The Ultimate Ranking of Spider-Man Feature Films

Everyone’s favorite webslinger has been gracing the pages of comic books since the early ’60s and TV screens since the ’70s, but it wasn’t until the 21st century that Spidey truly hit the big screen. Since 2002, there have been eight feature Spider-Man films, some good, some great, and a couple that, well, should have been left behind.

Now that Far from Home has hit the billion-dollar mark globally—and Marvel and Sony are once again fighting a character custody battle—let’s look at the best and the worst of the (sometimes) one and only Spider-Man. Here is my ranking from worst to best.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Andrew Garfield has some good acting chops, but even Meryl Streep–level acting couldn’t have saved The Amazing Spider-Man 2 from being one of the worst films ever. Peter, now out of high school, tries to solve the mystery of his parents’ disappearance while keeping his relationship with Gwen Stacy healthy; of course, he still has to battle the Green Goblin and Electro along the way. While some of the unevenness of the film can be blamed on a young cast and bad writing, the film completely misused Oscar winner Jamie Foxx in a villainous role. Every minute that passed watching this was one I won’t get back in my lifetime.

7. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Most trilogies have a weak link, and this one is no different. The infamous last installment in director Sam Raimi‘s series had definite promise with its introduction of Eddie Brock and the fan-favorite symbiote suit. Unfortunately, it was all brought down by that one infamous scene. You know the one—Emo Peter dancing on the sidewalk. Even Raimi’s delightful storytelling abilities couldn’t save it, and our hopes and dreams for the planned Spider-Man 4 were dashed.

6. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Unlike its sequel, the start of what Sony hoped would be a Marvel Cinematic Universe rival showed great promise. Garfield was fresh off his award-season buzz from The Social Network, which had made him a household name. Pairing him with the always talented Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy should have meant striking gold. The film managed a decent box-office take, but fans weren’t ready to deal with another origin story (and another dying Uncle Ben) just a few years after the previous Spidey flicks.

5.Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

After the death of the Amazing films and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s global takeover, Sony allowed Marvel to bring Peter Parker back once again—as long as Sony still owned the character. As a result, young Tom Holland was brought on board in Captain America: Civil War and then given his own film shortly after. Homecoming was a fresh and fun start for a new Spidey, the best part of which was jumping right into his super life (no spider bite, no death of Ben). Sony got to reap the benefits of Marvel’s hard work, as Tony Stark played a major role mentoring Peter, providing him with a new suit, sage advice, and the dreaded “talking to” everyone needs when they mess up. All this made the addition of Zendaya and Michael Keaton just icing on the cake.

4. Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)

Homecoming was a mostly lighthearted intro movie, but Far from Home transformed Peter Parker into a true superhero. It was the first Marvel movie after the events of Endgame, showing the effects of the five-year “blip” on humanity, and while most of the world is trying to get back to a sense of normalcy, Peter is still reeling from the death of his mentor and father figure, Tony Stark. Holland’s deep show of emotion and resiliency in the face of difficulty has made him one of the most important additions to the MCU. There’s still a lot of fun to be had with Peter’s friends and classmates, but his own struggle with heroism is what bumps this movie into the top half of the rankings. And don’t even get me started on the movie’s mid- and postcredit sequences!

3. Spider-Man (2002)

This is the one that started it all, folks. Sam Raimi, the director of the Evil Dead films and master of fright, put together a rock-solid story to bring Peter Parker to the big screen. Back in 2002, Tobey Maguire was a perfect choice to portray the dorky teenage scientist who evolves into the complex hero we’ve come to love. This set of films stands above the others because Peter does just about everything on his own, including staying afloat financially as an inept pizza-delivery dude. If you’re a big fan of Tom Holland and think I’m delusional for putting this above the rest, set aside your recency bias and go watch it again!

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

What can I even say about this marvelous animated film that I haven’t already said? Sony finally found its own hit with this animated feature, which swept up some well-deserved awards. Miles Morales, a fan favorite, is the central Spidey who learns to trust in himself, his friends, and his family in order to become the hero NYC needs—but there are no fewer than seven spider-enhanced characters swinging around the city, trying to figure out how to stop Kingpin and get themselves home before the multiverse collapses in on itself. The story, the music, the animation, and the acting are a near-perfect combination.

1. Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Here it is, geeks, the best Spidey film of all time (so far). After embracing his role as a hero, Peter finds his life falling apart. His relationships with Mary Jane and Harry have completely disintegrated, Aunt May is about to be evicted, he can’t hold down a job, and, possibly worst of all, his powers are unreliable. Just when Peter thinks he should hang it all up and take a shot at a normal life, his mentor’s science experiment goes horribly wrong, creating one of Spidey’s most intense villains, Doc Ock (played to a tee by Alfred Molina). Throughout the journey, Sam Raimi gives us some of the most incredible visuals and battles ever: Ock’s surgery-turned-nightmare hospital scene, the iconic train-slowing webslinging attack, and the final confrontation for the struggle between Peter and Spider-Man. I kid you not when I say this is not only one of the greatest superhero movies out there but just one of the best movies, period.

There will surely be more Spider-Man movies to come down the pipeline in the future, so this ranking will have plenty of opportunities to be updated. Of course, where those films land could be anyone’s guess now that Sony and Disney’s latest dispute has left the fate of Peter Parker in the MCU tangled in a corporate web.