55% Of Movie Fans Voted This Star As The Best Spider-Man Actor
Despite the growing popularity of superheroes, and the media attached to them in recent years, a few specific names still stand out from the pack. Superman, Hulk, Batman, Captain America and more have become the poster boys of their respective companies, but no list of all-time greats is complete without the webhead himself, Spider-Man. From the moment he arrived on comic stands everywhere on the cover of 1962's Amazing Fantasy #15, Spidey immediately took charge as Marvel's top character. In the decades since, his fanbase has grown exponentially, allowing him the chance to sling his webs into the mainstream.
After spending decades atop Marvel Comics' best-selling list, Spider-Man finally got the chance to jump from page to screen. 2002's Spider-Man, from director Sam Raimi, introduced the world to actor Tobey Maguire's take on the beloved hero. Audiences took to the adaptation so well that two sequels — 2004's Spider-Man 2 and 2007's Spider-Man 3 — came to pass, giving Maguire two more outings as Peter Parker. Come 2012, however, it was time for another actor to take on the mantle in a reboot, paving the way for Andrew Garfield to lead the Amazing Spider-Man series. Unlike Maguire, Garfield only got one continuation in the form of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 in 2014.
Currently, Tom Holland is the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Spider-Man, after debuting in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. He has since gone on to helm two solo features, and has appeared in two ensemble Avengers titles to date. With now three different live-action incarnations of the Marvel mainstay to compare, the eternal question looms: which Spider-Man actor is the best of them all?
We here at Looper recently ran a poll concerning that exact query, and the results couldn't be more definitive.
The people love Tom Holland's Peter Parker
According to our YouTube survey, the latest live-action Spider-Man, Tom Holland, is the runaway favorite — securing over 55% of the vote. Considering roughly 197,000 individuals from across the globe tossed in their two cents, over half of that is quite an impressive amount in his corner. Compared to his counterparts, Holland's Spider-Man has a lot more going for him, including his connection to the wider MCU (something the other versions don't have), his well-balanced performance that gives life to both Peter Parker and his crime fighting alter-ego, and recency bias, which gives him a leg-up on the competition.
Meanwhile, Tobey Maguire secured the second place spot, taking home 36% of the overall votes. Despite arguably not quite pulling off either Spider-Man or Peter Parker as well as Holland, Maguire retains a devoted fanbase to this very day. For many, his trilogy was their introduction to superhero cinema, and his take on the wall-crawler is evergreen through the lens of nostalgia. Not to mention with Spider-Man: No Way Home rumored to feature the multiverse, the internet is clamoring for the original big-screen Spidey to make his return.
Finally, in last place comes Andrew Garfield, who only earned a relatively meager 9% in total. Considering how unpopular the Amazing Spider-Man movies are, it should come as no surprise that Garfield wound up at the bottom of the heap. Messy stories, underdeveloped villains, and behind-the-scenes controversy caused the franchise to fall into disarray in short order. Even still, Garfield himself gave the role his all, and did a solid job, as recognized by his fans who appreciate his contribution to the Spider-Man mythos. Hence why much like Maguire, they are crossing their fingers for a cameo from him in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
At the end of the day, every Spider-Man rendition has their own set of pros and cons. Be that as it may, according to the people, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield can't measure up to Tom Holland.