Every Spider-Man Movie, Ranked From 'Far From Home' to 'Venom'
Spider-Man has finally saved us … from an incredibly dreary summer movie season. “Spider-Man: Far From Home” is burning up July 4th weekend box office records and is proving to be one of the most joyous, genuinely wonderful films of the season. So it’s with this newfound spring in our step, that we look back at every movie Spider-Man has been a part of (some more than others). THWIP!
12. 'Venom' (2018)
Fans have been screaming for this for years. The wait was NOT worth it. If you ever wanted to see Tom Hardy jump into a lobster tank and eat lobsters, or have his gooey symbiote call Eddie Brock a "pu**y" (in 2018!), then you need to re-eval all life priorities.
11. 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' (2014)
We can't say we're surprised (or disappointed) that Sony elected to scrap the rebooted "Amazing Spider-Man" series after this disastrous sequel. The dynamic between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone is great, but pretty much everything else about this bloated, unpleasant sequel rubbed us the wrong way. We can't even begin to explain what was wrong with casting Paul Giamatti as the Rhino...
10. 'Spider-Man 3' (2007)
When it comes to global box office gross, "Spider-Man 3" is still the reigning champ of the franchise. But, in terms of quality, it's near the back of the race. There's a shell of a good superhero movie here, as evidenced by the Spidey/Sandman conflict. But between Sony's insistence on cramming Venom into the picture, Peter Parker's emo phase, and that dreadful butler character, this was a poor way to wrap up Sam Raimi's once venerated series.
9. 'The Amazing Spider-Man' (2012)
No one asked for Sony to reboot the Spider-Man franchise a mere five years after "Spider-Man 3," so it should come as no surprise that "The Amazing Spider-Man" plays like an unnecessary retread of what came before. It does everything different (that suit -- woof!) and few things better. We enjoyed seeing a closer glimpse of Peter Parker's high school days and his romance with Gwen Stacy, but we would rather have watched Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man 4" (which had John Malkovich on board as the Vulture).
8. 'Avengers: Endgame' (2019)
Of all the canonical Marvel Studios movies, “Avengers: Endgame” is the movie Spider-Man is in the least. That’s because, you know, at the end of “Infinity War,” our friendly neighborhood superhero was turned to dust, blowing in the intergalactic winds. Of course, he returns at the end of the film, after the so-called Time Heist proves a success, and it’s a moment that’s just as important for Peter Parker as it is for Tony Stark, his surrogate father who’d been dealing with the guilt all these years. Also incredibly cool: Peter finally activates the “instant kill” mode that has been teased since “Spider-Man: Homecoming.” Man does this movie deliver.
7. 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016)
Again, Spider-Man is only in “Captain America: Civil War” for a few scenes leading up to the pivotal airport fight (still one of the highwater marks of the entire Marvel film series), but as Peter Parker’s introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, this couldn’t be cooler. Recruited by Tony Stark (who flirts ably with Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May) to assist in his ideological and, now, physical battle with Captain America (Chris Evans), Spider-Man is a teenage superhero caught in the middle. He doesn’t side with Iron Man so much as he’s just happy to be there, webbing up Falcon and tripping Giant Man. It’s a lovely, charming collection of scenes that proved that Tom Holland was more than able to fill the tights of those that came before him.
6. 'Avengers: Infinity War' (2018)
It’s was quite a surprise just how much Spider-Man was in “Avengers: Infinity War,” especially given how relatively new he was to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But Peter Parker (Tom Holland) debuts in the highly anticipated sequel early on and sticks around for its entire runtime. Among the more notable Spider-moments in the film: Peter gets to finally use Iron Spider suit teased at the end of “Homecoming,” he goes to space, is officially dubbed an Avenger by Tony Stark and, you know, dies. One of the more surprising and emotional entries in Spider-Man’s entire theatrical run.
5. 'Spider-Man' (2002)
It took Hollywood way too long to figure out how to bring Spider-Man to the big screen, but his first blockbuster was worth the wait. "Spider-Man" offered a fun origin story bolstered by Tobey Maguire's lovably dorky Peter Parker and director Sam Raimi's unique visual flare. The movie doesn't entirely hold up alongside more recent, better superhero projects, but it's safe to say those projects wouldn't exist without "Spider-Man" lighting the way.
4. 'Spider-Man: Far From Home' (2019)
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” was such a wonderful surprise that we would worry the charm would have worn off by the time the (much bigger) sequel rolled around. Happily, that charm didn’t go anywhere, and this entry is just as funny, frothy, and emotionally resonant as the last film. And what’s more, it gets to explore the Marvel Cinematic Universe post-“Endgame,” which is very cool and offers some very unexpected detours. Oh and Jake Gyllenhaal is one of the franchise’s very best baddies as Mysterio, a villain very few of us ever thought we’d see on screen.
3. 'Spider-Man: Homecoming' (2017)
Another Marvel Studios movie that lives up to the hype. "Spider-Man: Homecoming" is perfect summer matinee entertainment; when it's not throwing character-driven set pieces at you, it's making you laugh -- a lot. The diverse cast and their effortless dynamic finally gives Peter's high school life justice. And there is life before, and life after, watching Tom Holland's Spidey in action. This is the funniest Spider-Man movie ever, and the best one since 2004.
2. 'Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse' (2018)
You've never seen either a comic book movie or animated film that looks like this before. You've also never seen the medium pushed to such rewarding creative and emotional lengths, thanks to producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller's very (naturally) meta take on multi-verses and what it takes to be a hero.
1. 'Spider-Man 2' (2004)
Where the original "Spider-Man" tends to show its age, its sequel is still pretty much the Marvel movie to beat. It captured everything we loved about the original, amped up the character drama and stakes, and delivered by far the best villain in the series in the from of Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus. The train sequence alone is enough to establish this as one of the greatest superhero movies ever made.