As Spider-Man fever continues to run rampant across the globe, thanks to the box office-breaking release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, now feels like as good a time as any to look back on the actors who’ve played the friendly neighborhood wall-crawler on the big screen (and one TV series) and rank them according to impact and performance. While many of these lists exist, don’t think for one second that it’s easy to write one. Every Spider-Man actor brings something unique to the table, embodying different aspects of the character, making their time memorable in one way or another.
As a fan who’s experienced every iteration of the character on screen in one form or another (I used to watch the live-action TV series starring Nicolas Hammond when I was a kid), I’m ready to start climbing walls myself while trying to arrive at a list that I can feel good about. At the end of the day, I need to go with my gut, even if some of my choices are due to recency bias or mixed feelings toward Spider-Man: No Way Home. Looking back, every Spider-Man actor has made the character their own, and that’s part of what makes the quip-tastic web-head so special. Still, I’ve got a job to do, and no order will satisfy the majority. Some of you are straight-up going to hate this list. That’s okay. That’s what the comments section is for. Let ‘er rip!
Nicholas Hammond
The Amazing Spider-Man series (1977–1979)
If you grew up in the ’80s as I did, chances are you caught reruns of The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Nicholas Hammond as Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man. While Hammond’s performance as Marvel‘s flagship web-slinger paints the character as warm, affable, and brave, the show lacks a sense of genuine urgency, as Spidey tends to scuffle with random street toughs and assassins rather than recognizable characters from his extensive rogues’ gallery. Hammond strives to present audiences with the hero they know and love, but at the end of the day, his performance falls short when compared to others who don the web-patterned pajamas. The Amazing Spider-Man is a product of its time, and Hammond does deserve some flowers for doing what he could while working with so little.
Jake Johnson
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
While many know Johnson as Nick Miller from Fox‘s romantic sitcom New Girl, I knew him as Randy ‘Chilli’ Cilliano, the pot-smoking layabout, from the 2018 comedy Tag. The thought of him playing Spider-Man confounded me. Then, I met Johnson’s subdued and sarcastic Peter B. Parker from Into the Spider-Verse, and everything made sense. Burnt out and web-swinging his way through a midlife crisis, Johnson’s Parker brings a spectacular amount of emotional depth to a Spider-Man who’s let himself go, but still has a few lessons to teach the next generation in Miles Morales.
Johnson plays his couch-surfing Spider-Man with sincerity, good humor, and a kind heart. He’s not just there for laughs; he evolves. When we meet him again in Across the Spider-Verse, he’s a proud father who, despite the exhaustion of raising May ‘Mayday’ Parker, still makes time for Miles, and even has a bit more pep in his step. Johnson’s performance is nuanced, endearing, and affecting as he straddles the line between giving Miles the advice he needs and abiding by the Society of Spiders’ code. I love him—especially his pink bathrobe and blue-and-red slippers.
Shameik Moore
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story (2023)
Complementing Jake Johnson’s performance in every way possible is Shameik Moore as Miles Morales in Sony’s Spider-Verse films. As an avid comic book reader, I’ve been following Miles’ adventures from the beginning, and Moore’s performance has blown me away. I grew up in New York and visited the city nearly every week for 36 years. Despite being from Atlanta, Georgia, Moore brings an authentic New York flavor to Miles. He shares the character’s Black and Puerto Rican heritage with pride, with Miles coming off as if he’s been raised by a caring family and the streets in equal measure.
Moore’s portrayal of Miles is emotional, complicated, and raw. Swinging alongside Miles as he adapts to his life as Spider-Man is a heroic coming-of-age story with superhero trimmings that gets to the heart of the character with tremendous heart and wonder. Miles journey would not be nearly as satisfying without Moore’s pitch-perfect performance and determination to leave his mark on the Spider-Verse. When Miles does eventually make his way into the live-action MCU (and he will), whoever plays him will have some mighty Air Jordan 1s to fill.
Andrew Garfield
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Amazing Spider-Man (2014), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
When it comes to bringing a comic-accurate Spider-Man to life on the silver screen, Andrew Garfield’s version of the motor-mouthed web-slinger is a textbook example of the character done with reverence and care. While not my top choice for an acrobatic Spider-Man, Garfield’s version is nimble, adaptable, and light on his feet. He brings Spider-Man’s signature fighting style to life in ways the Raimi films did not, with astounding, playful displays of physical acting that make him stand out almost as much as my top choice on this list, but we’ll get to that soon enough.
In addition to being one of the best physical Spider-Man actors, Garfield delves into the character’s emotional core, and his romantic chemistry with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy is often hailed as the paradigm of superhero cinema. Garfield also brings sadness to Spider-Man, with complex feelings about his parents’ abandonment and the weight of his responsibility to New York, continually casting doubt on his ability to rise to the occasion. While his best Spider-Man performance lies in Spider-Man: No Way Home, a film led by Tom Holland, Garfield’s Peter in that film reminds us of the actor’s power behind the mask and his ability to bring light to the dark corners of a hero’s battered psyche.
Tobey Maguire
Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
People say you never forget your first, and for many, Tobey Maguire is the Ultimate Spider-Man. If you’re looking for an actor who embodies Peter Parker’s adorkable charm and Spider-Man’s complex nature in one heroic package, Maguire is your man. Together with Sam Raimi, Maguire brings a Silver Age spectacle to Spider-Man, complete with Peter’s money struggles, personal sacrifice, and trading quips for candor and earnestness.
Maguire’s Spider-Man also shines on the big screen, thanks to his ability to put himself in harm’s way for the sake of others. Some people will say this quality is part of being a hero, but it’s not that cut-and-dried. It takes a special kind of person to throw themselves in front of a moving train, their body pushed to its breaking point as strain and exhaustion take hold. Watching New Yorkers carry a maskless Spider-Man away from the scene is one of the franchise’s most powerful moments and encapsulates the lengths Maguire’s character is willing to go to prove that with great power comes great responsibility.
Tom Holland
Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
Some might say that Tom Holland landing in the top spot is due to recency bias, but I don’t roll like that. Holland has been my favorite Spider-Man actor since Homecoming, and he’s more than deserving of the web-covered crown. Ever since his debut, Holland has embodied the character in every way, shape, and form that I could want. He’s brave, adorkable, tech-savvy, and flawed, which is how I like my heroes. While some people demand perfection from their superheroes, I want mine to make mistakes and come out the other end of the ordeal as a better person. Throughout Holland’s Spider-Man journey, we’ve watched him grow from a Tony Stark-obsessed fanboy into a genuine savior of the people. His evolution is riddled with missteps, anger management issues, and even going so far as to erase himself from existence to protect the ones he loves. I don’t always agree with his choices. You should never take away someone’s agency. Still, he learns, grows, and fights the good fight, even when his inner voices shatter his confidence with wicked words.
In the lead-up to Spider-Man: Brand New Day, I’ve never seen a Spider-Man actor go above and beyond to become the character inside and out like Holland does. His physical acting is off the charts; he inserts himself in the creative process to ensure Spider-Man remains on-model, and he’s forever touring the real world as the wall-crawler to bring smiles to those who need them the most. While Homecoming gave Holland a tremendous platform to showcase his talents, Brand New Day hits differently, presenting Holland as a hero willing to admit fault, right his own wrongs, and trust that even the darkest parts of him are part of who he is. Holland brings relatability, whimsy, and surrender to Spider-Man, making his version of the character as complex as the world he’s trying to save. When Holland eventually passes the baton, I’ll be gutted to see him go, but I’ll remember him as my Spider-Man.
Who’s your favorite Spider-Man actor? Let us know in the comments section below!
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