Spider-Man Through the Decades
With the release of "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" (BND) on July 31st, it was the newest addition to the list of live-action Spider-Man movies—and very successful too. "Spider-Man BND" grossed over $2 billion at the international box office, which makes it the 3rd highest-grossing movie of all time! So, following all that success, why not look back at the history of Spider-Man movies before BND, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and go back to the movies and actors that got us to this point?
Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man
While not exactly the first live-action iteration of the character, Maguire’s Spider-Man is the first to achieve global success and also reframe the genre of superhero movies. The first Spider-Man movie grossed over $800 million in 2002 ($1.4 billion when adjusted for inflation), and it proved to the world that a superhero film could stand next to giants while still maintaining its tone, aesthetics, and "comic-booky" storyline. The entire trilogy grossed over $2.5 billion in its time and set the stage for the many Spider-Man movies to come. Looking back on this trilogy, there are so many aspects of it that make it notable: Willem Dafoe’s acting as Green Goblin in Spider-Man 1, the famous train sequence with Doc Ock in Spider-Man 2, the iconic raised-webbing suit design found in all the movies, and a bunch more. Maguire’s iteration of the character gave us that classic broke Peter Parker with an earnest and loving Spider-Man—a dynamic that BND is said to encapsulate beautifully.
Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man
The next live-action iteration of Spider-Man came with Andrew Garfield’s portrayal of the character in “The Amazing Spider-Man” (TASM), as well as its sequel. These movies grossed a combined total of $1.47 billion ($2.1 billion in 2026) in their time and once again
breathed life into the character for a new generation. Garfield’s Spider-Man is praised for its innovative action sequences, great chemistry between Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker, great suit design, and incredible web-slinging scenes. The scene where Spider-Man jumps off of Oscorp Tower with his suit rippling in the wind in the opening free-fall scene in TASM 2 is still considered one of the greatest depictions of web-slinging in cinema history.
But despite the high praise, TASM 2 is a movie with plenty of problems. Its character-stuffed plot, weak friendship between Harry and Peter, and discordant story eventually led to Sony—which owns Spider-Man—cancelling plans for sequels. While this led to the end of Garfield’s tenure as Spider-Man, it also opened up a pathway for Spider-Man to enter the MCU. Without the TASM movies, we might never have gotten to see Tom Holland’s Spider-Man.
Shameik Moore’s Spider-Man
One last iteration of Spider-Man we have gotten to see in recent years before Holland’s
appearance in BND is Moore’s Miles Morales Spider-Man in “Into the Spider-Verse” and “Across the Spider-Verse.” These animated movies were wildly successful and grossed $1.06 billion ($1.26 billion in 2026). These animated movies are some of my favorites, and the third part of the trilogy is coming soon. These movies are known for their attention to detail, beautiful use of visual language, and some of the greatest “Spider-Man-esque” action scenes ever done. Animation allows for a new realm of storytelling that connects to so many fans. The story follows a younger Miles having to live up to the mantle of Spider-Man and struggle with that responsibility, just as his predecessor did.
These are the previous iterations of Spider-Man that have breathed life into the character, introduced him to newer generations, and fueled the love for Spider-Man ever since. And with all that history, It’s going to be really interesting to see what Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will do in the future now that it’s a brand new day.
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