Which actors have played Spider-Man?

With more and more movies being released about Marvel’s iconic wall-crawler it can be a little bit confusing as to which actors have played Spider-Man in a live-action movie. Not quite sure yourself? Then let me help!

Below is a list of all of the actors who have played Spider-Man in a big screen adventure. The list includes all live-action film versions of Spidey, so does not include actors who have voiced Spider-Man in animated form.

OK, let’s run through all of the Spider-Man movie actors who have appeared on the big screen.

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Nicholas Hammond (1977/1978/1979)

Nicholas Hammond has the distinction of being the first actor to play Spider-Man in a live-action movie – and he didn’t just do it once, he did it three times! The movies include Spider-Man (1977), Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978) and Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge (1979).

The films were technically episodes of a Spider-Man television series, edited together to form movies, but they still count. Outside of the US, these films received a theatrical release.

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Shinji Tōdō (1978)

The second actor to play Spidey on the big screen was Shinji Tōdō – but once again it was via a television series first.

Tōdō played the role of Takuya Yamashiro/Spider-Man in a 1970s Japanese television series called Supaidāman. The series aired between 1978 and 1979 and ran for 41 episodes, and one film.

Technically, the film is an episode of the series. However, this short ‘film’ received a theatrical release in Japan, making Tōdō’s Spider-Man a movie star!

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Tobey Maguire (2002/2004/2007)

Onto Spidey actor No.3 and this spot is reserved for Tobey Maguire – the first actor to play Spider-Man in a live-action movie that didn’t originate via a television show. Maguire played the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man across three live-action films, beginning with Spider-Man (2002).

The actor continued in the role in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007). He was set to play the part for a fourth Spidey movie, but the project was abandoned in the development stages.

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Andrew Garfield (2012/2014)

Andrew Garfield took over from Tobey Maguire in the role of Peter Parker/Spider-Man for two movies – The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). The actor starred alongside a cast which included Emma Stone, Martin Sheen and Sally Field.

As with Maguire, Garfield was set to continue for more Spider-Man films, including The Amazing Spider-Man 3, but the project was cancelled.

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Tom Holland (2016/2017/2018/2019)

In 2016, Tom Holland took over as Peter Parker/Spider-Man, as Spidey took his first steps into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland’s initial appearance in the MCU was in Captain America: Civil War.

Holland continued his journey in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019) and Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019).

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Who is the best Spider-Man actor?

OK, so those are all of the live-action, big screen Spider-Man movie actors, but who is the pick of the crop?

For me, Maguire, Garfield and Holland have all been excellent in the role, as each actor has brought something different to the part to make it their own. But the best Spidey actor comes down to personal preference – so the ‘best’ will differ from person-to-person.

In terms of pictures, Tom Holland has played the role the longest and has appeared in both solo Spider-Man movies, and team-up films such as the Avengers pictures. But for many, Tobey Maguire is the go-to Spidey, as his films had a huge cultural impact when they first hit cinemas.

The choice is yours!

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Recap

A list of every live-action Spider-Man movie actor in order:

• Nicholas Hammond (1977/1978/1979)
• Shinji Tōdō (1978)
• Tobey Maguire (2002/2004/2007)
• Andrew Garfield (2012/2014)
• Tom Holland (2016/2017/2018/2019)

So, who is your favourite live-action Spider-Man actor? Is Maguire your No.1 or does Tom Holland get your vote?

There are no right or wrong answers here! There are plenty of great Spider-Man movie actors to go around. So, whatever your thoughts, whoever you feel is your Spider-Man, sound off in the comments section below.

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