Superior Spider

A breakdown of each Spider-Man and the characteristics they offer

Mikaela Georgi, Copy Editor
January 12, 2022

After “Spider-Man: No Way Home” came out, even more than the discussions about the movie itself were the arguments about which Peter Parker/Spider-Man is the best at the role. Our contenders are Toby Maguire, the OG; Andrew Garfield, the one who was robbed of a trilogy; and Tom Holland, the newest favorite.

Here’s the thing about Maguire: he’s insanely talented, and he truly has the look to match comic book nerd of Peter Parker. However, when it comes to heroics, he’s kind of bland. I’m not saying that his fight scenes aren’t mesmerizing, but honestly, it just feels like his whole look and vibes don’t

Photo courtesy of Quoramatch up with how I picture Spider-Man. He doesn’t have very much humor to his character, and he doesn’t play a teenager very well at all. Also, I think because Peter Parker is so well known to be with MJ or Gwen, the fact that Maguire costarred alongside Kirsten Dunst took away the whole development of Peter Parker. Therefore, I’m giving him and his movies about a 8/10, not horrible, but not my favorite.
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

It’s only right with Andrew Garfield to begin with the look. As many have already established, Garfield just has the look of a Spider-Man, but not of Lego DeathStar building Peter Parker. And yes, there is a significant difference. The hair and the build make him a perfect fit for how people would see a hero, but he doesn’t match the fit of a nerd, as Parker is described. That being said, Garfield’s acting is truly top notch. The biggest thing to note about it is just the inclusion of his full body into his acting. Particularly, just to see the expressions he has while in the suit, with his face hidden, is made so evident because of his immense talent. Garfield is also the only one of all the Spider-Men that I could claim has the most dedication into the role. He makes that clear as he acts not for the check, but because it brings joy to him and he puts his entire heart into the role. Also, he can sing! I know that I can’t really include that in my rating as it would be unfair to the others, but it’s important to note. So, for Garfield, I’ll give him a 9/10: a perfect Spider-Man, but a little lacking in the look department.

Tom Holland nails the look for both Peter Parker

Photo courtesy of NewsWeekand for Spider-Man, so that’s not an issue in the slightest. He also has Zendaya costarring with him as MJ, which seems like a positively perfect casting choice. He’s also the only one of the three that is part of the Avengers (not the band), so he’s got that jump just because he can drop the name. I would also argue that his movies have so much going for them in the storyline department, and if you’ve seen “No Way Home,” you’d know why. I don’t have a particular criticism for him, except that he is incredibly mediocre. The problem is that with Maguire as a 10/10 for Peter Parker and Garfield as a 10/10 for Spider-Man, Holland falls around a 7/10 for each. Though he plays both well, in comparison to the greats, it feels that he falls short. Overall, I’m giving him a 7.5/10.

This overall leads me to the conclusion that Andrew Garfield is the best Spider-Parker. What really sold it was the power in his movement and the heart in his acting. Otherwise, Holland and Maguire may have stood a chance. Until then, however, we can only wish that they’ll hurry up and complete his trilogy to give closure to fans aching for another glimpse of the superior spider.