Not many superheroes have been given the big-screen treatment as often as Spider-Man has. The original Sam Raimi trilogy that began in 2002 helped put the genre on the map and was mostly a huge success. That was followed by a Marc Webb-directed duology that had fewer fans.
Once again, audiences were treated to a reboot with a new Peter Parker/Spider-Man set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where he could appear with other heroes. All in all, the majority of the live-action films to feature Spidey have been well-received by both critics and fans alike. It shows in the ratings on IMDb.
Updated on November 11th, 2022, by Kevin Pantoja: There's a legitimate argument about which superhero has the best films. Batman is in the conversation but looking at ratings from IMDb, it seems like Spider-Man has him beat. That's even if you're only talking about live action movies and leaving out the incredibly well received Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The exciting Spider-Man: No Way Home brought every live-action Spidey franchise together in one truly epic movie that ranks among the best when it comes to those IMDb ratings.
Spider-Man 3 (2007) - 6.3
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Regardless of what fans might think about them now, Sam Raimi's first two attempts at a Spider-Man movie were met with a very positive response at the time. Unfortunately, most folks agree that he missed the mark with his third attempt in 2007's Spider-Man 3.
Though it's not rated as a bad movie, it has plenty of issues. The Peter/Mary Jane dynamic kept hitting the same tired beats and the plot was muddled thanks to having three villains shoved into this. It made for a movie that ended a franchise and led to a reboot a few years later.
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) - 6.6
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It's clear that 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 didn't learn from the mistakes of Spider-Man 3. This film also suffered from trying to cram too much into one story. There were again too many villains (Electro, Green Goblin, and Rhino), and the movie tried too hard to force connections to future installments that ultimately never happened.
While the death of Gwen Stacy came off really well, the film rushed the follow-up and grief that Peter Parker faced just for an action scene at the end, which many felt cheapened the whole thing. This led to another reboot of the character and series just two years later.
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) - 6.9
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In 2012, the rebooted take on Spidey hit theaters. Directed by Marc Webb and starring Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker, The Amazing Spider-Man was certainly different. Sure, it handled the same origin story and saw Uncle Ben die on screen again but the tone was different.
Even though it was a bit darker than the previous films, Spider-Man was more sarcastic and somewhat in line with the comics. Still, it ultimately felt like only a pretty good movie and was disliked by many fans who held the Raimi entries in high regard.
Spider-Man 2 (2004) - 7.4
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This might come as a surprise to a lot of audience members. So many of them still hold up 2004's Spider-Man 2 as the ultimate comic book movie. Despite that, it actually doesn't have nearly the highest rating from the users on IMDb. Regardless, it's clearly a very good flick.
This film is held in high regard for the poignant story it tells about Peter's journey as Spider-Man, the uplifting moments throughout, the impressive action scenes, and the strong supporting cast. It might not rank at the top here but for a lot of fans, this is still the pinnacle of the wall crawler's movie history.
Spider-Man (2002) - 7.4
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Two years before Spider-Man 2, fans were introduced to the hero on the big screen with 2002's Spider-Man. This marked the debut of Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, and James Franco in the roles they would make iconic. Plus, there's Willem Dafoe as a memorable Green Goblin.
At the time of its release, Spider-Man set a few box office records, proving that the Marvel character was a sensation. The film is still lauded and it was pivotal in showcasing just how big superhero movies could be if done right. Later versions surpassed it but this set the tone.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) - 7.4
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It's pretty telling that the five best live-action movies starring Spider-Man are all the ones that see Tom Holland playing the character. His first solo outing as the hero came with 2017's Spider-Man: Homecoming, which works for a slew of reasons.
One of them is that this is a coming-of-age high school film disguised as a superhero blockbuster. The characters are delightful and when the action kicks in, it really works thanks to an appearance from Tony Stark and a phenomenal villain in Adrian Toomes/Vulture.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) - 7.4
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In 2019, Holland suited up for another entry in Spider-Man: Far From Home. This was unique in that it dealt with the aftermath of Thanos wiping out half of humanity and how that impacted the world. That included Peter having to struggle with the loss of his mentor, Tony Stark.
This movie succeeds because it allows Peter to really grow into his own hero while also handling his grief. Jake Gyllenhaal also stepped in as a masterful villain, Zendaya got more time to shine, Holland was incredible, and there's a jaw-dropping twist in the post-credits scene.
Captain America: Civil War (2016) - 7.8
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The announcement that Spider-Man would be joining the MCU was massive. Fans were ecstatic to see their favorite hero alongside the likes of Iron Man and Captain America on the big screen. That finally happened in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, which saw Holland debut as the character.
With Captain America and Iron Man on opposite sides of a disagreement about how The Avengers should be handled going forward, Tony Stark visited Peter Parker to get him on his side. Spider-Man is just a supporting player here but he nearly steals the show and it was a perfect introduction.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) - 8.3
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It doesn't matter which Spider-Man is your favorite, you got your moment in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The highly anticipated blockbuster managed to exceed absurdly high expectations and brought together every live-action Spidey.
Simply seeing Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, and Tobey Maguire together on screen is enough to make this special. When you add in the appearance of Doctor Strange, the high stakes, return of villains from other franchises, and the emotional climax, you get something that is widely seen as the best solo Spidey-Man movie.
Avengers: Endgame (2019) - 8.4
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At the end of the previous year's Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos won out and snapped away half of all existence in the universe. Among those who he took out was Spider-Man, which left him on the sidelines for the majority of 2019's Avengers: Endgame.
Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, and several other heroes went on a time heist to get the Infinity Stones and bring everyone back. Spider-Man returns during the now-iconic scene where the Avengers finally assemble and defeat Thanos and his army.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018) - 8.4
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With so many characters, 2018's Avengers: Infinity War had to be a true balancing act. Thankfully, it got things right and delivered one of the best comic book films ever. Spider-Man was one of the most prominent stars of this installment, which made sense given that he wouldn't be around much for the next one.
In it, Spider-Man joins a fight in New York and ends up on a spaceship with Dr. Strange and Iron Man to Titan. While there, he battls the Guardians of the Galaxy before teaming with them to take on Thanos, which ended with him getting snapped away in a heartbreaking scene.