Since Spider-Man made his big-screen debut in 2002, there have been a lot of Spideys! And a lot of Spidey movies too, including Tom Holland’s MCU version of the wallcrawler.
So with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse out, we decided to once again rank the Spider-Man movies — and yes, that includes all the times he’s hung out with the Avengers… Let’s web this thing up!
As always, these rankings have been achieved by consulting with a group of spider-experts on the IGN staff, who voted on their best and worst Spider-Man movies.
(And just a note: We're basing the ranking of the Avengers movies on the Spidey-centric portions of those films and how well they served him as a character, as well as how well he served those films!)
Ranking the Spider-Man Movies
13. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
This is the one that killed the Andrew Garfield franchise after just two films, leading Sony to broker a deal with Marvel. Amazing Spider-Man 2 features another heartfelt performance from Garfield as Peter Parker, and it brings the death of Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy to the screen in a heart-wrenching manner. But it also gets mired in a convoluted backstory involving Peter’s parents, Jamie Foxx’s Electro is a lame version of Jim Carrey’s Riddler, and all the Sinister Six set-up is distracting… and ultimately a dead end anyway.
12. Spider-Man 3
Despite the massive amount of dough this trilogy capper made, Spider-Man 3 suffers from its sizable cast — most notably the shoehorning in of Venom. Oh, and Peter Parker actually punches his girlfriend in the face. Not exactly a recipe for success. Still, there’s some cool stuff here, like Thomas Haden Church’s fantastic if underused Sandman, and the continuing thread of the Harry/Peter emotional rollercoaster which is finally paid off in this film.
11. Avengers: Endgame
We have to at least mention Avengers: Endgame, even if Peter was dusted for most of the film. Admittedly, he’s not in the movie much, but our boy gets warmly welcomed back by his mentor Tony Stark, who worked so hard to get him and the others back, and Spidey does have a great little sequence trying to escape with the Stark Gauntlet… and he’s present for Iron Man’s death scene. I’m not crying/you’re crying!
10. Captain America: Civil War
The wall-crawler made his highly anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Civil War, where he is arguably the best thing in the movie! He not only steals Cap’s shield — he pretty much steals his movie, too. Tom Holland captures what makes teenager Peter Parker such a sweet, great hero and leaves the audience wanting more, absolutely nailing a pivotal introduction for both himself and Spider-Man in the MCU. Marvel managed to reboot the character in a fresh and exciting way and make fans excited to see the web-slinger on the big screen again.
9. The Amazing Spider-Man
The Amazing Spider-Man’s approach to the franchise reboot was underwhelming, giving us yet another origin story just 10 years after the last one — and five years after Spider-Man 3. Its saving grace is the pairing of Garfield and Stone, whose romance left audiences captivated… even while Spidey’s battle against the Lizard is pretty much a non-starter. It didn’t help that this version of Spider-Man is kind of a jerk, too.
8. Avengers: Infinity War
Civil War may have introduced Tom Holland’s new Spider-Man, but Infinity War truly fleshed him out as an integral part of the MCU. Not only does he get the best Snap death scene, but his relationship with Robert Downey, Jr.’s Iron Man is also one of the core aspects of Infinity War, as Tony grapples with the idea of fatherhood — or at least father figure-hood — and then loses his surrogate son, who literally slips away through his fingers. There’s a lot going on in Infinity War, but Peter’s desire to not just impress Tony Stark but also to just do the right thing is one of the film’s key components. Plus, we finally got the Iron Spider suit!
7. Spider-Man: Far From Home
Thanks to its sweet humor, clever commentary, and deft action set-pieces, Spider-Man: Far From Home continues the journey of Peter Parker from kid hero to Tony Stark’s successor. The movie sets the table for some exciting adventures ahead for Spider-Man and his place in the MCU, pitting him against an antagonist who preys on Peter Parker’s fears and insecurities in ways no other villain quite has yet. Far From Home ends Marvel Phase 3 with a hell of a bang, thrusting its young wallcrawler into a treacherous but hugely exciting new era.
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
All the Spideys in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Full Spoilers Edition)
Picking up kinda-sorta from the ending of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, this movie shows us the more ominous side of the “anything is possible” credo from the triumphant first Spider-Verse movie. Both Gwen and Miles hit emotional crossroads as Oscar Isaac’s Spider-Man 2099 forces everyone to consider what “canon” really means, as well as the true weight of the “spider story.” If that’s a bit heavy for you, there are tons of cameos from across the extremely meta multiverse that range from “amazing” to “spectacular.” The revolutionary Spider-Verse art style is turned up even higher in Across the Spider-Verse, expanding on the already stunning visuals.
5. Spider-Man: Homecoming
As with the very best of the wallcrawler’s Marvel stories, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a winning combination of a fun superhero adventure with a heartwarming story about a regular kid dealing with some very relatable issues. It's a sweet, witty, briskly-paced romp that captures everything that's made Peter Parker and his costumed alter ego such a lovable and enduring character for over half a century. Plus, positioning the film as a high school movie in the vein of a John Hughes film gives it a unique and welcome flavor.
4. Spider-Man
If Blade launched the new wave of superhero movies and X-Men made them viable, Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man launched them into the stratosphere. The dynamic between Peter, Norman, Harry and Mary Jane is incredibly well-played, but more importantly, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker is identifiable and his origin is handled perfectly. The movie itself is a fantastic superhero yarn, but it’s worth noting the film came less than a year after the 9/11 attacks. Spider-Man gave us a true hero to root for in an increasingly cynical time, and the movie’s incorporation of the spirit of New York City became one of its defining aspects.
3. Spider-Man 2
Upon its release, Spider-Man 2 became the new superhero movie by which all others would be judged. The film pits the web-slinger against Doctor Octopus, who was given his own emotional journey from Peter’s mentor to supervillain. The movie also shows the character’s true struggle with being a hero and being a man, inspiring hope in the city and sacrificing his own happiness. It’s a complex journey for every single character involved, and it’s all balanced with utterly thrilling action sequences. This is a Spider-Man movie that delivers on every level, and it’s hard to be topped.
2. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Tom Holland’s Peter Parker reaches perhaps his greatest adventure yet when he faces villains and friends from all over Spider-Man movie history! This film featured Spider-alums Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield as they teamed up with their fellow Peter Parker to take down some notable villains you saw elsewhere in this list: Alfred Molina’s Doc Oc, Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn, and more. This movie is more than fan service though – as we see how our other Peter Parkers are doing, MCU Peter is forced to face high consequences that absolutely flip his life and the rest of the MCU at large.
1. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’s expansion into the realm of the multiverse basically allows for a Spider-Man: Avengers, for lack of a better term, opening up a whole new world for Miles Morales and Peter Parker to explore. Taking a bold departure from the Pixar animation style we’ve come to expect from mainstream animated films, Into the Spider-Verse delivers a dynamic visual experience not like anything seen before, along with an inspiring message.
How would you rank the Spidey movies? Discuss in the comments! And then be sure to check out our Across the Spider-Verse ending explained, our deep dive on Spider-Verse's most hilarious if grim Spider-Man, Ben Reilly, how to watch Across the Spider-Verse, or all the Spideys in the Spider-Verse!
Note: This story has been updated to include Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. It originally ran on May 12, 2016.
