Spider-Man: All The Movies Ranked

Spider-Man is indubitably, undeniably, irrefutably the de-facto hero that is symbolically associated with all things Marvel. The web crawler in red and blue is so deeply ingrained into the entire Marvel mythos that is is near impossible to separate Spider-Man's identity from the Marvel universe. In fact, I can't really picture the Marvel logo without a few spiderwebs in and around it.

However, with great power comes great responsibility and a fair share of accountability as well. Particularly when it comes to the Spidey-movies. There have a been many hits and a few misses owing more to in-house issues between the various studios. The film rights are now shared between Disney Marvel Studios and Sony - a bold move that has seen favorable outcomes and upped the fan appeal and hype. Here's hoping that there are still plenty of movies and multiverses on the cards for everyone's favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!

As a huge Spidey comic book/ trading card/ animated series/ cosplay/ movie fan, here's my take on the 9 Spider-Man movies as well as the 3 Marvel shared-universe appearances, ranked:

12. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Look, I don't dislike any of the Spidey movies. To a certain degree, they all have merit and relatively good storylines. Spider-Man 3 had a lot going for it. The introduction of Spidey's greatest foe ever - Venom as well as the new Green Goblin and Sand-Man. It had some great effects and Venom, at the time, wasn't all that bad. That said, this is probably the weakest of all the Spidey movies in that it just tries too damn hard to cram too much into one movie. It had waaay too much baggage and real cringeworthy moments especially the dance scenes. That, and the plot is just borderline silly. Still, the memes are noteworthy!

11. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is basically Spider-Man 3 but with Andrew Garfield. One would hope and think that Sony would have learnt from their previous mistakes. Instead, they opt to make tons more with this convoluted plot mess, too many villains and a Rhino that was basically just a knock-off hulk-buster armor made from building scaffolding. Again, there were some good moments in this. Emma Stone is still the most charming Gwen ever and Jamie Foxx's Max Dillon is actually a relatable Frankenstein-esque techy who has a promising story arc right up until the moment he becomes Electro after falling into a vat of electric eels (I kid you not). Spider-Man 2 is just is mopey, indecisive and the villains just all fall flat of being anything real. 

10. Avengers: Endgame (2019)

So Spidey really only shows up in the end err game but his appearance is noteworthy in that it solidifies the whole Peter/ Tony story arc. The Mister Stark hug is a total awww moment that is pulled off quite nicely, despite the fact that the entire world is in total chaos and there's this whole battle raging around them. One question though: There aren't any buildings around so how is Spidey able to thwip on his webs as he transports the Infinity Gauntlet? Unless we're led to believe he is thwipping off of Chitauri ships? Still, a great Spider-Man appearance and one of my favorite Spidey suits - The Iron Spider!

9. Captain America: Civil War (2016)

The debut of the MCU's Spiderman is unveiled via a Tony Stark call to action: Underoos! Agreed, Spidey's intro-arc is overshadowed by the larger Marvel plotline and awesomeness that was Civil War but it is still one of the best hero appearances of movie history. Spider-Man has all the wit and humor and some of the funniest lines in the MCU since Rocket's "I need his prosthetic leg" quote. My favorite Spidey quotes from Civil War:

Spider-Man : Hey guys, you ever see that really old movie, Empire Strikes Back?

Spider-Man : [to Bucky] You have a metal arm? That is AWESOME, dude!

Captain America : You got heart, kid. Where are you from?
Spider-Man : [straining]  Queens!
Captain America : [chuckles in mild disbelief]  Brooklyn!

8. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Team-Up! Spider-Man stows away onboard Ebony Maw's ship and ends up on Titan where an awesome team-up with the Guardians of the Galaxy along with Iron Man and Doctor Strange (we're using our made-up names now) ensues. The plan to overthrow Thanos ultimately fails but not before we have one of the best fight scenes with multiple heroes in movie history. The gut-wrenching end scene with Spidey dissolving into dust after the Thanos snap is still painful to watch.

7. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Set after the 'blip' and Endgame, Far From Home has Peter still mourning the death of his mentor and father figure, Tony Stark. He hops onto a Euro-trip bus for a much needed relaxing school vacay with his best friend Ned and secret crush MJ. There's talk of a multiverse - a first for the MCU, there's a cameo by Nick Fury, some really excellent visual effects and fight scenes in Venice, Prague and London that are some of the finest to date. But then there's also Quentin Beck aka Mysterio - who, despite being the primary villain of the story, is less bad-guy and more creepy startup hostile takeover type mogul than an actual Spidey villain. And this is probably why this movie is not higher rated. Why can't the writers just stick to the damn roots with villains?!! That said, I did like this movie and the re-introduction of an all-time favorite: JK Simmons returns as J Jonah Jameson: Spiderman is a menace!

6. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

I personally found Sony's attempted retcon of the Spidey movie series to be actually quite good despite the negative criticism. The story was a very similar origin story but also different is some ways with an intriguing plotline involving Peter's parents and OSCORP. I really, really wish they explored this arc some more in TAS 2 instead of just focusing on throwing a bunch of villains into a single story. Andrew Garfield's Peter is a lot more 'Ultimate Spiderman' like and a much nerdier Parker and a Spidey who never overplays his character. The Peter-Gwen romance arc is witty and doesn't feel forced in any way. I also thoroughly enjoyed Rhys Evans' Doctor Kurt Connors aka Lizard as a memorable and relatable villain.

5. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The MCU's Spidey's first solo movie is also one the web-crawler's more polished versions and also more grounded in terms of the comic books. We have a younger, teenage Spider-Man played by Tom Holland, dealing with all the normal things that defined the character back in the early 90s animated show as well as referencing a few of the comic books we grew up loving. Nostalgia aside, the storyline and plot is really well done. Michael Keaton's Adrian Toome's is menacing as the villainous Vulture and the tension between hero and bad guy is delectably diabolical.  This version of Spider-Man is also less darker than any of the previous films, has all the wit and banter and feels more like a homage to the classic 80s coming-of-age storylines than anything heroish defied by the MCU and that is why it just works. 

4. Spider-Man (2002)

Back in the early 2000s, Superhero movies were rare and relatively new to movie audiences. There were plenty more misses (Daredevil, Elektra, Catwoman, Fantastic Four etc) but there were also quite a few hits (Batman Begins, X-Men, Constantine). I do believe that it was Sam Raimi's Spider-Man that helped set the precedent for what makes a truly memorable superhero movie. Toby McGuire helms the spider role as a precursor for all that follows with a spectacular cast and a fantastic origin storyline that is not contrived or bloated in any way. Years later, I still find this a worthy re-watch with some definite chuckles, witty dialogue and spectacular action sequences. For me, Raimi's Spiderman is the most comic-book faithful adaptation to date and Willem Dafoe is the 2nd best Spidey villain to ever grace the big screen. Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson is still my only MJ crush (sorry Zendaya) and the romance is one of the standouts of the movie. The whole theme of great responsibility with great power is well played into the writing and that Danny Elfman score is just near perfect. Also, seeing Spiderman swing between buildings over a New York skyline for the first time in theatres just blew my freaking mind.

3. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Honestly, I was a little worried about where the MCU Spiderman was heading. Was Venom part of or not part of the MCU now? What the heck was up with that Morbius movie? And could Tom Holland's Spiderman have a PlayStation console or would he be restricted to XBOX only due to Sony licensing issues? In loose reference to the 'One More Day' comic book arc, Peter seeks out Doctor Strange's help to erase his alter-ego knowledge from everyone's minds but of course, in typical Parker luck, the spell goes slightly awry and we end up with most of the big bads from all the previous movies literally showing up on Peter's doorstep, including Alfred Molina's Doctor Otto Octavius. Gotta say - hearing Peter, MJ and Ned laugh at the name drop was hilarious. Having Norman Osborn on board as a confused and slightly senile not-so-villainous-but-I'm-playing-ya Green Goblin was brilliant writing. The theme of redemption is a great drive for an even greater story. The story does however take a dark angle when Aunt May dies and I found that this ties in quite nicely with the underlying tragedy that helps define Spider-Man. Then...of course...the big reveal as both Andrew Garfield and Toby McGuire's versions of Peter Parker aka Spider-Men make their appearance for what is probably the greatest un-animated Spidey team-up in cinematic history. Yes, I cheered, I screamed, I punched the air and ran home to slap on my Spidey-suit and just bask in the absolute brilliance of it all.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

It was real close call between No Way Home and Into the Spider-Verse for spot #2 and the latter won simply because it did something no other Spider-Man or, for that matter, superhero movie in recent history had done: It subverted the genre in a way that was fun and enjoyable and most of all, a well balanced, perfect animated family movie. Yes, movies like Deadpool have done similar that but those are R-rated and for good reason. Spider-Man was always meant for younger audiences. Yep, despite all the nay-say of the Gen-X's and Millennials,  Spider-Man and comic books in general were mostly written for kids. Who cares if it doesn't tick off all of the boxes on your list to ensure continuity and keeping things cannon? The idea is that it should be a good and balanced storyline, great humor, cool fight sequences and yes, a few cameos maybe. This movie does everything right. From the word go. An awesome hip-hop soundtrack, witty humor and dialogue, some insane laugh-out-loud moments, cross-overs and team-ups with Spideys from across the multiverse including Spider Noir and Spider Ham (lol!) as well as solid pacing and a fantastic storyline. Miles Morales' Spider-Man is relatable, real and completely justified. Despite all the additional Spider-men variants, it's Miles who still shines throughout the movie and that scene with Miles taking a leap of faith off the New York skyscraper is absolutely mind blowing.

1. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

And of course, the number 1 spot is still my number 1 Spider-Man movie of all time. Spider-Man 2 is one of those few movies I can re-watch over and over again and still find comfort in the detail and story. Despite what critics say about sequels, Spidey 2 completely outperforms it's predecessor that makes it one of the best superhero movies of all time. Still certified fresh at 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, Spider-Man 2 has a lot going for it that makes it such a fun ride and fantastic film: The Danny Elfman score is again, completely on par and perfect; the characters are more relatable; more grounded and have a lot more development than any of other Spider movies; Alfred Molina's Doctor Otto Octavius is one of the best supervillains to hit the big screen and has a truly groundbreaking story arc. Toby McGuire and Kirsten Dunst steal the screen with romance that doesn't feel forced and helps drives the overall narrative. The big reveal scene with MJ realizing Peter is Spiderman is, well, poetic. And of course, MJ running back in her wedding dress to remind Peter that she's still standing in his doorway is a total ooh-ahh moment. Romance aside, the action and choreography is stupendous. From that awesome train scene to the bank-building battle to the final fight scene, Spidey 2 is still top of the list as the greatest Spider-Man movie in history.

Honorable Mentions:

0. Spiderman: Life of uZ 😜

And then there's my very own Spiderman cosplay attempt. Not really worthy of anything on this list but hey, at least I can say I got my own Spidey vid - albeit a Tik-Tok version!