The Best Spider-Man Movies

Today, August 1, Marvel fans around the world celebrate Spider-Man Day. The occasion marks the hero’s debut in Amazing Fantasy #15, released in August 1962. Over the decades, Peter Parker’s story has grown into one of the world’s most popular superhero franchises.

To celebrate, we decided to look back at the best movies about the hero — from Sam Raimi’s classic trilogy to the new Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which arrived in theaters only yesterday.

Spider-Man — May 3, 2002

Sam Raimi’s first film introduced audiences to Peter Parker, played by Tobey Maguire. After being bitten by a genetically modified spider, an ordinary high school student gains superhuman abilities and faces the Green Goblin, played by Willem Dafoe.

The movie became one of the defining superhero films of its era and helped shape the future of the genre. It also delivered the central message of Peter’s story: with great power comes great responsibility.

Spider-Man 2 — June 30, 2004

In the second movie, Peter struggles to balance his everyday life with his responsibilities as a superhero, and the constant pressure begins to affect his powers. His main opponent is scientist Otto Octavius, who becomes Doctor Octopus after a failed experiment.

Tobey Maguire returned as Spider-Man, while Alfred Molina portrayed the villain. The film is particularly remembered for its spectacular train battle and its more mature story about duty, choice, and sacrifice.

The Amazing Spider-Man — July 3, 2012

Andrew Garfield took on the role of Peter Parker in this reboot of the franchise. Peter tries to uncover the truth behind his parents’ disappearance, and his investigation leads him to Dr. Curt Connors, who transforms into the Lizard after a failed experiment.

Garfield’s Spider-Man was more rebellious and emotional than previous versions. One of the film’s greatest strengths was the relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacy, played by Emma Stone.

Spider-Man: Homecoming — July 7, 2017

Tom Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War before receiving his own movie within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After fighting alongside the Avengers, Peter returns to school but continues looking for an opportunity to prove to Tony Stark that he is ready for more serious missions.

Without waiting for another assignment, Peter begins pursuing the Vulture, an alien-technology arms dealer played by Michael Keaton. Rather than retelling Spider-Man’s origin, the movie focused on Peter’s school life and his first major mistakes.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse — December 14, 2018

The animated movie introduced Miles Morales, voiced by Shameik Moore, as its main character. After gaining powers from a spider bite, the teenager meets heroes from other dimensions and tries to prevent the multiverse from collapsing.

The film stood out for its distinctive visual style, which made every frame resemble a living comic-book page. It won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature and showed that Peter Parker is not the only person who can wear the Spider-Man mask.

Spider-Man: No Way Home — December 17, 2021

After Peter’s identity is revealed to the entire world, he turns to Doctor Strange for help. A spell goes wrong and opens passages to other universes, bringing back familiar villains as well as the Spider-Men played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

The movie united three generations of Spider-Man fans and became the highest-grossing film in Sony Pictures history. At its heart, however, it remained a coming-of-age story about Peter Parker facing the painful consequences of his decisions.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse — June 2, 2023

Miles Morales discovers an entire society of Spider-People working to preserve order across the multiverse. However, he refuses to follow their rules after learning that his father’s death is considered an unavoidable event that must not be prevented.

The sequel became even more ambitious and visually diverse than the first movie. Its creators developed a distinct artistic style for each universe, making it one of the most remarkable animated films of recent years.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day — July 31, 2026

The new movie continues the story after No Way Home. The world no longer remembers Peter Parker, so Tom Holland’s hero lives alone and devotes himself entirely to fighting crime. However, the growing pressure causes an unexpected physical transformation that threatens his very existence.

The film was directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, previously known for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Holland is joined by Zendaya, Sadie Sink, Jacob Batalon, Jon Bernthal, Tramell Tillman, Michael Mando, and Mark Ruffalo. Brand New Day is Holland’s fourth solo Spider-Man movie.

Each cinematic version of Spider-Man has told the hero’s story in its own way. Tobey Maguire showed the price of great responsibility, Andrew Garfield portrayed a more emotional and rebellious Peter, and Tom Holland followed his journey from an inexperienced schoolboy to an independent protector of New York. Miles Morales, meanwhile, reminded audiences of the franchise’s central idea: anyone can wear the mask.

And today is the perfect day to order Ninja Pizza and rewatch your favorite movies about the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.