Spider-Man movies in order: How many are there, and how to watch them

Spider-Man is the template for the relatable underdog trope. Have you ever noticed how all other heroes are some billionaire genius, a god, or just naturally great? Not Pete. The guy is poor, awkward, and always gets dumped. That's the entire charm. When he messes up, you feel it, because who hasn't bombed a test or said something cringey in front of their crush? He is the guy next door, except with the ability to crawl around on ceilings.

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko created him, and he originally appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15 in August 1962. "With great power comes great responsibility" was his life motto, and it was a lesson that struck a chord with people all over the world.

From television to comic books, Spider-Man's career has been huge. He became a Marvel Comics star soon after his debut. In addition to the intricate plotlines, his stories featured a variety of villains and friends.

Soon after, Spider-Man jumped into television as well. But it took until the early 2000s for all to align. In 2002, director Sam Raimi and actor Tobey Maguire brought Spider-Man to the big screen. It set the bar high for superhero films and started the comic book movie boom, which is ongoing to this day.

Spider-Man has been a box office behemoth ever since. Various studios have crafted a series of movie franchises. Each of them has come up with their own take on Peter Parker and his world.

The origins of Spider-Man

1962 Amazing Spider-Man Comic (Image Source: eBay)

The idea of Spider-Man initially materialized in 1962. This was in public response for a superhero that they could relate to. Hence, Peter Parker was simply a Queens, New York, high school student. But then he got bitten by a radioactive spider.

Suddenly, he possessed super strength and agility. He also acquired a "spider-sense" that warned him of imminent danger.

What set Peter apart from all other superheroes was his personal life issues. He was rejected, he wasn't good enough, and he grappled with loneliness. The death of his Uncle Ben was the point of transition in his life. It taught him that with great power comes great responsibility, which would be the rule of his life as Spider-Man.

His universe is populated with some of the most familiar comic book villains. There are the Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, Venom, and the Vulture, to begin with. He has friends and relatives, making his life richer. Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Gwen Stacy, and J. Jonah Jameson ground him, giving emotional weight to all the superheroing.

Before he was a box office smash, he was on TV. The 1967 cartoon series introduced him to a new generation. There were Spidey Super Stories and The Amazing Spider-Man live-action TV series throughout the 1970s. Nicholas Hammond played Spider-Man in that live-action series.

Meanwhile, the Toei Company of Japan made its own version of Spider-Man in 1978. Takuya Yamashiro portrayed Spider-Man here. The show even included giant robots, something that would affect Japan's tokusatsu and Super Sentai (which went on to affect Power Rangers).

On the other hand, Spider-Man animated comics also continued to sell. Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994–1998) and The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008–2009) were both huge hits.

The evolution of Spider-Man in film

The Sam Raimi trilogy (2002–2007)

First things first, let’s talk about the OG Spider-Man movies. Here, Tobey Maguire showed up as Peter Parker. These movies dragged superhero flicks back from the grave.

Spider-Man (2002)

Peter Parker is a high school dork, probably couldn’t talk to a girl without breaking a sweat, and then gets bitten by a genetically engineered spider. Next thing you know, he is climbing walls, shooting webs, and flirting with Mary Jane. Also, there is Norman Osborn, a.k.a. Green Goblin. The film is all about Peter figuring out the great power/great responsibility mantra.

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Now Peter is juggling college, a job, and superhero life, tanking everything. Grades are dropping, friends are annoyed, and Aunt May is looking disappointed. Enter Doctor Octopus with metal arms and too many science experiments gone wrong. This one hits harder on Peter’s personal struggles. It is messy, real, and that train scene is iconic.

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Things get wild here. Peter has got new powers, and suddenly he is picking fights with Sandman and Venom. Additionally, he is dealing with his own darker side thanks to an alien blob. The movie is juggling many plotlines, but at heart, it is about forgiving and trying to move past your worst self. P.S., not everyone loved this one.

The Amazing Spider-Man duology (2012–2014)

After Sam Raimi’s trilogy ended, Sony decided to start fresh. They rebooted Spider-Man with a new face: Andrew Garfield. These movies aimed to update Peter Parker’s story and dig deeper into his past.

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

This reboot reimagines Peter in high school. It explores his relationship with Gwen Stacy and unravels the mystery of what has happened to his parents. Peter fights Dr. Curt Connors, who becomes the Lizard and his first major villain.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Here, Peter must deal with new villains: Electro and a new Green Goblin. The film is renowned for its emotional ending. Stacy's death is a massive moment lifted from the comics. The reception and box office took a turn where Sony dropped those plans.

Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) era (2016–Present)

Sony and Marvel Studios made a historic agreement in 2015. Spider-Man joined the MCU for the first time and mingled with other Marvel superheroes. Tom Holland joined as the new Peter Parker. He initially appeared on the screen in Captain America: Civil War (2016).

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Spider-Man got a grand MCU entrance as Tony Stark calls on him to assist the Avengers in fighting. It is a rushed introduction, but it already sets him up within the grand Marvel universe.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Immediately after the Civil War, Peter is in high school, attempting to balance being a teenager and being a superhero. He fights the Vulture and is under the mentorship of Tony Stark.

Avengers: Infinity War (2018) & Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Peter fights with the Avengers against Thanos. His character matures, showing that he is not the small-town Spider-Man anymore. These films establish him as the team's valuable member.

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Parker is unable to deal with Tony Stark's death and being a hero in his place. He fights against Mysterio, who uses illusions and devices to make Spider-Man an outlaw.

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The multiverse opens up and welcomes villains and even Spider-Men from earlier movie franchises. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield are with Holland's Spider-Man in this enormous crossover, exploring identity, sacrifice, and high prices for heroism.

Animated Spider-verse films

Sony did something big by releasing critically acclaimed animated films. It opens up the multiverse and introduces new Spider-heroes.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Now, you have got Miles Morales, this regular New York kid. Suddenly, he is swinging around with new powers, freaking out, and then the whole “Spider-Verse” thing explodes open. You have got Spider-people from all sorts of wild dimensions, each with their own style and baggage, banding together to take down some major league villain.

The film even snagged the Oscar for Best Animated Feature.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

The sequel gets even further into the multiverse. Miles is bouncing through realities, teaming up with even more Spider-freaks. The narrative gets deeper and a little darker. You walk out thinking about fate, family, and, well, how many Spider-People is too many?

Sony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU)

Meanwhile, Sony has been doing their own little Spider-Man cinematic universe thing by scooping all the side characters and villains. Kicked off with Venom in 2018 — Tom Hardy mumbling and wrestling with his gooey alien roommate.

Then they doubled down in Venom: Let There Be Carnage in 2021, which was… well, messy in a fun way.

Morbius dropped in 2022, starring Jared Leto as a vampire scientist. Strangely, Spider-Man himself is nowhere in sight as the main guy. He is like a rumor in these movies. Still, they are all tangled up in the same Spider-Verse web, and you can bet the post-credit scenes will try to stitch them together with the MCU.

How many Spider-Man movies have been made?

If we consider only the main theatrical films, there are 13 Spider-Man movies.

They break down as follows:

Sam Raimi Trilogy: 3 films

The Amazing Spider-Man Duology: 2 films

MCU Spider-Man: 3 standalone films (with cameos in Civil War, Infinity War, and Endgame)

Spider-Verse: 2 films

Sony's Spider-Man Universe: 3 films

The ones listed above do not include old TV movies and straight-to-video films.

How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order?

There are two main ways to watch the Spider-Man movies: Release order or trying to see them in chronological order. With the multiverse crossover and the different studio timelines, it is most often best to see them in release order.

Release Order

Watching them release order shows how Spider-Man changed on screen and how superhero films changed over time. Here is the list:

Spider-Man (2002)

Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Spider-Man 3 (2007)

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)

Captain America: Civil War (2016)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)

Venom (2018)

Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)

Morbius (2022)

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)

This way, you will see how each new series builds on or plays with what came before.

Chronological order (Character timeline)

If you want to watch Spider-Man's tale unfold in each iteration of Peter Parker, one such sequence is: