Tom Holland has played Spider-Man in live-action more than any other actor to date and has just added to his record with the theatrical release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The new movie marks Holland’s whopping seventh appearance as the character in 10 years and tasks the actor with playing a more solemn Peter Parker struggling with isolation from those he loved.
If Spider-Man: No Way Home was the culmination of Holland’s previous five outings as the friendly neighborhood web-slinger, Spider-Man: Brand New Day feels like the first entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of Peter Parker after the completion of his origin story. With No Way Home concluding on a note that returned Spidey to his grounded, street-level roots, Kevin Feige and company set up a sequel that would strip Peter of his prior connections and offer a more intimate story than prior entries.
Holland has masterfully navigated all the on-screen changes of Peter Parker and risen to be one of the most popular actors working in the film industry today. From his first Spidey appearance in Captain America: Civil War to his latest in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Holland delivers impressive performances across the board, but there is certainly variability in the quality of movies that he features in. The following will rank Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies from worst to best, rather than rank the quality of Tom Holland’s performances in said films.
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Spider-Man: Brand New Day
It may seem unfair to label Spider-Man: Brand New Day, one of 2026’s most anticipated movies, as the weakest of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies, but it is certainly the case.
Destin Daniel Cretton’s film begins on strong footing with an opening 20 minutes or so that captures quintessential, comic book accurate Spider-Man. Cretton brings a certain craft, style, and visual flair missing from the Homecoming trilogy, and the film’s version of New York City is textured and actually feels like New York City (at least for the most part). Tom Holland triumphs as a Peter Parker navigating the most difficult period of his life, while Sadie Sink impresses with a commanding and impassioned turn in the third act.
Unfortunately, Brand New Day is burdened by an overstuffed story juggling far too many disparate elements. The lack of narrative focus means the film hops from one thread to another in a manner frustratingly similar to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3. Things go from bad to worse in this regard in a third act hijacked by Sadie Sink’s mystery character and one of the most underwhelming post-credits scenes in MCU history.
6
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Brand New Day may be a good Spider-Man movie, but Spider-Man: Far From Home is a far better movie. The second installment in Jon Watts’ Homecoming trilogy is the most un-Spider-Man of any of the Spider-Man movies, largely due to the relocation to Europe and stripping away of many of the seemingly essential elements of a Spidey story.
The result is a film that doesn’t always feel like a Spider-Man movie on the surface, yet thoroughly entertains nonetheless and ultimately captures the spirit and heart of the masked hero. The European vacation that encompasses the story affords opportunities for tons of great humor, making Far From Home one of the funnier MCU movies. The burgeoning romance between Peter and MJ is touching and amplified by the electric chemistry between Holland and Zendaya.
On the villainous side, Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio makes for a compelling antagonist, albeit one whose origins are too closely tied to Tony Stark and whose insidious motives are far too easy to discern. The film does well to take a rather silly and heightened villain like Mysterio and mold him into a villain suitable for a live-action movie. He also plays an integral role in the film’s jaw-dropper of a post-credits scene, in which the world discovers that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. Over the course of nearly 60 projects, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has arguably never delivered a twist as shocking as this.
5
Captain America: Civil War
Punctuated by the terrific needle drop of “Left Hand Free” by alt-J, the word “Queens” popping up in massive letters on the screen is enough to give anyone goosebumps. After a rocky outing with The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man was in desperate need of a fresh start and, given the mounting success of the MCU, the ever-expanding Disney franchise was a perfect place to do this.
Peter only appears briefly in Captain America: Civil War but he makes his presence known. The introductory scene involving a back-and-forth between Tony Stark and Parker sets the stage for one of the MCU’s most endearing and ultimately gut-wrenching relationships, while Spider-Man adds so much fun and energy to the airport battle.
The movie surrounding Spider-Man is also one of the better MCU movies. Essentially serving as another Avengers movie, Captain America: Civil War successfully adapted the acclaimed “Civil War” comic run and excelled in positioning the franchise’s two heroes – Tony Stark and Steve Rogers – against one another. Amidst a large ensemble, the Russo Brothers admirably kept the focus on Rogers and Stark, in turn allowing Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr. the opportunity to deliver their best performances as the iconic characters.
4
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The first full-fledged Spider-Man adventure in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the breath of fresh air that the friendly neighborhood web-slinger desperately needed. Rather than retell the origin story for a third time, Jon Watts’ film skips over the exposition to focus on a John Hughes-inspired coming-of-age story about a teenager navigating the anxieties of school, crushes, and, of course, having a superhero alter ego.
Homecoming remains the funniest of the Spider-Man movies, driven by stellar comedic performances from Holland and Jacob Batalon. The latter is responsible for so many hilarious moments and one-liners that instantly make Ned Leeds an endlessly lovable guy in the chair. The film also intrigues with its subversive, darker take on MJ.
The MCU connections nicely make Homecoming feel like it is one piece of a much larger universe, while the story itself proves compelling and unexpected. The reveal that Michael Keaton’s Vulture is the father of Peter’s crush packs a massive punch and gives way to a palpably intense scene in a car in which he comes to realize Peter is Spider-Man.
3
Avengers: Endgame
Avengers: Endgame broke all kinds of records and ascended to become one of the most successful films in cinema history. And rightfully so. The epic culmination of 11 years of Marvel Cinematic Universe stories overwhelmingly delivered with spectacle, heart, callbacks, humor, and more.
Spider-Man plays a tiny role in Avengers: Endgame, but he leaves a lasting emotional impression. The short-lived reunion with Tony Stark is emotional enough to bring tears to the eyes of even the most hardened of viewers, while Stark’s death sequence and resulting funeral similarly tug on the heartstrings.
There’s a reason that Avengers: Doomsday is being described more so as a sequel to Avengers: Endgame than it is the culmination of all the MCU stories that followed Endgame. That’s because the Russo Brothers made a film that broke into the zeitgeist in a manner most pieces of art could only dream of. Quotable lines, unforgettable moments, and an undeniable heart make Endgame one of the best MCU movies and one of the best live-action movies to feature Spider-Man.
2
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Spider-Man: No Way Home remains one of the most ambitious superhero movies to date. Uniting Tom Holland’s Spider-Man with beloved versions of the characters played by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield proved to be a stroke of genius, as reflected by the film’s 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and nearly $2 billion gross at the global box office.
The film intelligently finds a way to organically insert Maguire, Garfield, and a range of villains they faced in their respective movies into a story that both pays off the ending of Far From Home and tantalizingly sets the stage for Spidey stories to come.
The decision to effectively make No Way Home the concluding entry of the MCU Spider-Man’s origin story also worked to tremendous effect. What Maguire and Garfield did in one movie, Holland accomplished in three. The positioning of Marisa Tomei’s Aunt May as the Uncle Ben of Holland’s story is the kind of no-brainer decision that no one could have forecast, while the concluding note of the film leaves audiences with Spider-Man leaving behind his MCU connections and returning to his roots.
1
Avengers: Infinity War
Yet if there’s one Tom Holland Spider-Man film that truly stands above the rest, it has to be Avengers: Infinity War. While Avengers: Endgame is often praised as Marvel’s greatest achievement, Infinity War hardly gets the recognition it deserves for accomplishing an equally monumental feat. From its opening moments, the film launches into a relentless, high-stakes journey that never loses momentum, carrying audiences toward one of the most shocking endings in blockbuster history.
What makes Infinity War remarkable is its ability to weave together an enormous ensemble cast and countless intersecting storylines without ever feeling overcrowded. Giving the villain the emotional center of the narrative was a daring creative gamble, but the Russo Brothers pull it off with astonishing confidence. Every character, including Spider-Man, has a purpose, every crossover feels earned, and the chemistry between heroes creates some of the MCU’s most unforgettable interactions.
The film also delivers one of the franchise’s defining crowd-pleasing moments as Thor crashes into the Battle of Wakanda, a scene that still sends chills years later. Then comes the ending – a devastating cliffhanger that shattered expectations and instantly became one of the most talked-about finales in modern cinema, with Spider-Man’s death being a big factor in that. Packed with breathtaking action, emotional weight, and nonstop excitement, Avengers: Infinity War remains the MCU at its absolute peak: endlessly rewatchable, consistently thrilling, and a cinematic achievement that continues to stand the test of time.
- Movie(s)
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Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far from Home, Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Eternals, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever , Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Deadpool & Wolverine, Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, Werewolf by Night , The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, The Punisher: One Last Kill
- TV Show(s)
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Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Carter, Inhumans, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If…?, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Secret Invasion, Agatha All Along, Ironheart, Daredevil: Born Again, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Wonder Man, Echo, Marvel Zombies, Eyes of Wakanda
- Cast
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Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Edward Norton, Paul Rudd, Tom Holland, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Brie Larson, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan, Chris Pratt, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Vin Diesel, Pom Klementieff, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Clark Gregg, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Simu Liu, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Angelina Jolie, Kit Harington, Salma Hayek, Richard Madden, Barry Keoghan, Gemma Chan, Ma Dong-seok, Brian Tyree Henry, Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Lia McHugh, Jonathan Majors