Why MCU Spider-Man Is The Best Version

Here's why Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man narrowly edges out Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the web-slinger stakes. In recent years, three actors have been granted the honor of playing Peter Parker in live-action - Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, Andrew Garfield in the two The Amazing Spider-Man efforts, and the current incarnation, Tom Holland's MCU Peter Parker. While fans have been unable to reach a consensus on which is best, the cinematic Spider-Man trifecta look set to appear together in the MCU's reality-bending Spider-Man 3.

Each generation of big screen Spider-Man brings its own strengths and weaknesses. Tobey Maguire was excellent at evoking sympathy, and brought Peter Parker and Spidey to life in a way that kept touch with reality. However, Maguire is arguably the least authentic Spider-Man (his age, organic webbing, humor, etc.) and suffered a severe reputation hit after "going emo" and dancing down the streets of New York in 2007. Andrew Garfield brought youth and energy to the role, playing the tortured teen scenes with far more conviction, but was let down by weaker scripts. Holding the Spider-Man mantle since 2016, Tom Holland's character isn't perfect, but is the strongest all-round Peter Parker to date.

MCU Spider-Man's best feature is an ability to blend Maguire's empathy with Garfield's angst. Tom Holland instantly brings the audience to his side, similar to Maguire in the first two entries of the Raimi trilogy. But where Peter Parker mk. 1 lacked some key traits of his comic counterpart, Tom Holland brings the wise-cracking one-liners, the youthful exuberance and the everyday struggle of the original Marvel creation. These qualities were all present in The Amazing Spider-Man, but Andrew Garfield's character had a tendency to lose his way. There are moments in both The Amazing Spider-Man movies when Peter is unlikable, overly-vengeful, or arrogant and this feels like a departure from the spirit of the character. In the MCU, Tom Holland incorporates the best of both worlds, and adds a unique self-depreciating spin all of his own.

Compared to his predecessors, Holland's MCU Spider-Man has been allowed to flourish in a wider range of storylines. Maguire was afforded an origin story, a defining sequel, and a big misstep. Garfield's generation became hampered by shared universe setup and a mystery backstory involving Richard Parker turning his son into a superhero. Tom Holland, however, arrived fully-formed with no origin story in sight, faced two very different villains, and even sparred with fellow heroes in team-up movies. And while all three Spider-Men found love, Tom Holland's world is supported by colorful characters like Ned, MJ and Flash, who provide a mixed bag of fun and humor to counter the superhero shenanigans.

It's often said that a movie superhero is only ever as good as their villain, and if that's true, Tom Holland is certainly playing with a better hand. Tobey Maguire faced two classic movie baddies in Alfred Molina's Doc Ock and the original Willem Dafoe Green Goblin, both of whom brought the best out of Spidey, but the likes of Sandman, Harry Osborn and, of course, Venom didn't land as well. The Amazing Spider-Man struggled badly in the villain stakes - a major reason why the series let Andrew Garfield down. But Tom Holland made his solo debut against Michael Keaton's excellent Vulture, and Peter's moment of realization on prom night remains one of the best-ever MCU twists. While Vulture was a tough act to follow, Jake Gyllenhaal's Mysterio proved a fascinating charlatan and a refreshingly different opponent. There's also Spidey's battles against Thanos as part of the Avengers, which highlighted his status as an underdog more than ever.

Tom Holland's MCU Spider-Man is not without flaws. The character's ingrained reliance on Tony Stark's technology removes Peter Parker from his friendly neighborhood roots. Many agree that the MCU needs to bring Spidey back down to Earth after his cosmic adventures and high-tech suits. Whatever other problems their respective franchises might've had, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were always more or less relatable as they navigated life with a superhero identity - exactly as Stan Lee intended when envisioning the antithesis of Superman and Batman. With Stark backing him up (even after death), that grounded foundation has been lacking in the MCU's Spider-Man films.

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