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Since swinging onto the silver screen in 2002, Spider-Man has become the poster child of Marvel films. Over the course of the last two decades, the webhead has landed himself in a whopping eight live-action solo outings among two reboots with his most recent 2021 film—Spider-Man: No Way Home—bringing all his past stories full circle.
Every generation of Spider-Man brings something unique to the character. Tobey Maguire is the epitome of what Spider-Man should be. Andrew Garfield brings nuance to the chaotic life of Peter Parker. And, Tom Holland finally gives Spidey the chance to join the Avengers. While not all Spider-Man films have been given the same weight over the years, each and every story has rightfully earned its place in the pantheon of the web slinger’s storied history.
Warning: Spoilers for all live-action Spider-Man films ahead, including Spider-Man: No Way Home.
8 Amazing Spider-Man 2: A Repeat Of Past Mistakes
There’s a saying that insanity is the act of doing something over and over again and expecting different results. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is. Like it’s 2007 predecessor—Spider-Man 3—director Marc Webb’s second Spider-Man flick suffers from an over-ambitious story with shoehorned plot lines and a couple too many villains.
Ultimately, Sony became so focused about the prospect of developing the Sinister Six that they forgot to give Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker the character development he needed to succeed in the film, consequently leading to the premature end of his tenure as the web-slinger. While a rebooted Spider-Man would go on to find massive success in the MCU, fans still wonder to this day what The Amazing Spider-Man 3 would have looked like.
7 Spider-Man 3: Too Many Villains And Storylines
After two revolutionary Spider-Man films, it’s highly surprising that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 was released as the unmitigated disaster it was. While the movie has accumulated a nasty (yet meme-worthy) reputation over the years, the failures of the 2007 film can likely be attributed to the lack of creative control Raimi had as director.
Though Raimi has taken some credit for the flick’s failure by admitting that he tried to outdo the tremendous accomplishment that was Spider-Man 2, the inclusion of Venom became the film’s biggest detriment. Alongside James Franco’s transformation into the New Goblin and the introduction of Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman, adding a third villain and storyline seemed to seal the movie’s destiny for failure.
6 Amazing Spider-Man: A Case Study Of Peter Parker
While typically seen as the black sheep of the Spider-Man family, The Amazing Spider-Man duology doesn’t get enough credit for what it did in shaping Spidey’s presence on the silver screen. Though the second film may be riddled with problems, 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man does an excellent job of developing the world Garfield’s Peter Parker inhabits.
Furthermore, Garfield’s co-star Emma Stone does Peter’s love interest Gwen Stacy justice in this continuity, effectively redeeming the airhead that was Raimi’s Gwen in Spider-Man 3 and circumventing much of the cringey romance dialogue from the Raimi era. But while the film is a case study of who Peter Parker is, it seems to forget that it’s a Spider-Man movie, meaning it fails to deliver on one of the film’s most essential aspects: the Spider-Man action.
5 Homecoming: Spidey Crosses Over Into The MCU
Much of the success of 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming can be attributed to the fact that Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is paired with (if not carried by) the charismatic and legendary Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. Though a smart tactic on Kevin Feige and Marvel Studios’ part, this also makes Homecoming the weakest film in Spidey’s MCU trilogy, if only because Spider-Man doesn’t really stand on his own two feet for most of the film.
That doesn’t mean Jon Watts’ debut MCU movie is bad either, though. The flick features a grounded villain in Michael Keaton’s Vulture as well as a heartfelt callback to Amazing Spider-Man #33 (by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko) where the titular hero finds himself trapped beneath a collapsed building in a series of iconic panels. Like his 1963 counterpart, Holland’s Peter proves his worth as Spider-Man by lifting the building and fighting his own way to freedom.
4 Far From Home: Exploring The Legacy Of Iron Man
What Spider-Man: Far From Home has going for it that Homecoming doesn’t is that it pulls off the ridiculousness that is Mysterio. Despite the absurd outfit and fishbowl helmet, Jake Gyllenhaal manages to imbue the classic Spider-Man villain with a sense of danger that makes him a real threat to Peter and his friends, despite not having any actual superpowers.
Far From Home also marks the first time that Holland’s Peter must face a threat without the aid of his late mentor, Iron Man. Using his own wits and gadgets, Peter must come into his own as he confronts Mysterio alone on the London Tower Bridge. While victorious, Peter’s triumph is cut short when the villain posthumously releases doctored footage incriminating Spidey and outing his identity in one of the MCU’s craziest post-credits scenes.
3 Spider-Man: Finding A Home On The Silver Screen
“With great power comes great responsibility.” Though the adage dates back to antiquity, the quote is best known for its association with Uncle Ben in Sam Raimi’s original 2002 Spider-Man. And, like the proverb, Raimi had an immense responsibility of ensuring the successful debut of New York’s most famous web-slinger on the silver screen.
Fortunately, strong performances by Tobey Maguire as the awkward, nerdy Peter Parker and Willem Dafoe as the eccentric, bipolar Norman Osborn (a.k.a. Green Goblin) make Spider-Man a film for the ages. Full of iconic imagery like the death of Ben Parker and an upside-down kiss between Peter and MJ, the 2002 film would become instrumental in paving the road that led to the rise of the modern superhero movies and the birth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2 Spider-Man 2: The Quintessential Superhero Film
It has long been uncontested that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 is the greatest Spider-Man film of all time, if not the greatest superhero film of all time (though it likely finds a strong rivalry in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight). Building on the events of the previous movie, the 2004 flick finds Maguire’s Peter stressing over all his personal relationships while struggling to make ends meet.
Consequently, it’s implied that Peter loses his superpowers due to the stresses of everyday life, grounding the film with a rare sense of relatability. Additionally, a combination of balancing whimsicality with drama, providing tragic gravitas to Alfred Molina’s villainous Otto Octavius (a.k.a. Doctor Octopus), and integrating invigorating action scenes like the famous train fight elevates the story to new heights, making Spider-Man 2 the quintessential superhero film.
1 No Way Home: A Love Letter To Spider-Man Fans
While a case can be made that Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 is the superior film, 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home does the impossible in succeeding where Sony has previously failed (twice) by tying together all the live-action Spider-Man stories that came before. Holland’s third outing finds Peter botching Doctor Strange’s spell as they try to undo the damage Mysterio caused in Far From Home, which inadvertently causes the multiverse to break open.
The Avengers: Endgame of live-action Spider-Man films, No Way Home is overflowing with Easter eggs and references to all of Spider-Man’s past multimedia history, giving it the potential to edge out the legendary Spider-Man 2 as the greatest Spider-Man film of all time. Above all else, No Way Home makes its mark on the world as a love letter to Spider-Man fans who have followed his live-action journey since his silver screen debut in 2002.
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