Spider-man Who played Spider-man the best?

Who is your favourite Spider-man?


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johnnybear

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The film companies are still holding back from announcing Tobey and the other guy being in the new film!!! Now that could mean that they aren't in it at all or that they're keeping their cards to their chest much longer than they should be? Why though when all of the bad guys in it are from the other eras of the film series?
JB
 

Jock Ewing Fan

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I don't really have a favorite. The new movie supposedly will have multiple actors.
The older animated series, and the animated series (94-98) were both well worth watching.
The latter showed some back story to the villains and layered their characters quite well.
Some couldn't properly be classified as villains, the way they were written (IE Kraven, Morbius)
which enhanced the stories.
 

johnnybear

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I doubt we'll be going to see the film if Tobey isn't confirmed as being in it...just wait for the DVD next year instead!
JB
 

Angela Channing

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Crimson

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I keep vacillating on my definitive Spidey and I'm even thinking we haven't met him yet. Perhaps that will come with the next reboot/recast in five or ten years' time.

I think you're right. Each of the film series and actors have specific qualities that are essential to Spider-Man, but they all also are missing qualities and/or they have extraneous qualities. I don't think any of them represent a comprehensive and definitive version of the character.

I think the first trilogy -- well, 2/3 of it at least -- are the best SM films, but Toby is my least favorite of the three. Nostalgia aside, he just doesn't bring much to the character IMO. Andrew got very close to being a great Spider-Man and Peter, but the films themselves were subpar. I think Tom Holland is ideally cast, both for looking appropriately youthful and his dancer's athleticism. The extreme enthusiasm of his performance doesn't have much to do with Spider-Man, but is a very plausible portrayal of a teen-ager thrust into world shattering events surrounded by famous heroes.

The latest film did a good job of pivoting Holland to a much more traditional version of Spider-Man, and it's now apparent that the entire trilogy was basically his origin story.
 

Mel O'Drama

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Each of the film series and actors have specific qualities that are essential to Spider-Man, but they all also are missing qualities and/or they have extraneous qualities. I don't think any of them represent a comprehensive and definitive version of the character.

Yes indeed. I'm not sure if it's a help or hindrance that the character is approaching his sixtieth anniversary and has had a lot of life experiences from a being a shy high school nerd to a married man with home and career. As you said, though, it's really about the qualities and no matter which era those qualities remain fairly consistent. There hasn't yet been a live action version that's captured that essence.


I think the first trilogy -- well, 2/3 of it at least -- are the best SM films, but Toby is my least favorite of the three.

I really like the naïve innocence and geekiness Tobey brought to the role of Peter Parker, but I never felt he looked or felt quite right.

The films really were great, though (the third less so, but I don't hate it),and I really liked the casting for the supporting cast. The Sam Raimi films gave us a fine Aunt May, a great Mary Jane and a knockout J. Jonah Jameson.



I think Tom Holland is ideally cast, both for looking appropriately youthful and his dancer's athleticism. The extreme enthusiasm of his performance doesn't have much to do with Spider-Man, but is a very plausible portrayal of a teen-ager thrust into world shattering events surrounded by famous heroes.

It's the extreme enthusiasm that I found incredibly off-putting. My introduction to his iteration of the character was the first solo film and I found it really difficult to get past all the babbling excitement of the opening minutes.

The bigger problem for me with the MCU Spidey is the supporting cast, hardly any of whom look remotely recognisable as their characters to me. Ned Leeds is probably the biggest offender. And I'm still not even sure if MJ is meant to be Mary Jane. I do plan to watch the second film in the next couple of weeks so perhaps I'll find out.



The latest film did a good job of pivoting Holland to a much more traditional version of Spider-Man, and it's now apparent that the entire trilogy was basically his origin story.

That sounds very promising. The more I read of Holland in the role and the more pictures I see, the more it feels like he has potential to be a really decent version of the character.
 

Mel O'Drama

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Last night I watched 2019's Far From Home for the first time.

I know this is a thread about the actors playing Spider-Man, but I do feel that there's so much about the reality created for each actor's iteration of the character that has a knock-on effect of making the character himself more (or less) "right". Unfortunately, there's a lot I really struggle with when it comes to the MCU.

As with the first film, I hated that characters like MJ, Betty, Flash, Ned and Aunt May look and act nothing like they're supposed to. They're all nice and endearing and all, but I really wish they'd just renamed all the supporting characters.

A big appeal with Spider-Man has always been that he struggles with life. He has to wash his costume and find storerooms to change. He has to use his skills and his scientific knowledge for his gadgets. Because of this, I'm not a huge fan all the hi-tech Bondian stuff - especially the costume changes. I found some of it (the EDITH specs) enjoyably entertaining, but it doesn't feel like what Spider-Man does best, which is superherodom on a student's budget.

I think of Spider-Man as a loner, so the Avengers connection and Happy being on hand to support him makes it feel more impersonal. And while it was nice to see some different scenery, I did also feel the absence of the New York scenery I so associate with Spider-Man. I wasn't impressed with a lot of the CGI stuff which looked too computer game like. But given the meta aspect of some of it being CG even within the film I'll buy it.

My favourite plot within the film itself was the Peter/MJ Black Dahlia necklace business. I was invested in that and willing him to get through his battles without it being lost or damaged. If anything, I wish they'd played that plot up a bit as it really echoed a lot of what the comics character was about in my comics reading era of the Sixties to Eighties (I hasten to add that the Sixties and Seventies comics I read were all reprints or back-issues. I'm not quite that old).

One little running thing I noticed was Nick Fury's car number plate which seemed to be different in each scene. I didn't notice the numbers, but the letters in one read "ASM" (Amazing Spider-Man) while another was "MTU" (Marvel Team-Up), so they seemed to be the well-known initialisms for Spidey's various comic titles (presumably the numbers referenced issues or publication years).

The film's most unforgivable moment was referencing the world of the MCU as Earth-616. The only thing that's allowed me to suspend disbelief enough to enjoy these films has been to recognise that they exist in a different part of the multiverse to the Earth-616 which is the main Marvel Universe of the comics. I appreciate that the designation was used by someone who was being deceptive and so isn't necessarily true, but I really feel the MCU should keep well away from such a sacred cow as I don't consider any of the films to be canon.

As for Spider-Man himself, I found Tom Holland acceptable. I struggled to keep up with how quickly he spoke, and he feels more childish than Peter Parker was in even the earliest comics, but I can understand that this isn't the Eighties anymore and he has to be representative of American teenagers in the Twenties. However, he was just too whiny at times to be enjoyable.

He looks the part, but I did find myself thinking - even as I watched - that Andrew Garfield was better fit.
 

johnnybear

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I saw the film last Saturday with my son and it was everything you'd want it to be! The action scenes with Doc Ock, the Green Goblin and the Lizard as the main baddies were just as good as you've seen before! I'm not sure if the Sandman was Thomas Haden Church or not as the Sandman appeared as the giant sandstorm and then as the sandyman instead of the actor who only appeared as himself later on but I'm not sure if those scenes were lifted from Spiderman 3! The Goblin looked almost the same as he did in 2002 so good genes to Willem Dafoe! When Andrew and Toby turned up the crowd went mad as you'd expect but it was Tom Holland's Spidey who mostly got to grips with the Goblin in the finale!
JB
 
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Crimson

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I hated that characters like MJ, Betty, Flash, Ned and Aunt May look and act nothing like they're supposed to.

I think this is a "damned if they do, damned if they don't" scenario. If these had been new characters, fans would be complaining about classic characters being replaced or supplanted. The Spider-Man cast of characters have been around since the 60s and in their original form are like ARCHIE teens; they just don't match reality, even fake reality, of the 2020s. An all White cast in NYC in 2021 might be less plausible than someone climbing walls.

My biggest problem when Hollywood changes characters is that it's usually half-assed: cast a Black actor in a role usually played by a White actor, or cast an actress in a traditionally male role, and call it a day. These versions of MJ, Ned, etc., feel fleshed out. They serve the same functions as their predecessors, while still being true to their new identities. I was very iffy about MJ for the first films, but boy did she click for me in the third. The superhero's girlfriend is a thankless role, but I think she made the most out of it of anyone since Margot Kidder.

Aunt May is an oddity. The original character has never made sense to me. Why would a high schooler have an aunt who looks to be approximately 123 years old? When I was in high school, my great grandmother didn't look as elderly as May is traditionally portrayed. Marisa Tomei's casting has always had a random feeling to me, but I think it's safe to say most high school kids' aunts are closer to her age than May looking like Mrs. Methuselah in the comics/cartoons.


I think of Spider-Man as a loner, so the Avengers connection and Happy being on hand to support him makes it feel more impersonal.

The interconnectivity of the MCU is both a blast and a drag. Ideally, Holland would have had some smaller, solo films before being introduced into the main MCU. Since there was obviously some eagerness to have him in CIVIL WAR and THE AVENGERS, we were introduced to this Peter under very different circumstances. Characters are like mathematic equations: change a variable and the outcome will be different. A teenage boy in an international superhero war isn't going to be the same a shy, nerdy loner. As in my vague spoilers above, it looks as though some of your concerns may be addressed in future films.

that Andrew Garfield was better fit.

Aside from looking like a near 30 year old playing a high school kid, I think Garfield was great. There's a big push on social media now for him to get ASM3. I think he would be a great somewhat older Spider-Man.
 

Mel O'Drama

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The Spider-Man cast of characters have been around since the 60s and in their original form are like ARCHIE teens; they just don't match reality, even fake reality, of the 2020s. An all White cast in NYC in 2021 might be less plausible than someone climbing walls.

Yes, this is true.



These versions of MJ, Ned, etc., feel fleshed out. They serve the same functions as their predecessors, while still being true to their new identities.

I'd say this is true of some more than others. Film Ned is a really enjoyable character but his personality is nothing like the Ned I remember reading who was very sombre and competitive. His being at school with Peter and co. is also anachronistic since he was generally part of the Bugle stuff. I struggle to envisage this Ned having anything like the arc of his comic book counterpart. But I did think getting him together with Betty in the second film was a cute touch considering their relationship in the comics.



I was very iffy about MJ for the first films, but boy did she click for me in the third. The superhero's girlfriend is a thankless role, but I think she made the most out of it of anyone since Margot Kidder.

I don't think I cared for her in the first, but I liked her a lot more in the second. From what you've said, there's a bit of a theme of the films getting better with each consecutive one so that gives me hope.



Aunt May is an oddity. The original character has never made sense to me. Why would a high schooler have an aunt who looks to be approximately 123 years old?

Ha ha, yes.

I suppose when I was young I was quick to suspend my disbelief around it as it never really bothered me. It added to my enjoyment that May always seemed to be on the verge of some health problem which caused Peter to worry about her and about medical bills, etc. If anything, I probably just assumed Peter's father was a much younger sibling of Ben's.

I agree it adds more reality for May to be significantly younger, but there's the double-whammy of her also having a different personality. "Aunt May" and "saucepot" just don't equate for me.



Ideally, Holland would have had some smaller, solo films before being introduced into the main MCU.

Absolutely. That would have given him a more level playing field for the character to be established. Both Tobey and Andrew had much more space for character development before things got going.



As in my vague spoilers above, it looks as though some of your concerns may be addressed in future films.

That really does sound promising.



There's a big push on social media now for him to get ASM3. I think he would be a great somewhat older Spider-Man.

It could be interesting - if a little confusing - to have a couple of different universes operating (kind of) independently. And if anyone deserves another crack of the web it's Andrew.
 
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