Spiderman is unlike any other Marvel hero on screens right now, there have been three different major actors to play the role in the 21st century. This means that viewers have come to experience three different styles of Spiderman, but the question on our minds is, which one is the best?
Tobey Maguire
The true pioneer of the superhero genre?
Robert Downey Jr gets ‘ALL’ the credit as the godfather of the superhero genre that we know and love today. His debut as Ironman back in 2008 led to the creation of the empire that is the MCU. But cast your minds back to 2002 when the first Spiderman film hit our screens. This is a film that got $821.7 million box office back in 2002, that’s seriously impressive.
Maguire managed to pull off a Spidey that is the most ‘real’ of the three, Garfield has heightened humour, Holland has heightened childish wonderment, Maguire was a relatable shy, nerdy, normal sort of dude, something a lot of Marvel fans could probably get down with.
His Spiderman showed what is was like when a normal, working man got superpowers, not a school boy like Holland’s Spidey. His performance makes the character feel a lot more real than other more comedic versions of the hero.
Some people argue that Maguire was too serious and rational in the superhero suit, that he lacked the childlike attributes of the Spiderman in the comics.
We’re docking a load of Spidey points for his emo phase too – that was just inexcusable.
Andrew Garfield
The only cool Spiderman?
From a shy photographer to a cool skateboarding dude, Andrew Garfield is basically everything Maguire wasn’t for his role. He showed a confident Spiderman, revelling in his powers and abilities. When you’re working with an actor as dreamy as Garfield, you also play into the romantic side of being a superhero a bit more.
Mary Jane, Peter Parker’s love interest, in Maguire’s run was argued to be a bit one-dimensional, serving as host for the iconic upside down kissing scene and not much else. Garfield and Emma Stone however had a much more human relationship on screen, delving into the more romantic aspects of Spiderman’s life far better.
Garfield stood as the version that had the charm, the sweet kick-flips on his skateboard and the more adult arrogance. While Maguire sat at the front of the classroom to make sure the teacher always saw the good work he was doing, Garfield sat at the back texting his date for the night.
Shameik Moore/Miles Morales
The one who doesn’t want to be Spiderman
Perhaps more of an honorary mention, Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse is the only Oscar-winning Spiderman film so far. It won for best animation. The character of Miles Morales cannot be understated though.
Miles is a social and assertive teenager who is very popular, much like the Garfield rendition. Unlike other young men to don the suit, Miles does so with reluctance, he doesn’t want to be Spiderman initally, adding an interesting level of depth compared to the other versions.
Also unlike other version, it takes him a while to get into his skills, he can’t really use his powers due to fear of messing up. Again this adds a very human nature to the character. It isn’t like other versions that just magically have all the skills and attributes of the superhero, you watch Miles blossom.
Tom Holland
The most comic book Spiderman there is?
Having the titan that is the MCU behind you might not be fair to Garfield and Maguire. They got characters you don’t really know while Holland got the Avengers and Iron Man. With the reckoning force of the MCU helping you, it’s safe to say Tom Holland had the opportunity to enjoy the most Marvel-y stories of them all, with lots more super heroes and villains to spice things up.
Holland is the youngest actor of the trio and therefore plays the most immature of the three Spidermans. A knee-jerk reaction would say this is a bad thing, though Spiderman is all about being the immature, overexcited superhero. He isn’t too cool like Iron Man, Wolverine or Batman, he revels in swinging from building to building, as any young teen would.
Holland’s Spiderman comes as close as possible to the comic book, embodying all the quirky attributes of Peter Parker and Spiderman and reminding viewers exactly what sets Spidey apart from all the super-serious heroes out there.
