Ever since making his comic-book debut on 5 June 1962, Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man has been part of the American zeitgeist and a big-screen mainstay that has swung his way into our hearts through various cinematic incarnations and studio reboots. From Nicholas Hammond to Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, each actor brought a new perspective to the teenage wall-crawler, expanding Peter Parker’s rich legacy onscreen and making Hollywood millions of dollars. However, not all Spidey films are created equal, with some receiving greater acclaim than others.

With the hotly-anticipated arrival of “Across the Spider-Verse”, the sequel to Sony Pictures’ Academy Award-winning film, we offer a comprehensive ranking, from worst to best, for every Spider-Man theatrical movie to date, going back all the way to 1977. Ready the torches and pitchforks, and let’s dive in.

14. Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge (1979)

Sam Raimi was not the first to bring Peter Parker to the big screen, in fact, an entire trilogy of now-forgotten films swung into theaters during the late 70s.

Running for 13 episodes, “The Amazing Spider-Man” series that aired on CBS gave dweebs a first glimpse at the wall-crawling menace. Nicholas Hammond did a solid job in his short-lived tenure as Peter Parker, which saw him travel all the way to Hong Kong to protect a Chinese official and fend off against evil rich magnate Zeidler in the threequel. Despite what its position at the very bottom of this list may imply, “The Dragon’s Challenge” is not completely devoid of fun. Much like its two predecessors, it bundles together two made-for-TV episodes with a certain soap-opera feel that works both for and against it. However, this one is particularly bogged down by droning exposition, a half-baked international conspiracy plot, and easily the worst romantic interest in the trilogy. No wonder Stan Lee hated it.

13. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Let’s start with the positives: Andrew Garfield oozes charisma as Queens’ wise-cracking, sarcastic web-slinger and shares great chemistry with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. Though it had its moments, overall, Marc Webb’s second turn at the franchise helm made the classic mistake of trying to do too much and falling short of nearly every goal it set for itself.

In an effort to set-up an entire cinematic universe including a Sinister 6 and Black Cat spin-offs, “The Amazing Spider-Man 2” split its focus between Jamie Foxx’s dweeb scientist-turned-evil mastermind Electro and Dane DeHaan’s underwhelming Harry Osborn—cramming about a trilogy’s worth of character development into 142 bloated minutes. Needless to say, the result is less than exceptional. Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise that this movie led to yet another franchise reboot: we’ll treasure Paul Giamatti’s post-credits cameo as Rhino and move on.

12. Spider-Man (1977)

Even if it’s outweighed by the bad stuff, the 1977 Spider-Man feature-film is a fairly enjoyable cheesy romp that deserves a ton of credit for being the first to bring the friendly neighborhood to the big screen.

Acting as a backdoor pilot setting up CBS’ “The Amazing Spider-Man” show that ran from 1977–1979, Peter Parker’s live-action debut finds him juggling responsibilities as a college student and underpaid journalist at J. Jonah Jameson’s The Daily Bugle before being bit by a radioactive spider. Even with its cornier moments and outdated action, certain scenes have an undeniable 70s charm—whether it’s Peter testing his powers for the first time by climbing buildings, throwing webs at deadly ninjas, or trying to stop criminal mastermind Edward Bryon from hypnotizing random New Yorkers and collecting $50 million in ransom. All in all, as long as you keep your expectations in check, watching this popcorn fodder will be time well spent.

11. Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978)

A tissue sample of post-Cold War nuclear paranoia, the second entry in “The Amazing Spider-Man” made-for-TV trilogy finds Spidey going toe-to-toe with millionaire tycoon Mr. White, who plans to steal plutonium, assassinate the US president, and blow up New York with a homemade atomic bomb.

Though one must endure one-too-many dull scenes in order to get to the good stuff, we are giving this one a slight edge over its predecessor on the grounds that it has higher stakes, better pacing, and provides a clear improvement in the action department, with solid stunts, high-octane car chase sequences, and even some Wild West-slash-kung fu showdowns sprinkled in for good measure. Add to the mix a catchy score and a surprisingly impressive first-person POV shot of Spider-Man swinging from a helicopter, and you get a solid piece of comic-book history that never overstays its welcome.

10. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

“No Way Home” holds the distinction of being the highest-grossing Spider-Man movie with a total of $1.9 billion raked in at the box office. And in hindsight, it isn’t hard to understand why audiences flocked to the theaters to watch Tom Holland’s third solo joint in the Marvel Cinematic Universe considering the whirlwind of casting rumors that preceded its release.

In borrowing the conceptual shtick of “Into the Spider-Verse” and bringing a crop of past iterations of web-slingers and Spidey rogues all into the fold, “No Way Home” delivered one of the marquee post-pandemic theatrical experiences—a rip-roaring, crowd-pleasing IP mash-up that tapped into fans’ nostalgia to full effect. By virtue of being a part of the larger MCU saga, though, the story feels at once overstuffed and oddly weightless: a feeling that becomes ever-so-glaring once the adrenaline rush of that initial watch wears off and you revisit the film at home. It may indulge in all the wrong ways, but strictly as fan service, “No Way Home” accomplished exactly what it set out to do.

9. Spider-Man (1978)

If you secretly wish that Spider-Man could ride a flying car and fight mecha-robots, world-destroying aliens, and a kaiju-sized anthropomorphic swordfish that shoots torpedoes out of his mouth, boy, we have just the right movie from you.

The live-action series produced by Toei Company (the famed Japanese studio behind “Power Rangers” and “Dragon Ball”) under license from Marvel won the hearts of millions worldwide and sprung a short 24-minute film that was theatrically distributed in 1978. The titular hero here is not Peter Parker but motocross racer Takuya Yamashiro, who gains his powers after an injection of blood from the last surviving person of the Planet Spider. Things get even nuttier once his secret identity is discovered, prompting the web-slinging vigilante to join forces with an Interpol agent to defeat the mighty Iron Cross Army. If you’re wondering if this movie is as unashamedly silly and fun as it sounds on paper, the answer is a resounding yes. If Japanese Spider-Man doesn’t make an appearance in the next “Spider-Verse” film, we riot.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

Following the disastrous reception to the third and final installment in Sam Raimi’s trilogy, Sony decided to wipe the slate clean in order to retain the rights to Marvel’s flagship superhero.

Slapping on the reset button meant moviegoers were forced to relive once again events they’d seen just ten years prior—from Peter Parker being bit by a radioactive spider all the way to Uncle Ben’s tragic death. Dr. Curtis Connors a.k.a. The Lizard, who was originally supposed to appear in Raimi’s botched 2011 film, made his splashy live action debut going head-to-head with a cooler, edgy and fundamentally less dorky Spider-Man. Goodbye Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst; enter Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, both of whom make the most out of the mediocre material they were given to work with. Though it could never hold a candle to Raimi’s origin story, labeling Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” a disaster may be too harsh. Still, there’s a reason this is no one’s favorite version of Spider-Man: it’s a reasonably well put-together, yet terribly unremarkable entry in the costumed-crusader canon.

Spider-Man is a pretty big deal.

Ever since his cinematic debut in 2002, Marvel’s webslinger has raked in over a whopping $6.3 billion at the worldwide box office. Sixty years since his first comic book appearance, Stan Lee’s teenager bitten by a radioactive spider may have very well saved cinema in an industry still wadding through Covid19 devastation. It therefore seems pertinent to celebrate this spectacular superhero with a ranking. No appearances in other films or crossovers will be counted. Spidey must be the main character. Got it? Good – now let’s swing into action…

9. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

The first solo Spidey instalment in the indomitable MCU is at best passable and at worst forgettable. ‘Things are never gonna be the same now’ goes the opening line, accompanied with a child’s drawing of the Avengers assembled – and so lies the main problem in this maligned misadventure. Interconnectedness, nods, nudges, winks and cameos stifle what should be a fresh solo Spidey escapade that establishes this iteration and his world. But very soon the Marvel machine becomes greater than this individual cog, with Spider-Man (Tom Holland) struggling to balance his ordinary school life with an extraordinary plot concocted by the villainous Vulture (Michael Keaton) in using and selling super-tech weapons. You’d be forgiven for thinking this evil plan was filched from one of the Iron Man movies. Robert Downy Jr. is the misjudged Uncle Ben stand-in and mentor to Peter Parker, bestowing him with an abundant of riches, including a creatively-lazy technologized spider suit.

Forgoing what makes Spider-Man great – wit, intellect, on top of malnourished financial resources, the direction to turn Spider-Man into an Iron Man Jr. was misjudged and contrary to the message it tries to push at the end of the story, with this iteration lazily depending on all kinds of high-tech arsenal for this film and beyond. There is no ingenuity, only an overall wasted opportunity. There are, however, some nice additions. The doughy-faced-squeaky-voiced Holland brings a youthful exuberance to the character, with director Jon Watts exploring the nature of being a teenager better than any other Spidey film, with its in-the-life look at being a high schooler akin to a John Hughes flick. Going to prom, sorting out small domestics – these are wholesomeness flashes of Peter Parker being that classic friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. But these flashes illuminate the film’s overall shallowness. Michael Keaton – Batman himself – returns to the genre as your villain and yet the film still manages to make him join the lame pantheon of other forgettable bland MCU baddies.

8. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Faced with tackling four destructive elemental monsters while on a school trip around Europe, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) comes across Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal), a fellow hero with mysterious origins. Jon Watts returns as director to unfortunately repeat the same mistakes as found in the original. The plot quickly veers into a subpar Iron Man crisis, with another case of weapons in the wrong hands, and once again the Spider-Man character is neutered by depending on the multi-billion-dollar AR technical defence systems he inherited from Tony Stark, from Shirley to Edith. The ‘Gotcha’ twist is not surprising either to anyone who knows the Mysterio character, and seems hollow when the trend of faux-heroes-actually-villains has been done before in this universe, far better in fact with Sir Ben Kingsley’s Mandarin/Trevor Slattery. But amidst the drawn-out gags and info-dumps there are some bright spots. Whether Peter can claim the responsibility of being an Avenger and putting that ahead of his personal life is an appropriate thematic thread to explore.

The different spider-suits are a cool kick for fans and the very nature of the travelogue aspect of the film is a fun and refreshing turn from staple New York (though at times it does feel like a bit of a hollow novelty) whilst supporting stars have more time to shine and bring humanity to an otherwise empty entry in the MCU, from Zendaya’s snarky MJ to Jon Favreau’s hammy Happy.

7. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Andrew Garfield’s second Spider-Man film sees him pitted against childhood friend Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) and the evil Electro (Jamie Foxx) in what was Sony’s cobbled sophomore rush in trying to graduate into a self-sufficient cinematic universe. The inclusion of Green Goblin, Electro, the death of Gwen Stacey (Emma Stone) and the foreshadowing of other hopeful but unfulfilled future film instalments with the teasing of Black Cat and the Sinister Six was a tall order – the consequence of which is that the film feels stuffed and bloated. In the words of Miss Stacey after kissing her beloved Peter Parker, it all feels ‘a little bit rushed.’ Director Marc Web seems to have taken a left-turn from the film’s previous darker tone, opting for a colourful and garish aesthetic of Batman and Robin (1997) proportions. Foxx’s Electro is almost too much of a caricature for this comic-book world – his alter-ego Max Dillon as a dweeby Spider-Man super-fan is an incongruous addition to the film, along with the design of DeHaan’s Green Goblin; the latter of which’s retroactive introduction to the Amazing Universe makes it all feel like a higgledy-piggledy mess. Yet unlike its general bashed reputation, there is more good in this film than one would initially believe.

Andrew Garfield is perhaps at his best here as Spider-Man. A wise-cracker with heart, he also brings gravitas and guts as he soldiers through some of the most emotionally harrowing scenarios in any of these listed films. And of course, one cannot talk about Garfield without his Gwen Stacey. Stone and Garfield are the best part of this film. Their relationship reaches dizzying heights and their chemistry on screen is more electric than any of Electro’s CGI guff could ever be. Though this universe did not turn out to be entirely amazing, I hope, in the age of the multiverse, Garfield could return for future solo movies.

6. Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy concludes with an entry that is certainly the weakest of the three but by no means as awful as fan circles would have you believe. Spider-Man (Tobey Maguire) must wrestle with the symbiotic alien known as Venom, all whilst sorting out Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and maintain a relationship with sweetheart Mary Jane (Kristen Dunst). Rami’s regulars are all excellent with the overstuffed plot they have to work with. Unlike the recent silly standalone spinoffs, the Venom concept here works well as a dark counterpart to the Peter Parker character, offering a fresh re-examination of Parker’s three-film arc when it comes to grappling with his responsibility. Yes, being corny and predictable are fair enough slanders to sling at this much maligned film. A creatively spent Sam Raimi offers a few twist on previous narratives – but by this point his overall overblown style becomes a touch lacklustre. Yet while some bits are bad, most of the film is so bad it is hilarious – and in some cases meme worthy and legendary.

Don’t tell me you don’t dance to the sensational James Brown with Maguire, or howl at the risible brilliance of J. Jonah Jameson (J. K. Simons) clocking Evil-Peter’s feet on his desk. This film also offers the best Stan Lee cameo, his words embodied by a Peter Parker with heart and an undying effort to do the right thing and use his great power responsibly. Amidst the corniness and ham you will be charmed by how one man can indeed make a difference. In Stan’s words – ‘Nuff said’.

Outside of Batman, no superhero has appeared in more movies than Spider-Man. One of the most popular superheroes of all-time, Spider-Man has always been one of the most relatable characters within the Marvel mythology. Whether he is Peter Parker or Miles Morales, Spider-Man is inherently a kid who bites off more than he can chew and is forced to take on great responsibilities. The iconic webslinger made his cinematic debut with Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man, and has been rebooted several times.

The role has been passed between many actors, and the best Spider-Man films are the ones that reflect the personal struggle that Peter Parker (or Miles Morales) faces when balancing his life as a teenager and his goals as a superhero. The franchise doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, as a yet untitled third MCU Spider-Man film starring Tom Holland is set for release in 2021, and a sequel to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse will be released in 2022.

For this list, only films starring Spider-Man will be included, so films such as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame will not be considered. Also, the spinoff Venom is not considered part of the main Spider-Man series. Here are all eight Spider-Man films ranked from worst to best.

8. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

The second Spider-Man film starring Andrew Garfield was an unmitigated disaster; instead of moving forward with the story and developing Peter Parker as a character, the film exists purely to set up several sequels and an extended universe that would include spinoffs like The Sinister Six; due to the critical failure of the film, all plans for the universe were halted and the series was rebooted once again within the MCU. The film has so many loose ends that aren’t resolved, and the frantic editing makes it nearly impossible to focus on any one storyline.

The film’s real failure is its villains; despite casting three great actors, none of the characters are a compelling threat to Peter Parker. Dane DeHaan is certainly trying as Harry Osborn, but the character’s relationship with Peter isn’t well established, and Harry’s transformation into the Green Goblin is very rushed. The less said about Jamie Foxx as Electro and Paul Giamatti as Rhino the better, as both actors manage to sufficiently embarrass themselves with their ridiculous performances.

While the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone was a highlight of the first The Amazing Spider-Man film, their relationship is drawn out and less playful. The action sequences are frequent, yet unmemorable, and even the musical score is off putting and obnoxious. The final scene of the film, in which Peter saves a little boy dressed as Spider-Man from the Rhino, is so lazily conceived and cheesily written that its shocking anyone involved thought it would be a good idea. With underdeveloped characters, an inconsistent tone, and a cynical emphasis on setting up future movies, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 is easily the worst Spider-Man film to date.

7. Spider-Man 3

Like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3 suffered from a great deal of studio interference, as Sam Raimi was forced to include the characters Eddie Brock/ Venom and Gwen Stacy in the story, resulting in an overstuffed movie that isn’t able to juggle all of its plot threads. However, while The Amazing Spider-Man 2 felt like a cynical studio product, Spider-Man 3 still retains the unique stylistic sensibilities of Sam Raimi, whose unique humor still comes through. Even the most ridiculed moments, such as the infamous Peter Parker dance sequences, are at least attempting to reflect the same goofy tone of the first two films.

Like The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the film is overstuffed with too many villains, but some of the characters actually work. Thomas Hayden Church is actually quite good as Flint Marko, a thief who is trying to save his daughter’s life and is turned into the Sandman. Marko’s descent into villainy works, and Peter’s decision to forgive him at the end is actually very effective. However, Topher Grace’s performance as Eddie Brock feels like a last minute addition, and his obnoxious character feels tacked on.

Harry Osborn’s transition into becoming the New Goblin is botched, and the various love triangles that exist between Peter, Harry, Mary Jane, Gwen Stacy, and Eddie Brock grow tiresome as the film transitions between wacky comedy and grim melodrama. The idea that Peter Parker would be “corrupted” by the symbiote and unleash his dark side may have worked on paper, but it often comes off as laughable. While not entirely as bad as its reputation may suggest, Spider-Man 3 is a disappointing end to what could’ve been a near perfect superhero movie trilogy.

6. The Amazing Spider-Man

The Amazing Spider-Man is thoroughly fine. It’s not an awful movie, nor is it a great one; it simply exists. The major disappointment of the film is that it relies so heavily on the formula established by Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man that it never develops an identity of its own, and seeing the same origin story again is tiresome and doesn’t add anything new. Certain key moments, such as Uncle Ben’s speech to Peter about responsibility, are nearly entirely replicated, yet they lack the unique stylistic interpretation that Raimi brought to the screen.

The story itself leaves a lot to be desired, as the villain Dr. Curt Connors/ The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) has insufficient motivations, and his plan to turn all of New York City into lizard creatures makes absolutely no sense. The film also relies heavily on Peter’s search into what happened to his parents, and although the film tries to set up an emotional connection, it never comes off as authentic.

Andrew Garfield provided a very different sort of performance as Peter Parker, and although his more modern take on what a teenage loner would look like can feel somewhat incongruent with the Spider-Man mythology, he’s extremely charismatic onscreen, particularly when he’s in the suit. The relationship between Peter and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) is a joy to watch, and Dennis O’Leary is also very strong as Gwen’s father George Stacy, a police officer with a vendetta against Spider-Man who becomes another father figure for Peter.

The action sequences are creative and thrilling, particularly the film’s climactic third act confrontation between Spider-Man and The Lizard. The Amazing Spider-Man doesn’t deserve to be lumped in with its sequel, and while it’s not a terrible film, it’s a thoroughly forgettable one.

5. Spider-Man: Far From Home

It should be noted that there is a massive quality gap between #5 and #6, as Spider-Man: Far From Home is a very entertaining, yet very safe, entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Picking up right after Avengers: Endgame, the film explores what the world looks like after the death of Tony Stark, and shows the pressure that Peter Parker faces as he lives in the shadow of Iron Man. Like its predecessor Homecoming, Far From Home is a mostly breezy high school comedy that happens to feature superheroes, and the best parts of the film are definitely the relationships Peter forms with his friends over the course of their European vacation.

This comes across best as Peter tries to confess his love for MJ (Zendaya) during his trip, and Peter’s search to balance his life in and out of the suit is a perfect embodiment of the Spider-Man mythos. The film finds a lot of comedy as Peter suffers every possible embarrassment, but occasionally the film suffers from relying too much on the connections to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. Even though the story is centered on Peter inheriting Tony Stark’s status, it does feel more like a placeholder in the larger MCU.

Quentin Beck and his alter ego Mysterio is an easy twist to see coming, and although the character’s motivations are fairly thin, Jake Gyllenhaal gives an eccentric performance who once again serves as a stand in for Peter’s absent father figure. The action sequences aren’t particularly memorable, but the pathos of the characters still come through, particularly when MJ learns Peter’s identity. Far From Home succeeds as a Spider-Man film and as a MCU film, but it’s not one of the best in either franchise.

Another year, another Spider-Man. The past 15 years have given us three different visions of the web-slinging hero and 6 movies of varying quality. While some have captured the spirit of what makes a great superhero movie, others have fallen remarkably flat.

6. Spider-Man 3

No one has ever walked out of a superhero movie and said “It was good, but you know what it really needed to be great? A jazz dance scene.” Unfortunately, no one told Sam Raimi, who decided that a cheesy, baffling dance scene was exactly what his third Spider-Man installment needed. Spider-Man 3 is a long, overstuffed film that abandoned any attempt to craft a well-rounded villain in favor of giving the audience a host of bad guys and subplots that are half-baked and difficult to follow.

NPR film critic Bob Mondello fitfully dubbed Spider-Man 3 “As The Web Turns,” in reference to how the movie felt more like a soap opera than a superhero flick. Having already happily paired up Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) and Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) in Spider-Man 2, Raimi felt the need to throw a wrench in their relationship and spends way too much screen time trying to patch it together again, time that should have been spent giving depth to his villains. Spider-Man 3 is a perfect example of what happens where too many ideas are forced into one film, the result is confusing, underdeveloped, and unfocused.

5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2

Like Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 suffers from trying to cram too much plot into one film. We’ve got the main villain, Electro (Jamie Foxx), a dying Harry Osborn (Dean DeHaan) on his way to becoming the Green Goblin, Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) trying once again to salvage his relationship with his love interest, a tragic death, the introduction of yet another villain (Paul Giamatti)…the list goes on.

Jamie Foxx is a solid performer and Paul Giamatti is one of the greatest actors of our time, and while they are both giving it their all here, the film gets too wrapped up in trying to introduce all its other subplots to give either actor their proper due.

A good superhero movie shouldn’t have to rely on more than one villain to keep the audience interested. One thought-out villain with a clear motive and strong backstory should be more than enough. If a director feels as though their primary villain isn’t enough to carry the main conflict in the film, the answer shouldn’t be to add more bad guys, it should be to go back to the script and look for ways to strengthen that original character. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 both went for quantity over quality and created bloated endings to their directors’ takes on the franchise.

4. The Amazing Spider-Man

10 years after Tobey Maguire swung into theaters as the first live-action Spider-Man in decades, Sony decided to try their hand at the franchise with 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man. The film was received fairly well due, in part, to its strong casting of Andrew Garfield as the lead and Emma Stone as his love interest, Gwen Stacey. Both actors were beginning their meteoric rise and their strong on-screen chemistry was clear through their well-written banter.

Garfield had a swagger and angst to him that seemed to breathe new life into the character, despite the fact that the basic plot – Peter Parker gets bit by a spider, becomes Spider-Man, Uncle Ben dies, villains appear, Spider-Man fights them – remained largely the same as the films before it. Stone’s Gwen Stacey was also a sharper, more rounded character than Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane, who spent the first movie as little more than a lusted- after love interest.

The Amazing Spider-Man also kept its script tight, focusing on only one villain (Rhys Ifans) to leave room for Peter’s backstory to develop, which included a mysterious take on the history of his parents, which the Sam Raimi Spider-Man films never addressed. People had their doubts about this film, which many considered to be a woefully premature remake, but it was able to hold up its own by adding enough unique touches and making Peter Parker just a bit more badass.

3. Spider-Man

While both Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man do a decent job showing us Spidey’s backstory, Spider-Man earns its higher rating on this list by overcoming decades worth of obstacles and blazing the way for many superhero movies to come. 2002’s Spider-Man was the first film to surpass $100 million on its opening weekend, and it managed to do so despite being passed through the hands of countless screenwriters and directors over the years.

Spider-Man was the first modern superhero summer blockbuster film, a genre which now includes the likes of Iron Man, The Avengers, Wonder Woman, Guardians of the Galaxy, and many other beloved movies. Along with all this, it was an entertaining, well-written, well-cast film, that focused on developing the personality of Peter Parker and his complicated relationship to one of his most infamous villains, the Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), without trying to overload the audience with too many characters.

Tobey Maguire does an excellent job of making us root for his traditionally nerdy Peter Parker and deftly portrays not only the adolescent excitement of obtaining superpowers but also the guilt of inadvertently causing Uncle Ben’s death, one of the most important hallmarks of the character. It was a great reintroduction to a character who had not seen a live-action portrayal since the 70’s, and an important introduction to audiences of a new breed of superhero films.

2. Spider-Man: Homecoming

The latest incarnation of Spider-Man has a lot going for it – a highly likable Peter Parker (Tom Holland), a strong villain played by an Academy Award nominated actor (Michael Keaton), and the support of an already-established widely popular franchise. Spider-Man: Homecoming sets itself apart from other Spider-Man movies from the very beginning by skipping over the parts of the backstory that everyone already knows and no one needs to see again – the lab visit, the spider bite, Uncle Ben’s death – all of these things have already occurred before the story starts.

It also differentiates itself by being thoroughly 2017, Peter’s bully isn’t a burly jock but rather a rich DJ (Tony Revolori), who uses snarky words instead of his fists to humiliate our hero. It also gives us a modern take on Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), who for the first time does not come off as a purely tragic, put-upon character but a young, witty caregiver.

Most importantly, Spider-Man: Homecoming never lets you forget that Peter Parker is still a teenager who has a lot of growing up to do. This not only makes it more enjoyable to watch as he gets stronger and gains more control over his powers, but it also heightens the anticipation for upcoming films where we will get to watch him go from Spider-Kid to Spider-Man.

1. Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man, Batman, Iron Man, what these heroes all have in common is despite their powers, money, or equipment they are still inherently human, and the most interesting stories about them are the ones that are able to highlight that humanity without taking away from the action. Spider-Man 2 has it all, a remarkably well-acted villain with depth, clear motives and a heartbreaking backstory, paired with a compelling subplot that features Peter Parker coming to terms with the limitations of trying to be a hero and have a fulfilling life, and it does this without wallowing in introspection.

Sam Raimi really found his Spider-Man vision with this film, which is clear in the way he films the one-on-one fights between Peter and his former mentor Doc Ock (a fantastic Alfred Molina). The fight scenes feel expertly choreographed – personal, more intimate than the traditional fight scenes where a hero takes on scores of bad guys or a villain that has been turned into something truly inhuman.

This is also a rare example of how a film can have two villains without them overwhelming each other. James Franco delivers a great performance as Harry Osborn, who is slowly descending into insanity following the death of his father. He’s strange for sure, but not so outlandish that he takes away attention from the importance of Doc Ock’s story.

Spider-Man 2 raises the question: what do you do when your responsibilities to the public as a superhero make it impossible to live up to your responsibilities as a human being? Peter Parker does not have Bruce Wayne or Tony Stark’s money, he needs to hold a job, pay rent, keep Aunt May from getting evicted, and rescue any New Yorker who may be in peril. He’s stressed, he’s tired, his problems are real and relatable, and it makes it all the more exciting to watch him succeed.