It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t heard of Spider-Man, the young quirky teenager named Peter Parker who gets bitten by a venomous spider and turned into one of the most famous superheroes of all time, in charge of protecting New York City, and sometimes the entire world, from evil villains and threats. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko are credited with creating Spider-Man, who was first introduced to the world as a comic book character. Peter Parker, as a character, has a very lovable and quirky persona, which makes the fact that he is able to fight crime even more interesting.
This dynamic was bound to be shown on the big screen eventually, and in 2002, 40 years after the character was created, Tobey Maguire starred in director Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. The movie was an extreme success, earning a 90% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and making $825 million dollars at the box office. Kirsten Dunst, Willem Dafoe, and James Franco also starred in the film alongside Maguire.
Since Maguire’s Spider-Man, a few other actors have tackled the role and garnered equal success. In 2012, Andrew Garfield took on the part in The Amazing Spider-Man alongside Academy Award-winning actress Emma Stone. In 2017, the MCU, in a joint venture with Sony, claimed the character as their own, casting Tom Holland as their leading man. Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home became some of the MCU's most successful films to date, with No Way Home earning an astounding $1.9 billion, the third highest-grossing movie of all time.
It’s undeniable that there is something relatable and exciting about this character that people have loved for years. Here are all the reasons why the Spider-Man on-screen franchise has lasted so long.
Peter Parker's Character
Aside from how exciting and brave Spider-Man is to watch on-screen, the man behind the mask is just as interesting. Peter Parker is a very average and relatable teenager in almost all the Spider-Man films, whom fans have consistently connected with. He is light-hearted, kind, and even a little dorky, which makes the fact that he turns into a superhero even more thrilling. When Peter is bitten by a radioactive spider, this poor orphan goes from being the boy next door to saving all of New York City with his newfound superpowers that allow him to shoot webs and swing from buildings. Due to his misfortune in early life, we can all see a piece of ourselves in Peter Parker, and he gives us hope that we, too, can experience wild adventures and are capable of extraordinary things.
Peter isn't entirely on his own, though; he has a strong support system around him in almost every Spider-Man movie. His relationship with friends such as Ned in the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy, and Uncle Ben and Aunt May played by Cliff Robertson and Rosemary Harris in Spider-Man starring Maguire. It is oftentimes the important people in Peter's life that push him to fight for justice and go on the dangerous journeys necessary to save the world.
MJ and Gwen
The characters in Spider-Man are so captivating on-screen and certainly one of the main reasons why audiences have stuck with this superhero story for so long. Peter Parker's life wouldn't be complete without a beautiful, smart, and brave love interest like the MJs and Gwen that we see in Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, and MCU Spider-Man. In these three film franchises, the incredibly talented Kristen Dunst, Emma Stone, and Zendaya play each Peter's better half, and guide him in his journey to stop villains from causing harm to society. What makes these characters so great is that they are in no way two-dimensional love interest. We see them put themselves in dangerous situations time and time again, solving problems, and in many cases playing instrumental roles in completing the character's main goal.
Possibly one of the most devastating and impactful scenes between Peter and his love interest throughout all the Spider-Man movies made occurs at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, when Gwen Stacy gets abducted by The Green Goblin. Peter does his best to save the love of his life and stop the Green Goblin, but in the end is too late, and we watch as Gwen plummets to her death. This scene is heartbreaking and widely considered one of the most impactful and memorable moments in all the Spider-Man movies and comic series (as outlined by Screen Rant).
Power and Responsibility
When you think about all the iconic quotes that have come from the Spider-Man movies, it's likely that the number one line that comes to mind is: "With great power, comes great responsibility." We famously hear Uncle Ben (Roberston) deliver these lines for the first time in Spider-Man (2002), and this small phrase sets up the main theme for the entire plot of all the films that follow.
Throughout every Spider-Man movie, there is obviously underlying themes of power and responsibility that Peter must learn to manage. Not only do these lines apply to Peter when he is in his suit acting as Spider-Man, but also in his day-to-day life as he is growing into a responsible man. This message is one of the most prevalent takeaways from the story of Spider-Man and this feel-good element is another huge reason why the story has done so well on screen.
The Iconic Villains
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
The number of interesting and exciting villains that have stepped onto the screen in the Spider-Man universe is countless. So many amazing actors have portrayed complex characters that Spider-Man has had to go up against in order to save the world. Doctor Octopus, Electro, The Lizard, Sandman, Vulture, and Mysterio are just a few of the villains who we've seen try to take down Peter. Alfred Molina, Jaime Foxx, Rhys Ifans, Thomas Haden Chruch, Topher Grace, and Jake Gyllenhaal are the talented actors behind the masks.
The most infamous Spider-Man villain of all time is without a doubt William Dafoe's portrayal of The Green Goblin, who we first see fight Maguire's wall-crawler in Spider-Man and makes an incredible return in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Dafoe is an incredibly talented actor and the role of Green Goblin feels as if it was written for him. His sinister interpretation has kept audiences coming back to this character since 2002.
The Actors Who Play Spider-Man
These films and this character would never be as successful as it is today without the amazingly talented actors who bring them to life on-screen. Since the beginning of the Spider-Man on-screen franchise, there have been three actors who have dominated the role in live action, keeping the integrity and core of the character consistent while adding their personal nuanced rendition to a timeless favorite. Maguire, Garfield, and Holland are responsible for creating such a lovable and fan-favorite character.
In 2021, all three actors came together for the final installation in the MCU trilogy, Spider-Man: No Way Home, to each play their version of Peter Parker and Spider-Man for one of the most epic and anticipated film collaborations of all time. In the film's plot, each Spider-Man exists within its own universe, and when Marvel explores the possibilities of the Multiverse, all three Spider-Men can exist in the same universe at the same time to save the world and defeat all of their villains once and for all. This film is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time making billions of dollars at the box office and is sure to remain on top for years to come.