As one of Marvel's most well-known and beloved characters, there have been a number of different versions of Spider-Man. However, the question as to just who is the best recently came up on Twitter, resulting in some very interesting trends and conclusions.
The first real big-screen Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire is still a fan favorite nearly twenty years after making his debut. Many consider him the ideal Peter Parker, epitomizing the character’s journey from social reject to superhero. However, fans of other actors were quick to counter with the fact that this may all just come from nostalgia.
While he has his share of passionate fans, only a minority voiced their preference for Andrew Garfield’s time as Spider-Man Garfield was praised for his chemistry with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy, capturing a sense of relatability and earnestness not found in other portrayals. In addition to being considered the best Spider-Man for his electric banter, his Amazing Spider-Man 2 suit is also regarded as the best of the bunch. At the same time, many found his portrayal of Peter too cool and attractive to fit the character.
The majority of Twitter users ultimately landed on Tom Holland being the overall best incarnation of the character. While Maguire captured Peter’s awkwardness and Garfield Spider-Man’s wry, quipping energy, many consider Holland the best for his ability to balance both sides of his personality equally well. Additionally, many particularly enjoy his films’ focus on the high school setting and the teenage problems that accompany it.
As for the best Spider-Man movie, Into the Spider-Verse is overwhelmingly hailed as the best of all of them. Twitter adored its themes of identity, impressive technical craftsmanship and multiple unique takes on the webhead. Miles Morales had his name tossed around for being the best Spider-Man as well, though the debate was primarily focused on the Peter Parker iteration of the character.
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 also offered up some stiff competition for Spider-Verse as many users applauded the movie’s focus on Peter’s struggles juggling heroic responsibility with his personal life. There also seems to be a generational divide between fans of the Holland and Maguire movies, with the younger generation skewing towards the more recent Marvel Cinematic Universe films.
Few voiced their support for Garfield’s films on the whole, however, a fact also reflected at the box office and general critical reception a few years ago. Some unconventional picks did pop up though, including the late 2000s Spectacular Spider-Man animated series and 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man video game.
At the end of the day, the Twitter debate over the best Spider-Man reflects people's personal preferences, and it's great so many have a version of the everyman hero they love and enjoy.
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