With the release of “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, there is no doubt that Spider-Man is one of the most iconic and recognizable superheroes. There has not been a character like Spidey with more movies, television shows, toys, collectibles, comic books, etc. The tale of Peter Parker’s story varies across platforms, but the story of the character holds significance to the lives of many who look up to Spider-Man. I have been a Spider-Man fan since I was a child, so this character is someone who I hold dear to my heart. With this being said, I will be ranking every single Spider-Man movie from my least favorite to my most favorite film.

9. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017)

To start, this movie is great. Although this is at the bottom of my list, this is still a great movie overall. However, in my opinion, it does not have an amazing compelling SPIDER-MAN story like the other movies on this list do. What leaves this movie at the bottom of this list is how much Iron Man’s involvement in this movie is present. First of all, Adrian Toomes, also known as The Vulture, despises Tony Stark and is trying to steal his technology. Iron Man has to save Peter in this movie multiple times and in the end, Iron Man recruits Peter to the Avengers. A movie about Spider-Man had more to do with a character with a full trilogy and various compelling stories rather than the main character. This felt very out of place but understandable. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is set in a universe where he is not the only superhero whereas the other two Spider-Man actors, to my knowledge, live in a world where they are the only superhero therefore it makes sense for other heroes to be mentioned but not have that much involvement. My last problem with this movie is that it does get boring after the first watch. The movie does not have as much replay value as other Marvel or Spider-Man movies. “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is the only Spider-Man movie that I did not watch opening weekend or watched in theaters more than once. I will say, Marvel, casting Micheal Keaton as The Vulture was perfect. The cliffhanger that this movie left on was quite surprising to me on my first watch.

8. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” (2019)

This movie follows the same trend as the last, with Iron Man being involved way too much in a Spider-Man movie. First off, this movie is right after the passing of Iron Man, so of course, his legacy in the universe would be followed in the film which is fine by me. The issue I have with Iron Man’s involvement is the same as Peter’s last villain, Quinten Beck. He was mad at Tony Stark and it is up to Spider-Man to stop him. The rest of the movies on the list do not have this issue so I can say for a fact that I enjoy Spider-Man villains who are against Peter Parker/Spider-Man rather than another character like Iron Man. Something positive to say about this movie is the fact that I enjoy how this was the first Spider-Man movie set outside of New York which was cool to see. Also, I have to say the special effects were spectacular. The villain, Mysterio, had illusions that were out of this world. The scene with all of Quiten Beck’s illusions being used to squeeze information out of Peter was incredible to see for the first time and truly captures the character of Mysterio. This movie also had the best post-credit scene out of any Spider-Man film, the reveal of Spider-Man identity.

7. “Spider-Man 3” (2007)

There has yet to be a bad Spider-Man movie, but I can say that this movie has many unsolved problems and plot holes. In the movie, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man goes very out of character from his other two movies. In the last two films directed by Sam Raimi, we saw Peter Parker wanting to be with Mary Jane, but knowing he can’t because it would put her in danger from anything Spider-Man was involved in. At the end of the last movie, Mary Jane chooses Peter Parker because she loves him. Then, “Spider-Man 3” happened and ruined everything the couple built up. Peter decided to go for Gwen Stacy and blatantly broke Mary Jane’s heart. During all of this, Peter does not even bat an eye or realize what he is doing. I will admit that Peter saving Gwen Stacy from the building was admittedly one of the coolest scenes of the movie and I enjoy the addition of her character to the movie. Sony should have not made her a love interest for Peter, at least in this movie, because it was out of place. I say Sony because from my understanding they changed a lot about this movie than what screenwriters or Sam Raimi had intended. One more flaw to point out is Venom’s design being too slim for the character and the inclusion of showing Topher Grace’s face for every scene of dialogue for Venom was a poor decision. Overall, the movie did have cool action scenes and a few good character arcs like Sandman and Eddie Brock. #ReleaseTheRaimiCut

6. “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (2014)

The Green Goblin plot made no sense for this movie. As most of you know, Green Goblin took Gwen to the top of a clock tower where he dropped her for Spider-Man to save her but ultimately fails. This famous comic issue (The Amazing Spider-Man #121) was tragic for the time and was a tough learning experience for Peter Parker where he learned that he can’t save everyone, especially the ones closest to him. This movie was built around the idea that Gwen was going to die at the end and had to introduce characters and other subplots that would lead to this event. Another bad part of this movie was the subplot that Peter is the ONLY person who could become Spider-Man which is not what the character is about. I typically skip this scene when I re-watch the movie or any scene with Peter’s parents. Electro was a good villain. Although he did questionable things and his all-blue design was awful, he had a good story and Jamie Foxx is a talented actor. Electro went from loving to hating Spider-Man because Spider-Man took away the only 15 minutes of fame he has ever had in his life. Peter in this movie time and time again had to reject Gwen for her safety. After finding out she is leaving him to go to London, he decides that he does love her and never wants to leave Gwen’s side. The scene on top of the bridge was shot so beautifully and had a lot of meaning to the story of these two characters. Without the bridge scene, I felt that the death of Gwen Stacy would not have such an impact on viewers of the film. Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s chemistry carries both of the amazing films for me so I rank it right in the middle for having great character development and spectacular acting with a bad script. Also, in my opinion, this movie has the BEST Spider-Man suit seen in live-action to date.

5. “The Amazing Spider-Man” (2012)

This movie changed the origin of Spider-Man for the better. This movie does get a high ranking for personal reasons being this was the first Spider-Man movie I saw in theaters as a kid. Before this movie was released, I was obsessed with Tobey Maguire’s adaptation of the wall-crawler. This movie completely changed how I thought Spider-Man was meant to be. Peter, always being heartbroken over the fact that he lost his father at a young age, had no real mentor for his life. Once Peter began to research more of his dad, he caught himself in a web that led him to the spider bite and the unfortunate death of uncle Ben. Nowhere for Peter to go, he uses his newly gained ability to search for uncle Ben’s killer that HE let go of. My favorite part of this movie comes when Peter becomes Spider-Man, and it isn’t the first time Peter puts on the suit. It is when he tries to stop Dr. Connors on the bridge and ends up saving a kid’s life and reuniting the kid with his father. That is a moment Peter has been wanting all his life and he realizes that he can use the GREAT powers that he gained for a reason and that it is Peter’s RESPONSIBILITY to become a hero for the city of New York. A great touching moment of the movie is at the end when Peter is able to listen to the voice memo his uncle left him. Peter listens to the memo and realizes that Ben was Peter’s father figure and therefore he did not need to search for Richard Parker because Ben Parker was a good enough man to shape Peter into Spider-Man. I loved the overall meaning of this film and the impact it had on the Spider-Man community. I only didn’t like the suit and Dr. Connors felt a little out of place as a villain unless you watch the deleted scenes. #MakeTASM3

4. “Spider-Man” (2002)

This is almost the best Spider-Man origin story but in my opinion, Tobey Maguire is the best Spider-Man (although I love all the adaptations). This movie provides for the perfect origin of how nerdy Peter Parker became the spectacular Spider-Man. Willam Dafoe does a fantastic job at playing a crazy scientist trying to get revenge on the people who were against him. The Green Goblin in this movie is my favorite live-action Spider-Man villain. I love the shots chosen for this movie, especially the scene where we are introduced to Peter’s spider-sense while he is getting into a fight at school. The Green Goblin had amazing lines in this movie to Peter and Spider-Man. I loved how every time Peter was given a choice in this movie, he was able to think back to his uncle and make the responsible choice. My issues with this movie come from some characters being able to have strong arcs through the movie but it is more centered around Peter. I do love the fact that they continued the arc of each character in the sequel to this film. Overall great film but doesn’t quite make the top three.

3. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018)

Best Spider-Man origin EVER. This movie takes fans away from the classic Peter Parker Spider-Man story and gives us a multiverse of Spidey’s from other universes. The movie was able to balance the spider verse characters while giving us the origin of this universe’s one and only Spider-Man. Miles Morales gets bit by a radioactive spider the same way Peter’s Spider-Man did and has to deal with watching the only super-powered hero in this universe pass away. Miles has lots to learn while living up to the legacy of Spider-Man but luckily has help from the Spider-Verse. I love how this movie was able to incorporate all these characters into ONE movie while still having the main focus of a Miles Morales origin. It is the perfect origin story of any superhero. The animation style was extremely creative and very pleasing to the eye. Wilson Fisk Kingpin was an amazing villain in this story. He was fully heartbroken from the loss of his wife and son that was caused by his actions of work interfering with his personal life. Characters were done well, the visuals were amazing with the fact that this is an animated movie, and the best part is that this was a story different from any Spider-Man movie. Not only because of the introduction of the spider-verse but also because of Miles Morales being the main Spider-Man of the movie. Can’t wait to see the sequel in October 2022, “Spider-Man: Across the Multiverse Part One”.

2. “Spider-Man 2” (2004)

This has been my favorite Spider-Man movie for the longest time for numerous amount of reasons. Alfred Molina put an extravagant amount of effort into building up his character, Doctor Otto Octavious. I love the villain. Doc Ock goes crazy due to a malfunction in a science experiment he conducted. All he wanted to do was help the people of New York with a source of power that was sustainable for the entire city. Watching Dock Ock go crazy in this movie was wonderful and seeing his redemption at the end with Peter’s help truly felt like a Spider-Man Movie. Peter’s arc through this film was spectacular. Watching a mid-life crisis from Tobey Maguire and seeing him lose everything he ever wanted because of his two lives is the pinnacle of a Spider-Man story and I am all for it. By the end of the movie, Peter was able to fix his situation, win the girl he wants back, and save the city. I love the ending more than anything of this movie because Peter was able to balance everything he ever wanted and his responsibilities. Overall, this movie is near perfect for a Spider-Man movie. 

1. “Spider-Man: No Way Home” (2021) *Spoilers ahead

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” without a doubt was the most hyped Spider-Man film of all time. As bad as it sounds, I am so happy that we finally got to see Tom Holland’s Peter Parker struggle through life. Peter’s whole life is ruined when Spider-Man’s identity is revealed. He is tortured by people who hate him, unable to get into any of his dream colleges, he can’t even live in his apartment anymore. When Peter Parker suffers, there is a good story for the character to overcome. Helpless Peter teamed up with Dr. Strange erased the memory of Spider-Man’s identity to the world, but of course, Peter messed up the spell which caused people who knew Peter Parker is Spider-Man to flood into their universe from others. Amazing performances from Alfred Molina and Willam Dafoe, never in my life have I seen two actors play such marvelous villains as those two gentlemen did. The Green Goblin taking over Norman’s body was a terrifying and well-written scene, lines from Dafoe left me speechless 

“Normans on sabbatical honey”.

Peter runs down the hallway of Happy Hogan’s apartment building trying to stop Goblin by punching him in the face numerous times. All Goblin was able to do was LAUGH, that is the moment that left chills down my spine and I knew that this Spider-Man movie was going to be like no other. 

Of course, we have to talk about the elephant in the room when it comes to “Spider-Man: No Way Home”, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield returning to play their respective Peter Parkers/Spider-Men. First time watching No Way Home, I had a feeling that when Ned Leeds was trying to summon Peter through a portal it was not going to be Tom Holland. The moment the portal opened and I could see the wide-eyed Spider-Man costume from “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” (my favorite live-action Spider-Man costume so far), my entire theater and I started screaming to the top of our lungs. Never in my life have I screamed so hard and had an entire theater full of cheers and claps like that opening night was. Louder cheers occurred for Tobey’s entrance although I don’t think it was as powerful as Andrew’s entrance. Although both of their entrances were AMAZING (pun intended) what I love the most is that the two stars did not fully steal the spotlight from Tom Holland. 

The scenes of Peter’s grief are heartbreaking to watch but make this movie so great. When MJ and Ned find Peter he is in pieces and unable to think clearly because not only has he lost his Aunt May who is the only bit of family he has left but also because J. Jonah Jameson painted Spider-Man again and again as the bad guy, this time he is responsible for Aunt May’s death. He was a bit guilty because Peter could not save his Aunt even in her final moments, everything about the rooftop scene breaks my heart. Then the other two Peters begin to talk with Peter 1 and speak about the loss that helped them become the men they are today. I love the rooftop scene because the other Peters talk about events that happened in their universes that remind me of my entire childhood. I grew up watching these movies and thought of the emotions I felt when they experienced the loss in each Spider-Man movie.

My favorite scene from the entire movie is when Peter one has to fight Goblin on top of Captain America’s shield, Peter one being heartbroken from Goblin’s glider being the weapon that took Aunt May’s life. Peter one looks Goblin into the eyes after he tries to kill Peter’s girlfriend, MJ. Lucky Andrew Garfield’s Peter saves MJ as redemption for not being able to save his girlfriend in his universe. Goblin tells Peter at this moment, 

“Poor Peter Parker. Too weak to send me home to die” and Peter responds with,

 “No. I just wanna kill you myself.” 

Chills down my spine hearing this because we finally get a fight scene of Tom Holland’s Peter being utterly brutal to his villain and letting the rage get to him rather than using his brain against his villain. Fortunately, Peter two (Tobey Maguire) can sweep in and stop Peter from ending Goblin’s life. This moment has a great impact for numerous reasons, it was Peter two who in his universe originally couldn’t help cure Goblin and the death of Norman Osborn haunted him. Also, in, “Spider-Man 3” (Raimi verse) Aunt May tells Peter that Spider-Man is not a killer. Peter two coming in to save Peter one from ending someone’s life because of rage truly has a great impact because Peter two is essentially teaching Peter one the same lesson that his Aunt May taught him. This huge impactful scene without a single line delivered from Tobey Maguire, only pure heartfelt facial expressions. Overall the scene is beautifully shot and the colors on each character contrast to create in my opinion the greatest scene in any Spider-Man movie.

The entirety of this movie was to finish off Tom Holland’s high school trilogy and teach him the real consequences of him being Spider-Man. The closing scenes of this movie are so touching because Peter has to leave everyone and let the entire world forget who he is so that Spider-Man can win another battle, an essential component to a great Spider-Man story. Seeing Peter give up on trying to get back with MJ was heartbreaking but for the best because Peter has to now focus on working towards his GED and being Spider-Man. The suit at the end of the movie is so beautiful and looks perfect in the Christmas setting, I love the brighter-looking blue while the red stays the same. The suit is perfect but I can’t say it is my favorite suit yet until I get a better look at the suit in the upcoming college Spider-Man trilogy with Tom Holland!

Concluding Thoughts

To close off, I would like to say that I have my strong opinions on Spider-Man as a character and I look at every detail in the arc of each character in the story but, nostalgia does play a part in this ranking. I have loved Spider-Man for as long as I can remember. I need Spider-Man to help me through rough patches in my life because I remember that there is a (spider) man out there who fights every battle no matter how hard it gets. I love all three live-action iterations of the wall-crawler no matter how high or how low I ranked their movies. One core reason I love “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is because it takes the build-up of two decades worth of Spider-Man films to have a sort of appreciation for the character. Feel free to share your thoughts and personal ranking in the replies!