Spider-Man is Marvel’s most popular superhero. It was the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie that helped launch the Hollywood superhero craze we’re witnessing today. The wall-crawler made a serious impact in pop culture, and much of it is thanks to his appearance in films, both in past and present.
Due to how popular the character is, he has been a great subject of Sony’s while they tried to launch their own film universes. Spidey has been rebooted two major times in film history- once by Sony, and once by Marvel Studios. With so many people that have different ideas of how to write the character, there are three drastically different interpretations of him on the big screen, each with their own goals.
With these three versions, though, there comes the big question: who is the best live-action Spider-Man? There are people who will swear up and down that, despite all of the changes made to the franchises, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man remains the best for all of his iconic film moments. Some argue that Andrew Garfield’s version, while lacking in some areas, was the best version of the superhero to date. Then there are those that feel Tom Holland brings together the best of all worlds, crafting the quintessential version of the webhead.
Wherever you fall in the big Spider-Man debate, there is an argument for each version. Here are 10 reasons why Tobey Maguire is the best, 10 reasons why Andrew Garfield is underrated, and 10 reasons why Tom Holland is the ultimate.
30 Maguire: Key Character Moments
For all of the weird crying scenes, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man benefits from having dramatic character moments that help define him in every film. When thinking back to Sam Raimi’s trilogy, there are a few scenes that fans recall as some of the most legendary in superhero movie history. The scene where Spidey stops the train is a classic, as well as the moment where he discovers that Green Goblin is actually Norman Osborn. Moments like these are sprinkled throughout the trilogy, and make the character more dynamic.
29 Garfield: Sense Of Humor
While it was a shaky start in The Amazing Spider-Man, there’s no denying that Garfield had a clear understanding of how to capture Spider-Man’s sense of humor and he did a nice job of utilizing it. During The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Garfield looked like he was having a great time, cracking jokes at the bad guys, and putting on a fireman helmet to try and douse some flames. These snarky comments were something missing in Maguire’s version, and something that Garfield’s version focused on more.
28 Holland: Classic Spider-Man
With all the versions of Spider-Man on the big screen, Tom Holland’s feels the most classic. Everything about his character seems to have been carefully selected by Marvel to fit him in the MCU while still having a design and personality that hearken back to the early days. Everything from Spidey’s age to his attitude amongst the other superheroes is all executed well, and Holland’s version stands out from the rest as a result. He’s just a kid trying to do good in the world.
27 Maguire: Underdog Peter Parker
There’s nothing like rooting for the underdog, and Maguire pulls it off well. From the opening moments of Spider-Man, we get the sense that Parker is constantly down on his luck. This makes the audience sympathize with him, and also makes it much more exciting when he finally becomes Spider-Man and gets to have some triumphant moments all on his own. This version of the character feels more personal to us, as we all feel like we’re the underdogs in our own stories at some point.
26 Garfield: Punishable Choices
When Garfield’s Spider-Man decides to date Gwen Stacy despite the pleadings of her father, it seems that things might go well for Peter.
Unfortunately, his choice to go against Captain Stacy’s wishes led to exactly what he was afraid of: Gwen’s demise.
While the movie might’ve been a letdown, it’s hard to ignore that Garfield’s Spider-Man learned that every one of his choices came with a consequence. It would then lead him to blame himself for the passing of the woman he loved.
25 Holland: Teenager
When Peter Parker was introduced to the world, he was nothing more than a teenager who also happened to be a superhero. While previous film versions of the character tried to capture this, none did it better than Tom Holland. Not only was he cast as a young man to look the part, but much of Spider-Man: Homecoming is a high school film reminiscent of a John Hughes movie. Previous versions dabble in the high school element of the character, often having him graduate early on.
24 Maguire: Adult Responsibilities
After Peter Parker graduates high school, his problems of a double life don’t go away. He has to deal with maintaining a job, paying rent, and keeping up with his classes. Maguire’s version captured this one the best, as we see his life constantly going downhill as he keeps up his time as Spider-Man. This became a serious motivation for him to hang up the suit in Spider-Man 2. It gives a more realistic feel to how someone’s life would change while trying to be a superhero.
23 Garfield: Mystery Of His Parents
Peter Parker was always raised by his aunt and uncle, the whereabouts of his parents usually set aside for a graveyard. However, Garfield’s version brought an interesting angle to the mix by having the fate of his parents set up as a mystery.
By the end of The Amazing Spider-Man, there were still many details the audience didn’t know about Parker’s parents.
Their indirect involvement into their son’s superpowers as well as their connection to Oscorp made for a potentially great change in the Spider-Man story.
22 Holland: Amazed In A World Of Superheroes
Holland’s Spider-Man didn’t enter the MCU until Captain America: Civil War, by the time all the other Marvel heroes were well-established. Being just a young kid, he resembles a lot of us as viewers. He’s just excited to be there and see all of the heroes he looked up to all his life. There’s a genuine excitement when he gets to be a part of the Avengers, and it makes his team-ups with other characters feel a lot more fun as a result.
21 Maguire: Real Sacrifice
Maguire’s Spider-Man deals a lot with sacrifice. To continue being the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, he has to sacrifice many things that he would’ve normally enjoyed. At the end of Spider-Man, he gives up being with Mary Jane to protect her. In Spider-Man 3, he gives up seeking revenge on his uncle’s slayer in order to let him live a peaceful life. Maguire’s Spider-Man was constantly faced with choices where he could work for himself or for the greater good of the people of New York.
20 Garfield: Chemistry With Gwen Stacy
One of the best parts of The Amazing Spider-Man franchise is seeing Garfield’s Peter Parker and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy interact.
Where Maguire and Kirsten Dunst didn’t have a lot of chemistry, Garfield and Stone were oozing with it.
The two were a treat to watch on the big screen, as their love story was every bit as awkward and believable as we wanted. It made watching her perish in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 much harder, as the two had a convincing relationship.
19 Holland: Guy In The Chair
Up until Holland’s version of Spider-Man, Peter Parker didn’t have a best friend. Sure, he had Harry Osborn in Spider-Man, but he was built up more as an antagonist and didn’t spend a lot of time with Parker. With Holland’s iteration, we get Ned. Not only does Ned’s presence make Spidey feel like he’s in a realistic high school setting, but it gives him someone to interact with. They’re both nerds and they make weird decisions, but there’s no denying that they are best friends and are with each other through thick and thin.
18 Maguire: The Uncle Ben Moment
The tragic passing of Uncle Ben was something that happened in both Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man. It was the former that pulled it off phenomenally. Uncle Ben taught a lot of great lessons to Peter, and it was his bad decision that caused his uncle’s demise. Since then, Peter felt responsible for ending his uncle, and that motivated him to become a better hero. Every good thing he did in subsequent films stemmed from a desire to make his uncle proud.
17 Garfield: Excellent Action
Special effects for Sam Raimi’s trilogy weren’t quite up to snuff to provide jaw-dropping action, but The Amazing Spider-Man movies handled it well. Garfield’s Spider-Man fought like a spider, crawling around his foes, zipping through New York, and using his Spider Sense to dodge attacks at the last moment. The action was quick and snappy and was a highlight of the films. Even compared to Spider-Man: Homecoming, Garfield’s version had more impressive action. The fight with both Electro and Green Goblin were some of the best moments.
16 Holland: Dialogue With Karen
While some aren’t keen on the Iron Man-esque interpretation of Spider-Man’s suit, the addition of an AI was an overall good decision.
Without making him awkwardly talk to himself, there was no proper way to convey Spider-Man’s clever thoughts from the comics.
By adding Karen, Holland’s Spidey always has someone to talk to, which leads to some funny and well-written moments. The big screen can finally have a Spider-Man that makes clever comments “to himself.”
15 Maguire: Learns Major Lessons
Every Spider-Man movie in Raimi’s trilogy is built on a moral lesson that Peter Parker needs to learn by the end. In the first one, it’s that great power comes great responsibility. In the second, it has everything to do with love sickness as stated by Doc Ock. The point we’re making here is that there are clear lessons that Maguire’s Spider-Man learns. In turn, they each make him a more well-rounded character and help him grow as the series grows.
14 Garfield: Peter’s Intelligence
Each version of Spider-Man on the big screen plays with Peter Parker’s intelligence, but a lot of time is spent exploring Garfield’s intelligence. Not only do we see his process of coming up with the web shooters in the first place, but we also witness him working alongside Dr. Curt Connors, finding the break in the formula that he could never crack. This intelligence was later used by Parker in his battles with various villains, as he figures out smarter ways of taking them down.
13 Holland: Always Worked For The Greater Good
Holland’s Spider-Man is young and has a lot to learn about how the world works. He doesn’t quite see the world in morally grey areas. Instead, he’s pure-hearted and sees the world in shades of black and white. Something is either good or bad. Despite letting down his friends on multiple occasions, Holland’s Spidey always makes the choice for the greater good, choosing to stop the bad guy and save other people rather than go down the easy or selfish road. He doesn’t struggle with his dark emotions like Maguire and Garfield did.
12 Maguire: Proper Photographer
Both Maguire’s and Garfield’s versions of Spider-Man were photographers, but it was the former that handled it better than the latter.
Maguire would get a job with the Daily Bugle, capturing photos of Spider-Man.
It also gave the writers the opportunity to introduce J.K. Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson, who is one of the best characters in any superhero movie to date. Subsequent versions of the character haven’t properly played with the photography aspect of the character. Holland’s version doesn’t even use a camera.
11 Garfield: Interacted With Kids
With Garfield’s Spider-Man, there seemed a certain charitability to him. Sure, he would spend his days going against crime bosses and lords, but he would also take the time to help out little kids who were getting bullied. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, we even see Spidey walking a kid home and helping him with his science project. Moments like those, where Spider-Man interacts with kids, are what make the character so lovable. There are tiny scenes like it in Sam Raimi’s trilogy, but never quite as meaningful.