Just thinking about the Spider-Man movies I've seen in theaters while living in LA, there was Tobey Maguire, then Andrew Garfield.

Just when I thought it was over, Tom Holland appeared.

Tom Holland, the actor who is currently in "Odyssey." He's riding the wave of success right now.

He stars in the upcoming 2026 film 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day.'

Honestly, I started to wonder.

What more stories can they tell with Spider-Man?

We know how he got his powers from a spider bite, the story of his uncle, his girlfriend's story, and most of the villains have already appeared.

In fact, the previous film 'No Way Home' even brought back old Spider-Men.

At this point, it felt like they had scraped the bottom of the barrel.

But looking at the results, I was wrong.

'Brand New Day,' which premiered in the U.S. on July 31, earned about $360 million in its opening weekend.

It broke the record for the highest opening weekend in North America, surpassing 'Avengers: Endgame.'

In just six days, it crossed the $1 billion mark worldwide, and by the end of August, its global box office revenue exceeded $2.2 billion.

It's the clear number one film of the year.

This is not just a successful movie; another blockbuster Spider-Man has emerged.

Interestingly, there have been discussions for years about how people are getting tired of superhero movies.

Many have said that Marvel films aren't what they used to be. I actually agreed.

But when this guy in a red suit swings through New York City on webs, people flock back to theaters.

Thinking about it, Spider-Man is a bit different from other superheroes.

Superman is almost a god, and Batman is incredibly wealthy.

But Peter Parker is always broke, dealing with relationship issues, and struggling at school or work. Despite his incredible powers, his life isn't easy.

This movie centers on Peter Parker living alone after the world forgets his identity.

So, from the audience's perspective, they go to see the web-slinging action but end up getting drawn into the lonely, human story of Peter Parker.

When you think about it, it's the same with China's "The Legend of the Condor Heroes."

Even knowing how many times they've told the story of Zhang Wuji, people still watch. When a new actor comes in, they're curious about how this version of Zhang Wuji will be.

Americans are no different.

They know Peter Parker's parents, his uncle, MJ, and where the web comes from.

Yet they still watch.

And the funniest part is, I think I would watch the new Spider-Man too.

It seems that movies don't just need completely new stories.

We can retell stories we already know and love, adapting them for the times.

Chinese audiences meet Zhang Wuji every ten years, while Americans meet Peter Parker again.

And looking at the box office results for 2026, it seems that Spider-Man's web is far from breaking.

With this kind of money made, they will find a way to create more stories, even if they seem to have none.

But it will probably still be entertaining.