All 7 Major Spider-Man Actors Ranked Worst To Best Following ‘Brand New Day

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Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026) has finally swung into theaters, giving Tom Holland his seventh appearance as Peter Parker and ushering in a brand-new era for the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s friendly neighborhood hero.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, the latest  MCU film reminds us just how many talented actors have stepped into Spider-Man’s web over the years.

From Tobey Maguire’s groundbreaking live-action debut in 2002 to Andrew Garfield’s emotional interpretation, Shameik Moore’s star-making turn as Miles Morales, and Yuri Lowenthal’s fan-favorite performance in Insomniac Games’ PlayStation titles, every actor has brought something unique to the role.

There really isn’t a bad Spider-Man on this list. Ranking them comes down to personal preference as much as anything else. Some performances simply left a bigger mark on audiences than others. With that in mind, here’s our ranking of the major Spider-Man actors from worst to best.

Related: All 14 ‘Spider-Man’ Movies Ranked Following ‘Brand New Day’ Release

7. Yuri Lowenthal

Appearances: Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023), and a voice cameo in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).

Yuri Lowenthal has become the definitive Spider-Man for an entire generation of gamers, perfectly balancing Peter Parker’s quick wit with the emotional weight of being New York’s greatest hero.

Unfortunately, he finds himself at the bottom of this list simply because the competition is so fierce. Video games naturally reach a smaller audience than blockbuster movies, and despite delivering an outstanding performance across Insomniac’s acclaimed Spider-Man trilogy, Lowenthal is overshadowed by several unforgettable portrayals on the big screen.

6. Jake Johnson

Appearances: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027).

Jake Johnson’s Peter B. Parker is one of the funniest Spider-Man variants ever created.

Burned out, older, and carrying far more emotional baggage than audiences were used to seeing, Johnson transformed what could have been comic relief into one of the Spider-Verse films’ emotional anchors. While his version isn’t the traditional Peter Parker, that’s exactly what makes him so memorable.

5. Nadji Jeter

Appearances: Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018), Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023).

Miles Morales has quickly become one of Marvel’s biggest stars, and Nadji Jeter deserves plenty of credit for that success.

His confident yet vulnerable portrayal in Insomniac’s games captures everything that makes Miles different from Peter Parker without ever trying to imitate previous Spider-Men. There’s also something refreshing about following a newer hero rather than another Peter Parker origin story, making Jeter’s performance particularly memorable.

4. Andrew Garfield

Appearances: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012), The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

Andrew Garfield might actually be the strongest actor to play Peter Parker.

His emotional range is remarkable, particularly during The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and his heartbreaking return in No Way Home. The only thing preventing Garfield from climbing even higher is that his Peter often feels a little too confident and effortlessly cool. Peter Parker has always been something of an awkward outsider, and Garfield occasionally loses that quality.

Even so, few actors have captured Spider-Man’s emotional pain better.

3. Shameik Moore

Appearances: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027).

For decades, Peter Parker dominated Spider-Man stories. Shameik Moore finally changed that.

His portrayal of Miles Morales helped prove that Spider-Man isn’t defined by one person beneath the mask. Moore brings warmth, humor, vulnerability, and confidence to Miles’ coming-of-age journey, making him one of the most instantly likable heroes in modern superhero storytelling.

He’s also helped introduce an entirely new generation of fans to Spider-Man.

2. Tom Holland

Appearances: Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026).

Tom Holland has now spent a decade playing Spider-Man, and it shows.

Across seven appearances, he’s taken Peter Parker from an eager teenager desperate to impress Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) to a lonely hero forced to sacrifice almost everything he loves. Holland effortlessly balances humor, vulnerability, and spectacular action, while Brand New Day may well feature his finest performance yet thanks to its smaller-scale, character-driven approach.

Had Tobey Maguire never existed, Holland would almost certainly sit comfortably at number one.

1. Tobey Maguire

Appearances: Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), Spider-Man 3 (2007), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021).

There was only ever going to be one winner.

Tobey Maguire didn’t just play Spider-Man—he helped define what a superhero movie could be for an entire generation. His Peter Parker perfectly captures the awkwardness, kindness, selflessness, and relentless bad luck that have always defined the character.

Watching Peter constantly struggle through school, work, relationships, and heroism makes every triumph feel genuinely earned, particularly in Spider-Man 2, which remains one of the greatest superhero films ever made.

Every actor on this list has contributed something special to Spider-Man’s legacy. Josh Keaton, Neil Patrick Harris, Drake Bell, Chris Pine, Robbie Daymond, and countless others have also worn the mask across animation and video games. But when it comes to defining Spider-Man for audiences around the world, nobody has quite matched Tobey Maguire.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.

It stars Tom Holland as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Zendaya as Michelle “MJ” Jones-Watson, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Jon Bernthal as Frank Castle/Punisher, Tramell Tillman as Bill Metzger, Michael Mando as Mac Gargan/Scorpion, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk, and Sadie Sink as the X-Men mutant Jean Grey.

Who’s your favorite Spider-Man actor? Let us know in the comments below!