Credit: Sony Pictures/Marvel StudiosSpider-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.
Brand New Day premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on July 27 and was released internationally on July 31. The film is receiving positive reviews from audiences and critics, and has grossed a staggering $942 million worldwide on a budget of $225 million, making it the third-highest-grossing Spider-Man movie ever and the fourth-highest-grossing film of 2026.
The latest film reminds us just how many talented actors have stepped into Spidey’s shoes 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 all the major Spider-Man actors from worst to best.
Related: All 14 ‘Spider-Man’ Movies Ranked Following ‘Brand New Day’ Release
All Modern Spider-Man Actors Ranked Worst To Best
8. 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 Spidey 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 video game series, Lowenthal is overshadowed by several unforgettable Spidey portrayals on the big screen.
7. Jake Johnson
Appearances: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027).
Jake Johnson’s Peter B. Parker is one of the funniest Spidey 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.
6. Hudson Thames
Appearances: What If…? (2021), Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025), and Marvel Zombies (2025).
Hudson Thames has become one of the most consistent Spider-Man actors in recent years, even if many fans don’t immediately recognize his name. While he hasn’t headlined a blockbuster movie or a video game, he’s the voice of the character in Marvel Studios’ animated universe.
His performance in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man perfectly captures Peter’s intelligence, optimism, and awkward charm, while also delivering the confidence audiences expect once the mask goes on. Although animation reaches a smaller audience than big-screen projects, Thames has helped establish a fresh take on Spidey that’s distinct from the films.
5. Nadji Jeter
Appearances: Marvel’s Spider-Man, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
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 in 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 the character’s emotional pain better.
3. Shameik Moore
Appearances: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse.
For decades, Peter Parker dominated Spider-Man stories. Shameik Moore finally changed that.
His portrayal of Miles Morales helped prove that the webslinger 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.
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, Spider-Man: Brand New Day.
Tom Holland has now spent a decade playing the iconic character, 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.
There was only ever going to be one winner.
Tobey Maguire 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.
When it comes to defining Spider-Man for audiences around the world, nobody has quite matched Tobey Maguire.
Brand New Day is now playing in theaters.
The official synopsis from Marvel reads:
It’s a BRAND NEW DAY for Peter Parker. Fighting crime full-time as Spider-Man in a world that doesn’t remember him—and the pressure of seeing his old friends move on without him—sparks a change in Peter he may not have the power to control. But that transformation might also be the only thing that can stop a shocking new threat to the city and those he loves—a powerful villain no one can even see.
The film 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!
