Since the first live-action Spider-Man movie in the early 2000s, Peter Parker has become a staple of superhero storytelling. Over the years, audiences have been graced with several reboots and mini-franchises. Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s most popular and successful superhero characters. As of 2024, excluding Sony’s Spider-Man Universe (SSU), there have been 10 live-action Spider-Man movies. Captivatingly, each film has brought its unique interpretation of the superhero.
From Tobey Maguire’s earnest portrayal in Sam Raimi’s trilogy to Tom Holland’s fresh take within the Marvel Cinematic Universe to animated entries, these movies have revolutionized the genre and continue to push visual and narrative boundaries. However, with such a diverse lineup of films, opinions on which Spider-Man movie reigns supreme have sparked endless debates among audiences and critics alike. Using aggregated reviews and industry insights, here’s a ranking of every Spider-Man movie by critics.
10. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 50%
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) is the final installment in the The Amazing Spider-Man series. It saw the return of Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker/Spider-Man. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 explores Peter Parker’s dual life as Spider-Man and his struggles with his promise to Gwen Stacy’s (Emma Stone) late father to keep her out of danger. However, Peter finds it difficult to distance himself from Gwen despite his best intentions. The movie also introduced Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx), an Oscorp employee and Spider-Man fan, whose accident involving electric eels turned him into Electro.
Foxx’s Electro and Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan), who becomes the Green Goblin, are the film’s main antagonists. In a tragic turn, Gwen Stacy dies after being dropped to her death by the Green Goblin. Although The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a commercial success, grossing $709 million against its $200–293 million budget, it was received with mixed critical reviews. While critics praised Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone’s chemistry and the overall action sequences and visual effects, the story and plot were heavily criticized. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is the least-rated Spider-Man movie.
9. Spider-Man 3
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
The 2007 Spider-Man 3 is also the final installment in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. Despite being considered one of the best Spider-Man films by audiences, the critics thought otherwise. With Box Office earnings of $895.9 million, Spider-Man 3 is the highest-grossing film in Sam Raimi’s trilogy. In Spider-Man 3, Harry Osborn/Green Goblin (James Franco) seeks revenge on Spider-Man, believing he’s responsible for his father’s death.
Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church) is introduced as an escaped convict who becomes the Sandman and is revealed to have been Uncle Ben’s (Peter Parker’s uncle) killer. Also, an alien symbiote attaches itself to Peter Parker, enhancing his powers, turning his suit black, and fueling his darker instincts. Another antagonist, Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), a rival photographer, becomes the symbiote’s new host, transforming him into Venom.
Spider-Man 3 culminates in a battle where Spider-Man, Green Goblin, and Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) confront the villains. Harry Osborn sacrifices himself to save Peter Parker, reconciling their friendship. Peter forgives Sandman, and Eddie/Venom is vaporized and killed by a pumpkin bomb while trying to save the symbiote. Critics also had mixed reviews about the film. Although they complimented the action sequences, they believed it failed to compare to its predecessors with its plot.
8. The Amazing Spider-Man
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
The 2012 The Amazing Spider-Man introduced audiences to a reboot of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. It is the first installment in the The Amazing Spider-Man series. The film also introduced audiences to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy characters. As the first film in the series, its plot is an original story. It follows Peter Parker as he discovers his late father’s ties to Oscorp Industries and his former partner, Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans).
Sneaking into the Oscorp lab, Peter is bitten by a genetically modified spider, which gives him superhuman abilities. Meanwhile, Peter Parker forms a romantic relationship with Gwen Stacy. Although Peter helps Dr. Connor complete a serum intended to regenerate limbs using reptilian DNA, the serum turns Dr. Connor into a monstrous creature (the Lizard) after he becomes the first human trial. After Uncle Ben’s death, the film climaxes with a battle between Spider-Man and the Lizard, where Peter manages to stop the villain and save the city. Reviews for the movie were generally positive, with critics praising the casting and pace.
7. Spider-Man
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man movie introduced Marvel audiences to the superhero’s first film adaptation. The movie first introduced Tobey Maguire as the face of the action superhero. Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man was a critical and commercial success. It created Box Office records by reaching $100 million in a weekend. Produced on a $139 million budget, Spider-Man grossed an impressive $831.2 million. The movie quickly became the most successful comic-based movie at the time, redefining the modern superhero genre. Like The Amazing Spider-Man, this Raimi’s movie was an origin story for Tobey Maguire Spider-Man.
6. Spider-Man: Far From Home
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
Surprisingly, the more recent Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), is rated in sixth place. The movie is the first sequel in the second Spider-Man reboot and stars Tom Holland as the iconic Peter Parker/Spider-Man. In Far From Home, the plot takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame. It explores Peter Parker’s journey as Spider-Man, grappling with the loss of his mentor, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), while trying to live a normal teenage life. The movie also introduced Quentin Beck/Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), a “hero” from an alternate Earth.
It is later revealed that Mysterio is a fraud and an ex-Stark Industries employee using advanced holographic technology, such as drones, to stage the Elemental attacks. In Far From Home, Peter Parker reveals to MJ (Zendaya) that he’s Spider-Man. Also, after defeating Mysterio in its post-credit scene, a plot twist reveals Spider-Man’s identity as Peter Parker. With Box Office earnings of $1.133 billion against a $160 million budget, Far From Home became the first Spider-Man movie to gross over $1 billion at the Box Office.
5. Spider-Man: Homecoming
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 92%
Far From Home’s predecessor closely follows Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017). As the official second Spider-Man movie reboot, Homecoming was a massive success. Its $880.9 million Box Office earnings made it the second most successful Spider-Man movie after its theatrical run. The film focuses on Peter Parker as he navigates the challenges of being a high school student while trying to prove himself as a superhero under Tony Stark/Iron Man’s guidance. Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton), a blue-collar worker turned weapons dealer, becomes the film’s villain as Vulture. Spider-Man: Homecoming received generally positive reviews from critics, with many praising its light-tone storyline.
4. Spider-Man 2
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
The highest-rated Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movie is the 2004 Spider-Man 2. As the second installment and sequel in the original Spider-Man trilogy, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man struggles to balance his life as a superhero and his personal relationships, particularly with Mary Jane Watson and best friend Harry Osborn. In Spider-Man 2, the central antagonist is Dr. Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina). He’s a brilliant scientist who becomes Doctor Octopus after a failed experiment fuses mechanical tentacles to his body and corrupts his mind. Spider-Man 2 was critically acclaimed, with critics praising Sam Raimi’s direction, visual effects, and the story’s emotional weight. The movie raked in $795.9 million against a $200 million budget.
3. Spider-Man: No Way Home
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
Jon Watts’ third installment in the second Spider-Man reboot film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, is the third highest-rated Spider-Man movie. No Way Home was popular among critics and audiences as Tom Holland’s Spider-Man received help from alternate versions of Tobey Maguire’s and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Mans. Also, Holland’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man grapples with the aftermath of his identity being revealed to the world. Desperate to restore his anonymity, Peter approaches Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) to cast a spell to make the world forget he is Spider-Man.
However, Peter’s interference with the spell causes it to backfire, opening the multiverse. The broken spell unleashes villains from other universes into the MCU, including Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin, Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus, Thomas Haden Church’s Sandman, Rhys Ifans’ Lizard, and Jamie Foxx’s Electro. The 2021 Spider-Man: No Way Home was also critically acclaimed and set new Box Office records with its $1.952 billion earnings. The film is currently the highest-grossing Spider-Man movie ever made.
2. Across the Spider-Verse
IMDb Rating: 8.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
Interestingly, the animated Spider-Verse Spider-Man movies have the highest critical ratings. The 2023 Across the Spider-Verse was the highly anticipated sequel that continued with the story of Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore). The movie follows his journey as he embarks on a multiverse-spanning adventure. Miles reconnects with Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) when she reappears in his universe.
Miles learns about the complex web of the multiverse and the canon events that hold it together. These events are significant moments that all Spider-People must experience to maintain their universe’s stability. However, when Miles discovers that a tragic event in his own life is a canon event, he rebels against the rules, believing he can break the cycle. The 2023 Across the Spider-Verse grossed $690.8 million against its estimated $100–150 million production budget.
1. Into the Spider-Verse
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
As far as the critics are concerned, the 2018 Into the Spider-Verse is the best Spider-Man movie ever produced. The movie was also a Box Office hit, grossing $384.3 million against its $90 million budget. Into the Spider-Verse first introduced audiences to a multiverse filled with different Spider-Man versions. The animated film focuses on Miles Morales, a teenager from Brooklyn who gains spider-like powers after being bitten by a radioactive spider.
With The Kingpin (voiced by Liev Schreiber) as the film’s main villain, his super-collider inadvertently brings other Spider-People into Miles’ universe. These include Peter B. Parker/Spider-Man (Jake Johnson), Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman, Peter Parker/Spider-Man Noir (Nicolas Cage), Peni Parker (Kimiko Glenn), and Peter Porker/Spider-Ham (John Mulaney). If you enjoyed reading about Spider-Man movie ranking by critics, also read about the top MCU deaths that shocked audiences.
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