Late 2021 saw Spider-Man: No Way Home hit theatres, earning $1.69 billion and quickly becoming one of the all-time grossing movies (#6 at time of writing):
With so many fans watching the movie, a big question swung into social media – who is the best Spider-Man?
WARNING: Spoilers ahead!
The reason this question is so popular is because the new movie stars Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland as Spider-Man:
(For those unaware, each of these actors has been Marvel’s webbed wonder over the last two decades).
Additionally, the movie’s villains were also from the past. Including Electro and Doc Ock:
(If you haven’t seen the movie, think of multiple universes and timelines coming together).
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The Best Spider-Man Actor Is…?
Many think that the original Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire is the best because he is the first who brought the character to life for Marvel (in recent history):
However, Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy didn’t come out on top – despite making significant money at the box office.
And according to Buzz Feed’s poll, the best Spider-Man is:
3. Andrew Garfield
Let’s be honest, Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of Marvel’s Spider-Man didn’t hit the mark. The actor starred in The Amazing Spider-Man, and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, scoring 6.9 and 6.6 on IMDb.com respectively.
The issue with Garfield’s Spider-Man is not down to the actor’s talent, anyone who has seen Hacksaw Ridge would quickly agree to that point. Therefore the issue has to be the movies themselves:
Yet, it is hard to see what they lack when compared to Toby Maguire’s and Tom Holland’s efforts…
Perhaps it was a lack of originality and fun that the originals had (Maguire) or the scale of the more recent movies (Holland)?
Regardless, it is a little ironic that the best actor out of the three is bottom on this list.
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2. Tobey Maguire
Tobey Maguire ranked #2 in the poll and starred in Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3. The movies earned 7.3, 7.4, and 6.2 respectively on IMDb.com.
Maguire got the role of Spider-Man when he was 27, and despite being older than Garfield and Holland when they started, he managed to convince fans at the time (2002-2007) that he was the perfect Peter Parker.
The fact is, in the early 2000s comic book hero movies were still tongue-in-cheek. This didn’t start to sway until 2008 when Iron Man blasted onto the scene.
And despite the Maguire trilogy being quality comic book fun, somewhere between the Michael Keaton Batman movies and Iron Man, there was enough comic book action and camera winks to be acceptable to the audience at the time:
However, what really gave fans excitement was how Sam Raimi (Director) and Tobey Maguire portrayed Peter Parker across the movies.
In the first movie, Maguire was a relatable human being forced into extraordinary circumstances including college, work, and relationships. Then as Maguire gained power, he became colder and emotionless. This character development gave the character a real arc, connecting the actor to fans worldwide.
(This is probably why Tobey Maguire is #2 in the poll).
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1. Tom Holland
At the top of the list is Tom Holland, the latest hero to wear the blue and red spidey suit:
So far, Holland has starred in seven movies as Spider-Man, including Captain America: Civil War, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and more. These movies have scored highly on IMDb.com. Including an 8.7 in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Through Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and finally Spider-Man: No Way Home, Holland has delivered an action-packed, fun trilogy, that along with the Marvel Cinematic Universe cameos, has given massive scope to the character.
And whether you agree with Tom Holland being #1 on this list or not, there is no doubt that he is the most successful Spider-Man according to the box office numbers.
Let us know who you’re #1 Spider-Man is in the comments on Facebook.
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