Out of the many Spider-Man characters that have been introduced over the years, Gwen Stacy might be one of the most underrated. Traditionally introduced as Peter Parker’s first love, Gwen’s fate was a tragic one, doomed to die at the hands of the Green Goblin. Originally, Gwen was written to be Peter’s main love interest before the comic’s writers decided to kill her off; Stan Lee put it best: “No matter how we wrote it, Mary Jane always seemed more interesting.”
That’s no longer always the case. Different versions of Gwen Stacy have been utilized in several Spider-Man films and TV series, and her most recent iteration as Spider-Woman in the Spider-Verse films has brought newfound appreciation to the character.
Though I’m of the mind that Gwen has always been cool, not every portrayal is created equal. From mild-mannered high school student to a feisty alternate-reality version, every actress who has had the chance to play Gwen Stacy has brought something different to the role. In order from not-so-great to the very best, let’s take a look at the different Gwens throughout the years.
9. Lily Sanfelippo (Spidey and his Amazing Friends)
This show is aimed toward a pre-school audience so it almost feels unfair to put it on this list, but it is the least enjoyable Gwen Stacy. This isn’t through any fault of Sanfelippo’s; this is just a very juvenile version of the character, tasked with solving juvenile problems like rescuing puppies and making friends.
8. Mary Kay Bergman (Spider-Man: The Animated Series)
Gwen Stacy appeared in Spider-Man: The Animated Series for only one episode but she really made an impact. The early Spider-Man cartoons mostly focused on Peter’s relationship with Mary Jane Watson, and this series was no exception. Shortly before the series ended, Peter encounters Gwen of another dimension, one where she’s engaged to a billionaire Peter. This Gwen proves feisty, saving Peter and a bunch of civilians from a creepy version of Spider-Man. Sadly, she’s only in the one episode so we never got to see much of this Gwen.
7. Bryce Dallas Howard (Spider-Man 3)
I know why people dislike this version of Gwen Stacy but I truly don’t think she’s that bad; she’s just not given much to work with. Bryce Dallas Howard starred as the first version of Gwen to grace the big screen and doesn’t serve much purpose in the film other than to add conflict between Peter and Mary Jane. I’d argue this isn’t really Gwen’s fault (she even apologized to Mary Jane when all was said and done) but this does feel like an instance where an important character was just shoved into the plot. This Gwen seemed very sweet but unfortunately, she didn’t get to do much.
6. Emily Tennant (Marvel Super Hero Adventures)
I know, I know — I just complained about another Playhouse Disney Spider-Man series, but in Marvel Super Hero Adventures, Gwen Stacy actually has stuff to do. As Ghost Spider, Emily Tennant voices a very competent hero who seems assured of herself and is kind to civilians. It’s not much, but it is better than the other Gwens we’ve seen thus far.
5. Lacy Chabert (The Spectacular Spider-Man)
Lacy Chabert (who famously tried to make “fetch” happen in Mean Girls) plays Gwen in this short-lived cartoon series. In The Spectacular Spider-Man, Gwen is close friends with both Harry Osborn and Peter Parker and harbors feelings for the latter. Despite him feeling the same, the two never have the opportunity to be a couple as they both end up in relationships with other people. Aside from her romance storylines, this Gwen is notable for being a fairly accurate portrayal of the original comic version. Sadly, The Spectacular Spider-Man was cancelled after only two seasons so this is all the Gwen we’ll see from this series.
4. Dove Cameron (Ultimate Spider-Man vs. the Sinister 6/Marvel Rising specials)
In both Ultimate Spider-Man vs. the Sinister 6 and the Marvel Rising Disney XD specials, Dove Cameron plays a stellar version of the Gwen most familiar to fans of Into the Spider-Verse. This Gwen moonlights as Ghost Spider, fighting crime by night and playing drums in her band during the day. It’s a delicate act to balance and Cameron does a good job playing the character in a story that follows her Ghost Spider comic book origins. This Gwen also got to bust out her singing skills during a Battle of the Bands after fighting alongside the Secret Warriors, which was cool to watch.
3. Laura Bailey (Marvel’s Spider-Man)
Marvel’s Spider-Man premiered in 2017 and followed a ton of familiar faces for Spider-Man fans. Alongside Peter Parker, his other genius-level classmates at Horizon High include Gwen Stacy, Miles Morales, Harry Osborn, and Anya Corazon. In this series, Laura Bailey plays Gwen Stacy, who realizes her own powers as Ghost-Spider during the first season. The show combines some aspects of her Spider-Verse counterpart while also adding some twists, like changing her relationship to the villain The Jackal. I enjoy the show’s focus on how intelligent Gwen is as well as not forcing a romantic plotline between her and Peter.
2. Emma Stone (The Amazing Spider-Man)
Although some fans were not happy with Sony’s choice to reboot the live-action Spider-Man films, even harsh critics found themselves impressed by Emma Stone’s performance as Peter’s first love. Staying relatively true to the comic books, this Gwen is Peter’s academic competition, even becoming valedictorian of their graduating class. The two even fight crime together so to speak, as he reveals his secret identity to her pretty early on and she helps him improve his tech. Tragically, Gwen’s fate is also true to the comics and even more heartbreaking to watch on the big screen.
1. Hailee Steinfeld (Into the Spider-Verse)
After first appearing in Into the Spider-Verse in 2018, Hailee Steinfeld’s version of the character has easily become the most popular Gwen Stacy so far. As “Spider-Gwen,” she was the one to be bitten by a radioactive spider in her universe and tragically, she can’t save her friend Peter Parker from suffering a fate like many a Gwen Stacy has in the comics. This Gwen is both very cool and very accessible and it’s hard not to root to her, even when she’s lying to Miles. No spoilers for the recently released Across the Spider-Verse, but Gwen is also the focus of some beautifully animated scenes, and an obvious pick for number one on this list.