For twenty years, the Spider-Man movies have produced some of the most iconic villains in the history of superhero cinema, but they've also made some that are less than memorable. While the Marvel Comics inspired the Spider-Man films, some villains should've stayed on the four-color page, as they didn't translate well onto the silver screen.
Many classic villains have shown up between the Tobey Maguire trilogy, the Andrew Garfield duology, and the Tom Holland trilogy. From the iconic villains of the first trilogy to some who weren't worth remembering, the Spider-Man villains can make or break a movie.
10 Worst: The Lizard Had An Odd Goal
Dr. Curt Conners (Rhys Ifans) was a geneticist in The Amazing Spider-Man who injected himself with a serum intended to grow back limbs, specifically for people who lost them in combat. As a result, Conners turned into The Lizard; a half-human/half-lizard monster enthralled by the idea of turning everyone into lizards.
In The Amazing Spider-Man, Lizard's ultimate goal was to turn all of New York City into lizards. While this would've been an entertaining sight and felt like a story straight from the Silver Age, it wasn't that great of a plot for a modern movie. Conners also made an appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home, in which his total contribution was discussing turning everyone into lizards.
9 Best: The Vulture Was Closer Than Peter Anticipated
Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton) was The Vulture, a blue-collar father who lost his salvaging company to Stark Industries. So he and his coworkers became a rogue group of arms dealers to make ends meet, catching the attention of Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
Peter discovered that The Vulture was the father of his homecoming date, Liz, and he had to fight him on the night of the dance. Keaton played the role well, and while he wasn't the most exciting villain of the Spider-Man movies, he was a good introductory villain to a great trilogy.
8 Worst: Topher Grace Was An Unbelievable Venom
Many know Topher Grace as the timid and kind Eric Foreman on That 70's Show, but he ventured out to play Eddie Brock, who becomes Venom, in the less-than-loved Spider-Man 3. Brock is Peter's nemesis at The Daily Bugle, often competing with him for the best stories and promotions.
While Venom, in other forms, has been exceptional, Grace didn't portray the kind of evil required for this role; he seems too nice to be believable as a villain. Unfortunately, Spider-Man 3 was too packed full of villains for Venom to stand out.
7 Best: Electro Had A Stellar Performance In No Way Home
Max Dillon (Jamie Foxx) became Electro when he fell into a vat of genetically engineered eels at Oscorp, where he worked as an engineer. Unfortunately, while he looked fantastic in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, he didn't offer much in terms of true villainy.
However, Foxx truly shone in his recent performance as a legacy character in No Way Home, where he got his body and humor back. Foxx was hilarious and genuinely villainous, reveling in his power and refusing to let Peter fix him. While he might not have stood out in his first performance, Electro became a much better villain as of late.
6 Worst: Sandman Hardly Contributed
Yet another villain of Spider-Man 3, Flint Marko (Thomas Hayden Church), who became the Sandman, was revealed to have murdered Peter's Uncle Ben years before. He, too, returned for No Way Home but didn't offer much to the overall plot.
Flint was relatable in that he was trying to provide for his estranged daughter, and the effects used for his powers were visually appealing, but the character lacked the depth to make him memorable. But again, Spider-Man 3 had too much going on, and the Sandman couldn't stand out as a remarkable villain.
5 Best: Mysterio Ruined Peter's Life
Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal) became Mysterio after being snubbed by Tony Stark, and made it his life's mission to bury Stark's reputation as a hero. After Tony died in Avengers: Endgame, Beck targeted Peter on his European trip in Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Beck used drone technology to alter reality and create fake villains, making Peter believe Mysterio was a hero rather than an evil mastermind. He manipulated Peter into trusting him before betraying him and exposing his identity to the whole world. Beck's actions resulted in Peter asking Dr. Strange for help, thus leading to the Multiverse-shattering events of No Way Home.
4 Worst: The Hobgoblin Didn't Look Like A Villain
James Franco played Harry Osborn, Peter's best friend who becomes the Hobgoblin after learning Peter is Spider-Man, who killed his father, Norman. While the dynamic of their prior relationship and the heartbreak of the betrayal were sad, the villain's execution wasn't the best.
Franco's version of the villain was unremarkable, and his villainous costume fell flat compared to other iconic villains of the Sam Raimi trilogy, including his father. If the costume department had done a better job on Harry, he might've felt more intimidating. It also would've helped if he had been a primary villain rather than being crammed into a movie with two other villains.
3 Best: Doc Ock Was In A League Of His Own
Alfred Molina portrayed Otto Octavius, the misguided scientist, perfectly in Spider-Man 2. Octavius was left with robotic tentacles fused to his back after a failed science experiment, gaining the nickname Doc Ock.
Molina reprised the role in No Way Home almost twenty years later, and he was just as impressive as ever while giving the character a beautiful story of redemption. Doc Ock's tentacles and pure power set him apart from other villains, and Otto honestly didn't wish to be a villain; he was simply the victim of misfortune.
2 Worst: The Rhino Was Cheesy
In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Aleksei Sytsevich (Paul Giamatti) became The Rhino by wearing a giant suit of armor shaped like a rhinoceros. Unfortunately, The Rhino added almost nothing to the plot and only served as something for Peter to fight.
Rhino was loud and destructive, but other than that, he had no true appeal to the story or to Peter's growth in any way. Enough was going on in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, similar to Raimi's third installment, and the movie likely would've been better off without The Rhino's mindless action scenes.
1 Best: No Other Villain Could Outdo The Green Goblin
The Green Goblin, portrayed by Willem Dafoe, is arguably one of the most iconic villains of all time. Norman Osborn, the legendary scientist, and owner of Oscorp, became the supervillain after experimenting on himself. The Goblin was a sort of alternate persona, taking over when it wanted and depriving Norman of his typical kind and lighthearted personality.
When Dafoe revived his role in No Way Home two decades after his first go at the villain, he didn't disappoint, bringing the same charisma and pure evil that made the character famous. Green Goblin and Doc Ock were neck and neck, as they both were extraordinary movie villains. However, the Goblin was dangerous, ruthless, and willing to destroy anyone who stood in his way, making him the best villain of all the Spider-Man movies.