No superhero has been recast and reimagined as much as Spider-Man. It’s got to the point that Into the Spider-Verse was making meta jokes about it, featuring interpretations of the different versions of the character.
Everyone’s favorite web-slinging hero has been played by many people over the years, including a number of voice actors responsible for beloved animations. From the first on-screen depiction in the 60s to Tom Holland’s most recent rendition of the character, here’s a look at the best and worst actors who have ever played Spider-Man.
14) Nicholas Hammond
Before the three major Peter Parkers we know and love today, there was Nicholas Hammond who had his own trilogy of movies and a live-action TV show, The Amazing Spider-Man, back in the ’70s. Sadly, none of the titles was hugely popular, with the movies only released in European cinemas. As such, Hammond has earned himself last place on this list.
13) Benjamin Diskin
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Avengers Assemble is a fun TV show to see more comedic takes on popular MCU stars, but the voice acting does tend to grate after a while. This means that Benjamin Diskin, voice of Spidey, has also got a low place on this list. He just doesn’t feel like Peter Parker to me.
12) Chris Pine
Chris Pine briefly played Spider-Man in Into the Spider-Verse, but while he’s seemingly the best Spider-Man in any universe, he dies early on in the film and doesn’t have long enough on the animated screen to make a real impression. While Pine does an admirable job, he just doesn’t have the charm or humour to compete with many of his other Spidey counterparts in the same film … as we’ll see in this list.
11) Kimiko Glen
Joining Chris Pine in the animated film, Orange is the New Black‘s Kimiko Glen voiced Peni Parker, a young Japenese girl who made a robot suit for her spider friend. While the moment the robot suit died genuinely brought a teat to my eye (luckily the spider survived), I can’t honestly say that Glen earned a higher place on the list – although I’d love to see her return to the role.
10) Paul Soles
This place is solely down to nostalgia. Paul Soles voiced Spider-Man in the very first cartoon in 1967, bringing the comic book character to life for the first time. The fact that his rendition of the hero still gives me goosebumps today is a testament to what he brought to the role.
9) Nicolas Cage
Continuing the flurry of Into the Spider-Verse appearance, Nicolas Cage now enters the list, because is there any franchise this man isn’t a part of? The dramatic flair that Cage brought to Spider-Man simply cannot be bested and was one of my favorite parts of the entire film.
8) Hailee Steinfeld
So technically Spider-Gwen isn’t Spider-Man, but I’m including Hailee Steinfeld’s Into the Spider-Verse role here because I just love it so much. She can web-sling with the best of them, brings a heart-warming friendship to the movie, and I’m keen to see more of her in future titles (if the final scene of the first film is anything to go by).
7) Drake Bell – Ultimate Spider-Man
One of my personal favorite cartoon versions (outside of Into the Spider-Verse) featured a previous Disney star, Drake Bell. Fresh from Drake and Josh, he brought a youthful wit to the role that still holds up well to this day.
6) John Mulaney (Spider-Ham)
The instantly-recognisable voice of John Mulaney brought plenty of comic relief to Into the Spider-Verse, quipping and web-slinging through the film with Mulaney’s trademark style. He earned a place this high on the list purely by making me laugh the most out of anyone else in the movie.
5) Jake Johnson
While many of the Spider-People in Into the Spider-Verse made it onto this list for their humor, Jake Johnson paired laughs with a heartbreaking look at what happens when you give up on yourself. His return to the suit after years away made for a unique take on the classic superhero timeline and added some true heart to the animated film.
4) Tobey Maguire
Now we get into the truly controversial territory. While I love Tobey Maguire and the original trilogy of Spider-Man films, his acting doesn’t quite hold up in the face of, say, Andrew Garfield, and the plot of his films do let him down in comparison to some other scripts. Nonetheless, Maguire is who many Spider-Man fans fell in love with all those years ago, so he’s certainly up there among the greatest of all time.
3) Andrew Garfield
A top-of-the-line actor, Andrew Garfield managed to combine heart-breaking acting scenes (that I’m still not quite over) with the dry humor that comic fans loved about Spidey. My only complaint with Garfield was that he was a bit too slick, especially when he’s supposed to be a teenager. Peter Parker is a nerd, first and foremost, and I want to see that represented.
2) Tom Holland
Some have said that while Tobey Maguire is a great Peter Parker and Andrew Garfield is a great Spider-Man, Tom Holland combines the two – and I’d have to agree with them. He brings the youthful energy and humor that Spider-Man absolutely needs, as well as the heroic strength that Peter should embody. While some argue that the MCU’s Spider-Man is really an Iron Spider, I think we’ll see great things if Holland returns to the role after the closing shot of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
1) Shameik Moore
In the top place slot, for me it has to be Shameik Moore’s Miles Morales. His movie, Into the Spider-Verse, might be my favorite Spidey title of all time. The graphic style and the plot combine to tell the story of Miles, the scrappy kid who has a far more interesting origin than Peter Parker, in my humble opinion. Moore brings him to life in a story that I come back to time and again. A well-earned spot at number one Spider-Man of all time.
(featured image: Sony)
