Top 10 Best Portrayals of Spider-Man

Top 10 Portrayals of Spider-Man

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Many an actor has played the wall-crawler, but who did it best? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top ten Spider-Man performances. For this list, we’ll be looking at the most amazing actors to portray the sensational superhero, either in the flesh or in voice only, in search of the superior performance.

“Spider-Man Unlimited” (1999-2001) The webhead has been on a strange adventure of two, but this short-lived series is definitely up there among his weirdest. In the show, Spidey travels to “Counter-Earth”, a duplicate Earth on the opposite side of the sun. And it just gets stranger from there, as Spidey battles familiar foes like Carnage and Venom as well as human/animal hybrids, all with a brand new suit loaded with new abilities. Spidey’s voice this time is provided by yet another Canadian voice actor, Rino Romano, who’s voiced everyone from Batman to Tuxedo Mask. He comes off as a slightly older, slightly more confident take on the webhead, and he makes a fine addition to the canon.

“Ultimate Spider-Man” (2012-2017) This animated series borrows characters and elements from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as well as the original comics, to create a new and fresh take on the Spider-Man saga. Emphasizing Spidey’s eagerness to become a bigtime superhero, the show teams him up with similarly aged versions of heroes like Iron Fist and Nova. The co-star of “Drake and Josh” provides the voice for Spidey, with one-liners, snappy comebacks and fourth-wall breaking segments to spare. The show’s particular brand of humor might not be for everyone, but it can’t be argued that it’s a great entry in the Spidey canon, with a voice to match.

#8: Neil Patrick Harris

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“Spider-Man: The New Animated Series” (2003) Released in between the first two of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, this series unfortunately didn’t last very long. Depicting a college-aged Spidey going toe to toe with new versions of classic villains as well as some fresh faces, the show was a fun if imperfect take on the character. And by far the main attraction on this iteration of the franchise is Doogie Howser himself in the title role. Once again, this is a Spidey with confidence and charisma to spare, which admittedly does make us miss the dorky, nervous Peter Parker side of the character just a little bit. Nonetheless, we still feel that this iteration got the axe too soon.

#7: Andrew Garfield

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“The Amazing Spider-Man” franchise (2012-14) The first time the Spider-Man film franchise rebooted but not the last, the “Amazing Spider-Man” films have their fair share of detractors. And to be fair, the critics had some valid points. But when it came to filling the sizeable shoes of his predecessor, Andrew Garfield proved himself more than up to the task, delivering a Peter Parker and a Spider-Man who felt like their own, unique entities rather than just a repetition of what we’d seen before. Scoff at his skateboard and stammering banter if you must, but it can never be said that this portrayal of Spider-Man lacked for heart and effort.

“Spider-Man” (2018) Peter Parker is just one of the iconic characters that Yuri Lowenthal has brought to life. The voice actor is a veteran of both animated series and video games, having also played Sasuke Uchiha in “Naruto”, Alucard in “Castlevania”, and The Prince in Ubisoft's “Prince of Persia” - to name just a few! With all this experience, it’s no surprise that he killed it as Peter Parker in Insomniac’s action-adventure title “Spider-Man”. Playing a 23 year old, mid-career Spider-Man who’s been in the superhero game for almost a decade, Lowenthal brought us a somewhat older, wiser Spider-Man, while still delivering charm and comedic timing in spades. He also had fantastic chemistry with his castmates, in particular Laura Bailey as Mary-Jane.

“Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018) We’ve only seen a few incarnations of Miles Morales, first introduced into comics in 2011. Notable examples include Donald Glover’s turn at the role in “Ultimate Spider-Man”, and Nadji Jeter’s in 2017’s animated series and the 2018 video game. It’s safe to say, however, that Shameik Moore made the role his own, becoming the definitive Miles Morales in “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” (2018). He brought a wide-eyed naivete, enthusiasm, and determination to the part that made the character immediately relatable. Jake Johnson’s jaded Peter B. Parker served as a fantastic foil, but it was Shameik Moore who sucked audiences into a whole new multiverse.

#4: Christopher Daniel Barnes

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“Spider-Man” (1994-1998) He may sound like he’s in his early 30s, he may look like a linebacker with those broad shoulders, but this version of Peter Parker remains a favorite for children of the ‘90s everywhere. A show that spanned 65 episodes over the course of four years, this fan-favorite series was many fans’ real first meeting with the character, as well as the many Marvel heroes and villains who popped up. Spidey’s voice in this iteration, provided by Portland-born voice actor Christopher Daniel Barnes, is filled with confidence and charm. That being said, the actor also brings an impressive amount of range to the table, making for one of the most memorable Spider-Man portrayals ever.

#3: Josh Keaton

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“The Spectacular Spider-Man” (2008-2009) When we take off the nostalgia goggles, it becomes crystal clear that the very best animated iteration is from this late-2000s series. Taking Peter back to his highschool role, this iteration of the character walks an almost perfect line between the nervous, mild-mannered Peter Parker and the dynamic, bombastic Spider-Man. It’s hard to believe that the man voicing this iteration of the character was into his thirties at the time, but there you have it. Whether he’s dishing out quips with supervillains or fighting the ongoing battle that is high school, this version of the wall-crawling hero never fails to be sympathetic, fun and engaging.

#2: Tobey Maguire

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“Spider-Man” trilogy (2002-07) While he wasn’t the first actor to portray Spidey in a live-action role, he was the first to bring the webslinger to the big-screen - in a massive and groundbreaking trilogy no less. The LA-born actor feels like a perfect fit for the character with his boyish looks, and he positively nails the role of the meek, bashful Peter Parker. Iconic as he is in the role and as great as he is as Peter Parker, this performance always felt lacking in the Spidey department, missing a certain confidence or dynamism when the mask was on, which is why he’s at number 2 on our list - albeit a strong one.

#1: Tom Holland

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Marvel Cinematic Universe (2008-) The Spider-Man of the Marvel Cinematic Universe had a lot to live up to, satisfying our expectations of Spidey’s triumphant arrival in the MCU and living up to the actors who came before. But the young English actor who was chosen to fill the role turned out to be up to that lofty task, delivering the definitive take on the character. When the mask is off, he’s as awkward and nervous as we were in highschool, but he can effortlessly change gears to become the trash-talking hero we all know and love, with plenty of room in between for pathos and depth. When it comes to Spideys, there’s none better.