If you told ten-year-old me that Sony/Marvel was planning a Spider-Man film with three Spider-Men (Spider-Mans!?), I’d have totally lost it. At that age, I was already obsessed with the Sam Raimi-helmed Spider-Man (2002), having re-watched it several times over. So, you’re telling me there’s gonna be a movie with 3 Spideys? Excelsior!
Fast forward to my late twenties and rumors are abound that the cast of the previous two Sony Spider-Man franchises are joining forces with Tom Holland’s MCU Spidey. Reality is crumbling down before my eyes as a newer, dreamier reality takes its place. And would you believe it? I am hyped from my very core. But with these rumors of a live-action Spider-Verse film, there is no better time to look back on the Spider-Men that made our childhoods and, let’s be frank, our adulthoods, too. A number of actors have portrayed Peter Parker and his masked alter-ego on the big screen but some are definitely better than others.
Thus, without further ado, let’s rank the different actors who have portrayed the Peter and his web-slinging alter-ego over the years, and see who comes out on top! Masks and web-shooters at the ready, friends – it’s going to be a big one!
- Nicholas Hammond – Spider-Man 1970’s Tv series
Nicholas Hammond is notable for being the first-ever live-action Peter Parker/Spider-Man. But this leaves just one question – was he any good?
Hammond manages to portray the earnest side of Peter Parker and has that distinct everyman quality that’s defined the character for decades. But, similar perhaps to Tobey Maguire, Hammond doesn’t bring the level of humour usually associated with the wall-crawler.
His Spider-Man is even more silent than Maguire’s when he’s going toe-to-toe with villains. As avid comic book readers know, Spidey can’t help but wisecrack his way through a tough fight. But because of Hammond’s silence, his web-slinger feels relatively subdued as a result.
And yes, Hammond didn’t do much of the stuntwork, limiting his ‘suit time’ to primarily dialogue-led scenes. But much of his performance can also be blamed to the script itself which left 70’s Parker feeling a little ‘one-note’, not fully exploring the turmoil that often besets his comic counterpart.
Even with that being said, one can’t deny Hammond’s performance acted as a springboard for future portrayals of Parker and Spidey. Even if his version of the character wasn’t exactly ‘in-depth’ or superheroic, it was a solid attempt to capture Parker’s relatable human quality– and for that, both Hammond and the writing staff can be commended.
- Andrew Garfield – The Amazing Spider-Man movies (2012-2014)
After complaints from nitpicky Spider-Man fans that Maguire’s hero didn’t wisecrack or taunt his foes enough, Garfield’s iteration certainly exuded that and then some. When Garfield’s Peter puts on the famous red mask, he truly comes across as a cocky, witty teenager in a superhero suit – which is partly what Spidey is. But this just leaves his Peter Parker…
The problem is, his Peter Parker is just too damn cool. As many critics point out, his handsomeness, intelligence and creativity make it hard to believe that the Queens-born teen is considered a loser in his school. But the first movie goes to desperate lengths to push this narrative by having Flash Thompson beat him up and have Garfield emphasise his social awkwardness and annoying stutter. However, despite their efforts (particularly the latter), Garfield Parker comes across as too awesome to be a sad, misunderstood nerd.
However, Garfield still manages to give Peter a contemporary relatable teenager quality, dressing scruffily in hoodies, skinny jeans and riding a skateboard in the first film. His awkward interaction with Captain George Stacy at the dinner table is also highly relatable to any poor teen who’s had to meet their partner’s parents for the first time and struggled to meet eye-to-eye on political views. So, the character is at least identifiable and likable.
One thing Garfield Parker really excels at, though, is the romantic aspect of the character. Garfield’s chemistry with Stone in TASM movies is perfect and believable. Unlike the wordless pining of Maguire’s Peter, Garfield manages to make Peter a charming and likable love interest for Gwen Stacy. It rounds off an all-round commendable take on a classic character.
- Tom Holland – MCU Spider-Man films/Avengers movies (2017-Present)
Whereas in the comics and other media, Peter Parker has always traditionally had a love-hate relationship with his masked alter-ego, Holland’s Parker actually wants to be a hero. With this entrenched in the script, Holland adds a layer of adolescent naivete to Peter Parker that wasn’t quite as prominent in previous iterations. Looking up to Tony Stark/Iron Man, the young hero aspires to be a better hero but has problems doing so, Spider-Man-style.
Whereas it can be argued Andrew Garfield had the best Spider-Man, while Tobey Maguire had a better Peter Parker, Holland is perhaps a good mix of the two. As Peter Parker, Holland has that endearing nerdiness reminiscent of Maguire’s, while retaining the wisecracking humour of Spider-Man that Garfield helped develop.
I was never keen on the creative decision to have Tom Holland be Marvel’s Iron Man Jr.. Having so many high-tech gadgets at Peter’s disposal kind of defeats the idea of Spider-Man being the homegrown blue-collar hero he’s usually written to be. But hey, Holland’s portrayal captures a Peter Parker who’s a hero-in-training, who’s continually making mistakes, experiencing tragedy and growing from it. And, in essence, that’s a big part of what it means to be Spider-Man.
- Tobey Maguire – Raimi’s Spider-Man movies (2001-2007)
He was the first live-action Spidey – and arguably the best. While some fans criticise Tobey Maguire for not bringing enough humour to the character, it’s hard to deny that Tobey brought Parker’s relatable everyman quality to the silver screen. Tobey’s Peter exuded an earnestness that was incredibly endearing and made you care for the character.
This is perhaps best exemplified in Spider-Man 2 where we see Peter struggle to balance his civilian and superhero duties as the wall-crawler. Peter’s sorrow and anguish is portrayed through Tobey’s facial expressions alone. And, as an audience, we can’t help but empathize with his turmoil. The consequences of being a superhero have always been at the root of Spider-Man’s adventures and Tobey’s minimalist acting does a great job of showing us what those consequences do to your ordinary joe.
And even when he’s pining over the love of his life, Mary Jane Watson, there’s a sincerity to the character that Tobey effortlessly brings to the table. It shows a vulnerability in Peter’s character that is absent in many other superhero movies – despite his superpowers, Peter still has human needs like all of us. When he nervously makes his confession of love to MJ near the end of the first Raimi film, we see Peter verbally express that vulnerability that is inside all of us.
Yes, he could have joked a bit more like his comic counterpart. And yes, Tobey’s chemistry with Kirsten Dunst isn’t quite as effective as Garfield and Stone’s in TASM movies. Their relationship could have admittedly been written a little more realistically. But, for me, this doesn’t count out Tobey Maguire as the best Peter Parker/Spider-Man in live-action history.
