There has been a multiverse of Spider-Man on-screen depictions since the character’s first film in 1977, with most of those occurring in the last two decades. Despite numerous reboots and a revolving door of actors, people can’t get enough of their friendly neighborhood web-slinger. This was proven after Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s trailer smashed the record for most global views within 24 hours. At 355.5 million views, it surpassed the previous record of 289 million views held by a small movie called Avengers: Endgame.
The question proposed today is which of those interpretations are the best? Today’s list was compiled with several factors in mind. Among them is the performance of the actor, screen time, quality of the movie and cultural significance. The list is also only toward films and not television series.
Apologies in advance to Garfield. Away we go:
5. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
Tom Holland makes the most of his introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with this glorified cameo. His screen-time is limited to two scenes, including the massive airport fight scene where he shines. Of course, it’s cool to see him finally interact with the Avengers, but the exuberance beneath the mask is what makes his time stand out. He’s a nerd caught up in the whirlwind of a cataclysmic superhero conflict when he should be focusing on his homework. He can’t help but geek out even during battle. The element of his youth thrown in with the veterans is a nice shot in the arm for a movie that’s otherwise fine.
4. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
The first solo film for Holland’s Spider-Man under the original Marvel-Sony agreement. The strength of this film lies not within Holland’s performance but in the cast and setting. Homecoming keeps the stakes grounded. Parker’s main concern, apart from his eagerness to be a superhero, is going to homecoming with the girl he has a crush on. Rather than the focus be solely about him being a superhero who happens to be a high schooler, it’s the opposite. He has regular kid problems that make the film feel less serious, and there’s excellent chemistry between castmates, especially his best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Michael Keaton also makes for a great villain as The Vulture. The scene between him and Holland in the car during that moment is gold.
3. Spider-Man (2002)
They just don’t make them like they used to. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire pioneered the superhero genre. The only other superhero films of note going on around this time were the X-Men films, and while most of those are fine, they don’t compare to the magic bursting from this movie. Maguire may be a better Peter Parker than Spider-Man, but his awkwardness and love for Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) give this movie a big beating heart. Its style is more comparable to Ang Lee’s Hulk than contemporary superhero films, but that’s probably a good thing. It’s never dull to look at. The fight sequences are a blast to behold. Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin performance is a metal descent into madness. Not to mention his costume, which is devastatingly cool. Then there’s one of the most famous kisses in cinema history. There’s not too much to dislike here.
2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
So what do you do after making the best superhero movie ever at that time if you’re Sam Raimi? You make the next one even better! Everything good about the first one is phenomenal in this entry. Life is becoming even more difficult for Parker to navigate as a part-time college student, part-time pizza delivery driver, full-time superhero. What’s worse, he begins to lose his powers at an alarming rate. The stakes are higher in this than its predecessor, but the action is driven by drama. Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octavious is a villain born of heartbreak and corruption. Harry Osborne (James Franco) seeks vengeance for the death of his father and Mary Jane is engaged to an astronaut. Another pioneer in the superhero genre, this film holds up better than most of what the MCU churns out, hence this horrifying clip below.
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2017)
Miles away (get it?) better than everything else on this list. Spider-Verse oozes with creative ambition. It’s essentially a comic book in motion, but doing all the outlandish things animation can get away with that live-action just can’t. It hammers home the point of Spider-Man as a character, in that anyone can wear the mask. Equal parts inspiring and hilarious, it investigates identity and the influence of home, overcoming self-doubt and the quest for fearlessness. The way the film handles the various introductions and re-introductions of the character, in the movie and beyond, is a playful spin on superhero tropes. It should have been nominated by The Academy for Best Picture, but that’s another article for another day. This is the greatest version of Spider-Man to ever grace the screen.
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