Who’s the Best Spider-Man?

Who’s the Best Spider-Man?

by Chloe DeFrancesco

When someone says the word “MARVEL”, what comes to your mind? Which character do you think about in a split second? Captain America or Iron Man, maybe? I know most fans think of Spider-Man; especially with the success of the last Spiderman movie, No Way Home. Since that movie came out, fans have been debating who their favorite Peter Parker is. With the return of actors who have previously played the iconic hero (Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield), fans want to see Garfield return to the big screen as Peter Parker yet again. Personally, I wouldn’t be against that happening but others would. Some fans believe that Tom Holland is the best Spider-Man while others think Andrew Garfield takes the prize. It also seems like not as many fans think as highly of Tobey Maguire as they do the other two.

A lot of fans said they didn’t like Andrew Garfield’s movies but thought he fit the role better. I disagree. While he’s not my favorite Spider-Man actor, I was a huge fan of his movies. He has a good smile and is fun to watch, but I think he is a little too cool to play Peter Parker (no offense, Peter). They gave him a skateboard and an entirely new personality that seemed to come out of nowhere. Peter Parker is a science nerd who is timid and is, unfortunately, a victim of bullying by Flash Thompson in every movie. Then he gets superpowers from being bitten by a radioactive spider – now he can stick to walls and is totally cool and still geeky but in a charming way. I don’t think the way Andrew Garfield acts in that sort of situation, especially given how Peter is, makes sense. In his first movie, he acts as if he’s above it all with his new found powers. Peter doesn’t really act like that in the comics, and especially not in Tom Holland’s movies. For instance, Peter Parker in Homecoming didn’t go to the party as Spider-Man to stand up for himself. Yes, there was a super-villain, but there was also a part of him that showed he really didn’t want to show off as Spider-Man. Part of me thinks Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man would be the party animal. When Peter’s identity was revealed in No Way Home, he was constantly being bullied, even in deleted scenes from the movie. He let it happen because there was nothing he could do. Peter was finally this super-hero who saved people and was loved by many, but he ended up being bullied not only as Peter Parker but also as Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield’s approach is just off-putting. 

No offense, but I took a nap through most of Tobey Maguire’s movies. To be fair, these movies were much older, and production and CGI were very different 20 years ago. There were scenes and phrases you couldn’t really get away with saying in this generation. I wish I liked him more, but there’s just a part of him that doesn’t fit the role. In the first movie, he has that shyness, and it’s apparent when he’s around the girl he likes, Mary Jane, and her bully of a boyfriend, Flash. Maguire does play a good Peter Parker. I mean, technically there’s no correct way, but rather, the most “comic-accurate” way. The problem is, he’s not a convincing Spider-Man. Tobey Maguire needs to act one way as Peter Parker and another as Spider-Man, and he just doesn’t pull it off. Tobey Maguire doesn’t have this friendly and funny attitude when he’s Spider-Man. If you ask me, Parker and the Spider are basically two different people – their personalities are completely different. One thing I did like throughout all three of Tobey’s movies is that he showed Peter’s character development. Holland and Garfield’s movies didn’t show it as much.

Of the three actors, I think that Tom Holland is the best fit for the role. In my opinion, he can play the role of the nerdy Peter Parker and the comical Spider-Man, which is difficult. I said this a lot before but I’ll say it again – they’re two different people. I am a bigger fan of Tom Holland’s movies due in large part to the visual effects and also because they made Spider-Man an Avenger. They included him in this iconic group and gave him a father figure, Tony Stark. I’m glad they did this because his dynamic with Stark is definitely one of the best relationships in the MCU. Peter also developed great relationships with Dr. Strange, Captain Marvel, Captain America. The reason why Holland’s Spider-Man is the best is because he can get along with pretty much anyone – even in No Way Home he started to connect with the villains from the other movies. Also, in Homecoming, he saved the Vulture and even though he put him in Jail, Peter had clearly earned his respect. Although in Far From Home, he wasn’t on good terms with Mysterio, like at all. It’s mostly because he tried to kill Peter, and the fact is that Mysterio is unlikeable, just like in Jake Gyllenhaal’s other movie, Nightcrawler, which sucked. All in all, Tom Holland does a great job at playing the role and hopefully more Holland Spider-Man movies will be swinging into a theater soon. 

What are your thoughts? Who is your favorite Spider-Man? 

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