The first blockbuster "Spider-Man" film came out in 2002, played by Tobey Maguire. Alongside big names such as James Franco, William Dafoe, and Kirsten Dunst, Maguire made "Spider-Man" an instant hit. Two films followed the 2002 smash with "Spider-Man 2" and then closing the franchise with "Spider-Man 3" in 2007.
An unlikely candidate, Tobey Maguire fit the role of Peter Parker perfectly. His nerdy yet kind looks met those described in the Marvel Comics. Peter Parker is a book-smart nerd who hid behind glasses when it came to talking to girls like big-time crush, Mary Jane. Maguire met the expectations of comic nerds everywhere with his portrayal of Peter Parker.
The second adaptation of "Spider-Man" came out in 2012 featured as Andrew Garfield. The film is called "The Amazing Spider-Man" which was followed by a sequel in 2014 entitled "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." Differing from the first Marvel adaptation, Andrew Garfield's love interest targets Chief of Police's daughter, Gwen Stacy played by Emma Stone rather than M.J. While she was a love interest in the comics as well, I personally prefer to see Peter with Mary Jane as they are the more popular couple as they eventually wed.
As for the villains of the 2012 adaptation, they were all on target featuring the Green Goblin, Electro, etc. Unfortunately, this "Spider-Man" seemed to do the worst in terms of box office success and popularity which is not surprising. Andrew Garfield looks as though he can play the part of Peter due to his nerdy appearance but he was never able to truly embody the role which is what an actor is supposed to do.
The most recent "Spider-Man" adaptation was produced in 2017 entitled "Spider-Man: Homecoming," which turned many heads with Tom Holland as the role of Peter Parker. He is by far the youngest actor to play him which fits perfectly as Peter Parker is supposed to be in high school. "Homecoming" is also the first movie to totally take place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with cameos by Tony Stark, otherwise known as Iron Man. While Peter's love interest in this film was neither M.J. nor Gwen, Mary Jane is featured as a quirky shy friend of his who later grabs Peter's attention in the second film, entitled "Spider-Man: Far From Home."
After seeing all of the films, I was honestly not sure of who was my favorite until I saw "Far From Home" which completely tipped the scale. Tom Holland plays the perfect "Spider-Man" with his quirky, nerdy, innocent and comical performance in the most recent adaptation.
