Who Has Played Spider-Man in Film? Every Actor Behind the Mask

The short answer

Three actors have worn the mask in live-action cinema: Tobey Maguire from 2002 to 2007, Andrew Garfield from 2012 to 2014, then Tom Holland from Civil War onwards, before they came together in No Way Home. In animation, Shameik Moore voices Miles Morales. The full comparison and the abandoned projects follow below.

Contents

For over twenty years, Spider-Man has been one of the best-loved superheroes on the big screen. Between Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland, each one has brought his own sensibility to the wall-crawler. But did you know there are also some alternative Spider-Men in the animated films, the video games and the projects that never made it?

In this in-depth guide, we take you through every actor who has played Spider-Man, officially or otherwise. We have added cult variants too, such as Spider-Gwen, Spider-Punk or Miles Morales, for a proper tour of the Spider-Man multiverse.

🕸️ At the end of the article you will also find our links to the Spider-Man costumes, the figures that are the most faithful, and our selection of masks for every version.

1. Tobey Maguire – the original Spider-Man (2002–2007)

🕸 Films:
Spider-Man (2002)
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Spider-Man 3 (2007)

🎭 Directed by: Sam Raimi
💡 What makes him stand out: Tobey plays a Peter Parker who is sincere, reserved and deeply human. He lays down the character's emotional foundations and delivers legendary scenes, such as the train sequence in Spider-Man 2.

👉 For many, he remains the defining face of the first Marvel superhero on the big screen.

2. Andrew Garfield – the rebellious Spider-Man (2012–2014)

🕸 Films:
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

🎭 Directed by: Marc Webb
💡 What makes him stand out: Cooler and more modern, Andrew Garfield plays a Peter who is more jittery, sarcastic and agile, with a strongly marked romantic streak thanks to his relationship with Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone).

👉 His performance divides opinion, but his return in No Way Home won fans' hearts back and restored his standing.

3. Tom Holland – the MCU Spider-Man (2016–present)

🕸 Films:
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Avengers: Infinity War & Endgame (2018–2019)
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)

🎭 Directed by: Jon Watts (for the solo films)
💡 What makes him stand out: Tom Holland is the first Spidey brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). He plays a teenage Peter Parker, awkward but endearing, facing planet-wide stakes while holding on to his innocence.

👉 He is the Spider-Man who has taken the most at the box office, winning over children and hardcore fans alike.

4. Other Spider-Men across the multiverse

🎙️ Shameik Moore – Miles Morales (animation)

🕸 Films:
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

🎭 Type: Animated film
💡 What makes him stand out: Miles Morales, the Afro-Latino Spider-Man, has become an icon in his own right. With a one-of-a-kind design and a modern soundtrack, plus a narrative depth never seen before, this animated version marked a turning point in the character's history.

🕷️ The alternative Spider-Men in the films

The film No Way Home (2021) was a legendary reunion of the three live-action Spider-Men: Tobey, Andrew and Tom. As for the Spider-Verse films, they bring in a whirlwind of variants from across the multiverse: Spider-Gwen, Spider-Punk, Spider-Man Noir and plenty of others.

🧠 Why so many actors?

Spider-Man is a cross-generational hero. In every era, Sony and Marvel have wanted to tailor Peter Parker to his audience:

Tobey Maguire embodied the golden age of superhero cinema. Andrew Garfield brought a jitterier, more romantic vibe. Tom Holland took the web-slinger into the MCU, for a worldwide reach. Miles Morales stands for a newer generation, more diverse and more connected.

📊 Spider-Man on film: the comparison table

🕸️ Other iconic versions

The Spider-Verse universe is brimming with memorable characters:

👉 Discover all these Spider-Men on our complete Spider-Verse page.

🎬 The cancelled Spider-Man films… that became cult

👉 For every Spider-Man film, the order to watch them in and their versions, head over to our dedicated page.

🎮 The legendary Spider-Man video games

Final verdict: which Spider-Man is made for you?

🎭 So which version of Spider-Man does it for you? You will find their figures, their costumes or even their iconic mask in our shop.