How to watch the Spider-Man movies in chronological order
To understand what’s happening with the Spider-Verse and how Spider-Man fits in the MCU, watch the web-slinger’s movies in chronological order.
Spider-Man isn’t a typical superhero; he’s a character in the Spider-Verse, which is a complex web of Spider-People in alternate universes that has converged in the latest Spider-Man movie.
There have been three takes on the character that we’ve seen on the big screen: the Tom Holland-led version, Andrew Garfield’s, and Toby Maguire’s. Recently, the trio joined forces thanks to some multiversal high-jinks in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which is part of the . This team-up film also features villains from Sony’s Spider-Man films. (Sony now co-produces Spider-Man films starring Tom Holland with Marvel. Sony and Marvel also released Into The Spider-Verse in 2018 Across the Spider-Verse in 2023.)
Let’s not forget that Sony has been producing its own Spider-Verse offshoot films, including 2018’s Venom and its 2021 sequel, as well as 2022’s Morbius. The latter film sees Jared Leto playing Dr. Michael Morbius, a villain in the Spider-Man comics. There are three more of those spin-off films slated to premiere this year, with Madame Web, Kraven The Hunter, and Venom 3 all having 2024 release dates.
This viewing order guide is mostly chronological, but it can get confusing because there are multiple universes and timelines at play. For instance, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker is from an alternate universe in 2002 but appears in the present-day film No Way Home, which is set in the main MCU timeline.
1. Spider-Man
Long before Marvel, The Avengers, and the MCU, this 2002 film was what superhero films aspired to be: Successful with a great story. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film follows young Peter Parker (played by Tobey Maguire) as he develops super speed, strength, and the ability to produce webs and stick to walls after being bitten by a genetically enhanced spider. The film also stars Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson and Willem Dafoe as the villain Green Goblin.
2. Spider-Man 2
One of the most beloved superhero sequels sees Tobey Maguire return to take on his mentor, Otto Octavius (played by Alfred Molina), who has transformed into Doctor Octopus following an experiment gone wrong. To make it even more challenging for Parker this time around, his powers are failing him, and his relationship with Mary Jane is on the rocks. Sam Raimi also returned to direct this film.
3. Spider-Man 3
The final film in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy is the most disappointing. Most of the series’ main actors return, such as Maguire as Peter Parker, Dunst as Mary Jane, and James Franco as Harry Osborne. However, this time, Spider-Man is forced to face off against two foes: the dangerous symbiote Venom, which has attached itself to fellow journalist Eddie Brock (Topher Grace); and Flint Marko, a small-time thug who played a role in the death of Peter’s uncle Ben.
4. The Amazing Spider-Man
In 2012, Sony rebooted the Spider-Man franchise with Andrew Garfield in the lead role as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as his love interest, Gwen Stacey. The film sees Parker discover some of his deceased father’s research into a way for humans to regrow lost limbs. Peter turns these notes over to his father’s former partner, Curt Conners (played by Rhys Ifans), who uses the new information to attempt a dangerous experiment.
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2
Garfield returns to play Parker, while Jamie Foxx stars as the villain Electro. Not only does Peter battle Electro in this film, but he must also contend with his terminally ill friend, Harry Osborne, who believes Spider-Man’s blood could hold t
he key to curing him. Coming off of the success of the first film, Sony made big plans to flesh out the Spider-Man universe, including spin-offs centered around Venom and The Sinister Six. However, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was such a bomb that most of those plans were canceled.
6. Captain America: Civil War
Following the collapse of its own Spider-Man universe, Sony agreed to let the Spider-Man character be used by Marvel in the MCU. This led to the debut of Tom Holland as Peter Parker in Civil War. When Captain America (played by Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.) fall on opposite sides of a debate over government control of superhumans, they recruit their own teams to face off, leading to Tony visiting Peter’s apartment in New York City.
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Following his adventure with Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr.), Holland’s Peter Parker returns home to his life with his Aunt May (played by Marisa Tomei). However, with that taste of the Avengers’ life, Parker continues to fight crime in his neighborhood, which leads him to face off with Adrian Toomes (played by Michael Keaton), a former construction worker who is selling recovered weapons from the Battle of New York in the first Avengers film.
8. Avengers: Infinity War
In Spider-Man’s third entry in the MCU, Tom Holland gave us one of the most heartbreaking moments in the 20+ film series when we see Peter Parker’s fate following the snap. We also get to see Spider-Man fight in the “Iron Spider” armor, which is essentially an Iron Man suit designed for Spider-Man.
9. Avengers: Endgame
While Spider-Man isn’t featured heavily in Endgame, this Avengers installment is crucial for the future of the MCU and Spider-Man, as it sets up Peter Parker as a potential future leader of the Avengers. Tom Holland delivers another tear-jerker as well when his mentor, Tony Stark, makes the ultimate sacrifice.
10. Spider-Man: Far From Home
The first post-Endgame MCU film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, shows Holland’s Peter Parker dealing with the fallout from the death of his idol and mentor, Tony Stark. While on a field trip to Europe, Parker is contacted by Nick Fury (played by Samuel L Jackson), who wants him to become one of the leaders of the Avengers. Although Parker is initially hesitant, he finds another mentor to help him through the process in the form of Mysterio (played by Jake Gyllenhaal).
11. Venom
Sony finally began fleshing out the Spider-Man Universe with 2018’s Venom. It follows the story of investigative journalist Eddie Brock (played by Tom Hardy) as he uncovers unethical trials conducted by the corporation Life Foundation on alien symbiotes found in space. When Brock breaks into the Foundation’s lab, one of the symbiotes bonds with him and becomes Venom. Although there is no Spider-Man appearance in Venom, we originally stated that this film is optional. However, Venom’s second film has changed that.
12. Venom: Let There Be Carnage
Tom Hardy returns as the host for symbiote Venom, this time alongside Woody Harrelson, who plays Venom’s nemesis, Carnage. The end-credits scene also teases Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock being transported to the MCU when he sees Peter Parker’s (Tom Holland) identity revealed on TV. Due to that moment, we’re including this film and its original in the Spider-Man timeline ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home.
13. Morbius
The film sees Jared Leto play Dr. Michael Morbius, who has been featured as a villain in Spider-Man comics. Morbius is a world-famous scientist who suffers from a rare blood disorder. Unfortunately, he transforms himself into a superpowered vampire after attempting an experimental cure for his illness that involves vampire bats. While the film was critically panned, receiving a 17 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it has grossed 163 million worldwide since its release. Moreover, the film has now essentially become a meme online, with Morbius 2 trending on Twitter.
14. Spider-Man: No Way Home
No Way Home sees the return of Tom Holland as Spider-Man, along with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon). The film leans heavily into the idea of the Spider-Verse. After turning to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help when his identity is revealed, the situation for Holland’s Peter Parker only worsens as we see the return of Spider-Man’s foes from across the history of Spider-Man films.
Willem Defoe returns as Norman Osborn, Alfred Molina as Otto Octavius, Jamie Foxx as Electro, and the list goes on. Former Spider-Man actors Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their versions of Peter Parker to help Tom Holland fight this laundry list of Spider-Man villains, who have been transported to the MCU by Dr. Strange’s spell.
15. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
An unexpected success that grossed over $375 million in the US box office, this animated feature is directed by Bob Persichetti. It showcases a character named Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and develops powers similar to how Peter Parker does in most Spider-Man films. Morales then meets other people who have spider-like powers. Into the Spider-Verse won Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards. We’re placing these Spider-Verse films last in our order because they feature a fully-realized version of the multiverse filled with different Spider-men and women.
16. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
Across the Spider-Verse is the last film in our Spider-Man order. It sees Gwen and Miles both struggling with their lives back in their own universes, which eventually leads them back into the Spider-verse. Unfortunately, things don’t quite go as planned thanks to a villain known as The Spot who can manipulate the multiverse. The film ends on a cliffhanger though, but a sequel will hopefully premiere in 2024. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse was slated to be released on March 29, 2024, but delayed with no new release date announced.
We do know Across the Spider-Verse is the latest set film in the Spider-Man film universe thanks to Miguel O’Hara, aka Spider-Man 2099, mentioning Spider-man and Doctor Strange’s multiversal screw-up in No Way Home.
