When Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man was released in 2002, the web-slinging hero was arguably the most well-known Marvel superhero at the time. Thanks to years of animated series —starting with 1967’s Spider-Man, the show responsible for the iconic pointing meme — Spidey was a household name with incredible brand recognition, making a solo movie a no-brainer for Marvel and Sony.
Spider-Man’s star has only grown in the twenty years since; the teenage hero has starred in multiple blockbusters (whether alone or as part of the Avengers) and spawned several spin-offs. Despite being rebooted several times, every iteration of Spider-Man has been a hit, and with the inclusion of the multiverse, there’s room for every Spidey at the MCU’s metaphorical table.
That being said, the multiverse makes it more difficult to know exactly which Spider-Man movies to watch and when. Even though the release date is the same as the chronological order, the many different variations of Spider-Man, spin-offs, and appearances in MCU films make it more complicated to figure out the exact order you should watch. If you’re organizing a rewatch or just wanting to view the films for the first time, watching the films by release date is the best way to go. Here’s how to watch every Spider-Man movie in order, where to stream, and which Spider-Man stars in the film.
1. Spider-Man (2002)
The first Spider-Man film is 2002’s Spider-Man, starring Tobey Maguire as the eponymous hero. This film is an origin story and shows how nerdy teen Peter Parker becomes the friendly neighborhood hero. Starring Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson, James Franco as Peter’s frenemy Harry Osborne, Willem Dafoe as an amazing Norman Osborne/Green Goblin, and J.K. Simmons as reporter J. Jonah Jameson (who’s become so associated with the role that he reprises it in multiple films). Spider-Man is the blueprint and many of the following films find ways to reference scene-stopping moments, like the upside-down kiss in the rain.
Spider-Man is streaming on Disney Plus and Netflix.
2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Tobey Maguire returns as the web-slinging hero in Spider-Man 2, where he finds juggling his role as a crime-fighter and a normal college student. To make matters worse, Peter’s mentor Otto Octavious becomes the villainous Doctor Octopus after a lab experiment goes tragically wrong, his best friend believes Spider-Man killed his father, the love of his life is engaged to someone else, and he finds his powers failing him at really inopportune times.
Spider-Man 2 is streaming on Disney Plus and Netflix.
3. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
This is the final film starring Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man and it hits a ton of plot points, featuring three different villains and a Venom symbiote-enhanced Peter. While the first two Spider-Man films are widely considered some of the best superhero movies ever made, Spider-Man 3 is more polarizing. Regardless of how you feel about it, it did introduce Venom to a wider audience and is responsible for some great YouTube memes (“I’m gonna put some dirt in your eye.“)
Spider-Man 3 is streaming on Disney Plus and Netflix.
4. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
After plans to make additional Maguire-led films were abandoned, Sony rebooted the franchise with 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man, directed by Marc Webb. Starring Andrew Garfield as a new version of Peter Parker, this time Peter is looking to unravel the mystery behind his parents’ deaths. His findings inspire him to go to Oscorp, where a mutated spider bites him and gives him the powers we’ve grown to know so well. This take on Peter’s origin story features characters like Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans), who becomes the villain Lizard.
The Amazing Spider-Man is streaming on Disney Plus and FuboTV.
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
The second and final film starring Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 focuses on multiple villains, all with their own reasons to dislike Spidey. Peter struggles with his relationship with Gwen, who is planning on moving to England if she gets into her dream school, Oxford and Peter’s childhood friend, Harry Osborne (Dane DeHaan), returns. The film intended to set up a future franchise, which would star the Sinister Six, to compete with the growing MCU. After reaching a consensus with Marvel Studios, the franchise came to an abrupt end.
The Amazing SpiderMan 2 is streaming on Starz and DirecTV.
6. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
This is not a movie about Spider-Man, but it is the first time Tom Holland appears in the role. While he doesn’t even show up until the latter half of the movie, his first appearance is a highlight of the film and a teaser for his own solo film. Fortunately, Holland’s Peter already has his powers by the time Tony Stark recruits him for his team, so no more origin stories with this Spider-Man.
Captain America: Civil War is streaming on Disney Plus.
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
In his first solo MCU film, Tom Holland plays a Spider-Man still going through some growing pains as he tries to balance being a superhero with being a top student at the Midtown School of Science and Technology. Peter wants to prove he has what it takes to be a real Avenger after helping Tony Stark back in Germany, but he finds this task a lot tougher than expected, especially when a new villain, the Vulture (Michael Keaton) appears.
Spider-Man: Homecoming is streaming on Disney Plus.
8. Venom (2018)
Spider-Man never appears in 2018’s Venom but the film (and its sequel) take place in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man’s universe. Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) is a reporter who accidentally fuses with an alien symbiote while attempting to uncover a conspiracy at the bio-engineering company, the Life Foundation.
Venom is streaming on Disney Plus.
9. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse follows Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), an intelligent kid who becomes Spider-Man after being bitten by a radioactive spider from another dimension. This is a unique take on a Spider-Man film, following multiple different Spider-People from different universes. Considered one of the best animated films of all time, if you’re going to watch anything on this list, this is it.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is streaming on FuboTV, FXNow, and DirecTV.
10. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
One thing about the MCU, is that you have to watch any movie a character appears in if you want the full story; while this is not a Spider-Man film, Tom Holland’s Peter Parker plays an important role in Avengers: Infinity War. Alongside a massive ensemble cast filled with Marvel heroes, Spider-Man must face the greatest threat to the universe, Thanos (Josh Brolin), who is collecting Infinity Stones with the plan to destroy half the universe.
Avengers: Infinity War is streaming on Disney Plus.
11. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
One short year later, Avengers: Endgame returned to finish the Thanos storyline. While Tom Holland’s Spider-Man misses half of this movie, he fortunately returns to help finish off Thanos. Five years after the events of Infinity War, the remaining Avengers come together to defeat Thanos and save the universe once and for all. This film is a culmination of over a decade of MCU films and is definitely worth the watch, even without that much Spider-Man.
Avengers: Endgame is streaming on Disney Plus.
12. Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Tom Holland returns as Spider-Man, and this time, he gets to go on vacation. Traveling to Venice with his classmates, Peter is looking forward to some rest, relaxation, and hopes to gather the courage to tell MJ (Zendaya) how he feels. Unfortunately for him, he’s called upon by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders) to help stop the monstrous Elementals from wreaking havoc across the city, encountering the mysterious Mysterio (Jake Gyllenhaal).
Spider-Man: Far From Home is streaming on Starz and DirecTV.
13. Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Taking place in Tom Holland’s universe (but once again, there’s no Spidey in this film), Venom: Let There Be Carnage expands on the events from the first film, with Tom Hardy returning to play Eddie Brock. When the violent symbiote Carnage attaches to serial killer Cletus Kasady (Woody Harrelson), the two vow to destroy Eddie and Venom. Meanwhile, Eddie and Venom are struggling to find common ground, due to their innate differences (Venom wants to eat people; Eddie doesn’t want him to do that).
Venom: Let There Be Carnage is streaming on Starz and DirecTV.
14. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
The final Tom Holland Spider-Man film (so far), Spider-Man: No Way Home is a love letter to every film iteration of the friendly neighborhood hero. When a Dr. Strange spell goes awry, villains from other universes begin to trickle into this one, pitting Peter against baddies like Doctor Octopus, Electro, and the Green Goblin. After months of speculation, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire made surprise appearances as their universes’ respective Spideys.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is streaming on Starz and DirecTV.
15. Morbius (2022)
This is definitely a movie of all time and it technically takes place in Holland’s universe. If you really want to commit to watching every Spider-Man movie, this is where you’d watch this one.
Morbius is not on streaming (but this may be a blessing).
16. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is the sequel to the 2018 acclaimed film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. Shamiek Moore returns as Miles Morales and goes on a new adventure throughout the multiverse when Gwen Stacy/Spider-Woman (Hailee Steinfeld) tells him about a secret society of Spider-People. Arguably better than the first, this is a must watch for any Spidey fan.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is in theaters now.
Published: Jun 6, 2023 04:29 pm