Ranking All 50 Live-Action Spider-Man Characters from Movies – Part One

All the Spider-Man Movie Characters Ranked

* This article contains spoilers from Spider-Man: No Way Home. * 

Spider-Man has been around for nearly sixty years, and during this time we’ve seen nearly every version of him—and his story—imaginable. From time-travelling spider-people to egg-laying spider-monsters, the Spider-Man cannon is rich in characters. Given that we’ve also seen three iterations of Peter Parker and his story on the big screen in the last two decades, we’ve put together a definitive ranking of all the characters in the live-action Spider-Man movies. 

50. Aleksei Sytsevich aka. Rhino (Paul Giamatti)

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) 

Kicking off our list is Paul Giamatti’s Rhino from Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and, quite honestly, there’s almost too much to say about it. This version of Spider-Man’s deadly foe was over the top, overly comical, and overly stylized. Although they tried to make him an intimidating mobster, he ultimately came across like a cheap knock-off of Jared Leto’s Joker.

49. Gustav Fiers aka. The Gentleman (Michael Masse) 

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 

Our introduction to Fiers is in the post-credit scene of The Amazing Spider-Man as a disembodied voice and, quite frankly, we wish he’d stayed just that. Although the Gentleman is supposed to be an ominous figure who helps assemble the Sinister Six, he’s ultimately just another convoluted storyline in a movie that tried to do too much too soon. 

48. Flash Thompson (Joe Manganiello) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002) 

Truthfully, there isn’t much to say about Flash Thompson from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. The character, who has significant depth in the comics, comes across as a cliche bully and the choice to cast Manganiello—who already looked like a man in his thirties—as a teenager was strange to say the least. 

47. Captain Stacy (James Cromwell) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man 3 (2004) 

Similar to Raimi’s Flash Thompson, this version of Captain Stacy lacks any real depth. Other than watching his daughter nearly fall to her death and giving the Parker family some bad news about Uncle Ben’s (Martin Sheen) killer—both that the NYPD withheld the name of Uncle Ben’s actual murderer and that he’s now on the run—he doesn’t actually do anything. 

46. Eddie Brock aka. Venom (Topher Grace) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man 3 (2007) 

There are no words to express just how disappointing Topher Grace’s Venom was when he hit the big screens back in 2007. Although this Lethal Protector was a comic book favourite, there isn’t a fan alive who enjoyed this film rendition of him. Not only was Grace’s performance of Brock lacklustre and unnecessarily villainous, but his performance of Venom was anything but terrifying. It was strange to watch the star of That ’70s Show, who was known for being non-threatening and funny, try to play an intimidating villain. With that being said, we can’t put all the blame on Grace or Raimi for the abomination that was Spider-Man 3‘s Venom: Raimi originally just wanted the movie to focus on Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Harry (James Franco) but was forced to include Venom at the behest of Avi Arad. 

45. Mary Parker (Embeth Davidtz)

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 

The only moments we get with Mary Parker involve her telling Aunt May (Sally Field) how to take care of her son or crying over having to leave her life behind. While we get that she’s gone through a lot in such a short amount of time, she doesn’t add anything to the story or spend enough time with the audience for us to miss her when she’s gone. 

44. Richard Parker (Campbell Scott)

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 

If we’re being honest, the Richard Parker subplot of the Amazing Spider-Man franchise is completely unnecessary and has some of the weakest bits in the series. Peter’s (Andrew Garfield) obsession with figuring out what his father was working on before his death could have been compelling, but the set-up in the first movie was sloppy and the deep dive into “Roosevelt” in the second one felt shoehorned into an already busy movie. When it comes to Peter’s father, we think it would have been better to just let him rest in peace. 

43. Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen) 

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 

Look, we’re just going to say it: stopping a petty theft is never worth putting yourself in danger. In this film, not only does Ben try to barehandedly stop the theft, but he willingly attempts to wrestle the man’s fallen gun away. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. 

42. Ben Parker (Cliff Robertson) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002) 

Cliff Robertson did a great job of being a kindly old man, but that’s about all he did. Although his iconic line “with great power, comes great responsibility” will always be a touching moment for fans, his performance as Uncle Ben is forgettable. 

41. Felicia (Felicity Jones) 

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) 

As mentioned previously, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 tried to do more in two hours than had been established in the entirety of Sam Raimi’s three-film franchise. Unfortunately, Felicia’s character is a prime example of Webb attempting to put down roots in rocky soil. Although Felicia Hardy becomes the Black Cat in the Spider-Man comic series, she’s ultimately just Harry Osborn’s (Dane DeHaan) overworked and overly eager assistant. 

40. Harry Osborn aka. New Goblin (James Franco) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002) 

There’s no easy way to say this, but James Franco’s New Goblin was one of the lowest points in Raimi’s franchise (Venom notwithstanding). In addition to him being designed like a snowboarding bro, his single-mindedness when it comes to his father is frustrating to the point of being insufferable. Even in Spider-Man, Harry Osborn is hard to stomach given how spineless he is around his father and how quick he is to date Mary Jane (Kirsten Dunst) behind Peter’s (Tobey Maguire) back. He’s a bad friend, a bad CEO, and—somehow—an even worst villain.  

39. Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002)

Of all the love interests that Spider-Man has had over the years, Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson is by far the worst of them. Her character constantly makes poor decisions, screams in fear, and is in a constant state of anger with the people in her life. Paired with Dunst’s uneven and lacklustre performance, Mary Jane isn’t just annoying; she’s downright insufferable. 

38. Dr. Curt Connors (Dylan Baker) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man 2 (2004)

When Dr. Curt Connors made an appearance in Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, fans were hopeful that we were being promised a future appearance from the Lizard himself. Unfortunately, Dr. Connors stays, well, Dr. Connors throughout the franchise. Instead of being his own character, this version of the brilliant scientist functions as a tool to move the plot in both the second and third films of the series by first introducing Peter to Doc Ock (Alfred Molina) and then explaining the effects of the symbiote to him.

37. Flash Thompson (Chris Zylka) 

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 

Although Zylka’s version of Flash Thompson falls short of being our favourite one, it’s still an improvement over Manganiello’s. He starts The Amazing Spider-Man out as a bully hellbent on making everyone’s life worse but shows Peter compassion and friendship following the death of Uncle Ben. While we still never get the character we deserve, we at least get some character growth, which is more than we can say about Raimi’s Thompson. 

36. Harry Osborn aka. Green Goblin (Dane DeHaan) 

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) 

While Dane DeHaan’s Harry Osborn is an improvement over James Franco’s, we can’t pretend that it’s good. Webb’s film introduces us to Peter’s best friend (who was notably absent in the first film) a little late and his character quickly tailspins from a young man wanting to cure a hereditary illness to a madman determined to kill Peter Parker. His descent into madness feels forced, his storyline’s rushed, and while DeHaan’s Harry isn’t quite as unforgivable as James Franco’s, we can’t pretend to like it either. 

35. Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man 3 (2007)

Much Venom’s appearance in Spider-Man 3, Gwen Stacy’s role in the movie wasn’t Raimi’s choice. Allegedly, Avi Arad wanted Spider-Man’s original love interest to make an appearance in the film and Raimi obliged him with a half-hearted attempt at the character. Unlike the comics, or even Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, this iteration of Gwen has her as a docile model and college student who, in her own words, needs Peter’s help to pass her classes. While it’s easy to blame Howard’s acting for why Gwen Stacy turned out so poorly, we feel the script and Arad are entirely to blame. 

34. Jackson Brice aka. Shocker #1 (Logan Marshall-Green)

First Appearance: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) 

There’s really not much to say about Marshall-Green’s Shocker from Spider-Man: Homecoming. Unlike his replacement, he’s brash, hot-headed, and tries to bite the hand that feeds him (which doesn’t go over well). Although he poses a threat to Spider-Man (Tom Holland) throughout the first half of the movie, he’s easily dispatched compared to his successor. 

33. Captain Stacy (Denis Leary) 

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 

If you’re looking for the stereotypical angry dad/angry cop character, then Denis Leary’s performance of Captain Stacy has you covered. Throughout The Amazing Spider-Man, Captain Stacy gets angry with Peter for their difference in opinions, initially ignores Peter’s concerns with it comes to Dr. Connors (Rhys Ifans) and holds Spider-Man at gunpoint. Although he eventually helps the web-slinger to stop the Lizard, he often feels like more of a hindrance than a hero. 

32. Flint Marko aka. Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man 3 (2007) 

There’s something so predictable about Flint Marko’s character as a “good guy” in a bad situation. Everything from the sick daughter and angry wife to the terrible crime partner and accidental murder of Uncle Ben. Although Thoma Haden Church did his best to bring the Sandman to life, his motivation felt unoriginal, his reasons for teaming up with Venom felt shady, and the moment he shares with Spider-Man—not to mention the flashback of Uncle Ben that audiences had to sit through—at the end of the movie was dull. 

31. Dr. Curt Connors aka. The Lizard (Rhys Ifans) 

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) 

With Raimi’s Dr. Connors being a disappointment to fans, audiences were hopeful that Webb’s design of the iconic Lizard was going to make up for lost opportunities. Unfortunately, while Rhys Ifans did a great job with the role the visual effects team couldn’t quite stick the landing when it came to the look of the Lizard. Unlike the comics, this version of the creature looked like, well, a giant green man with a tail. He had human eyes in a scaly head and was missing his ferocious fanged snout. Yikes.

30. Max Dillon aka. Electro (Jamie Foxx)

First Appearance: The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) 

There’s a lot to discuss when talking about Webb’s second Spider-Man film and one of those things is Electro. When we first meet Max Dillon, there’s a lot that’s left to be desired. Although Jamie Foxx does a great job of playing this geeky hermit, the character’s written almost farcically. However, once he takes on the mantle of Electro he ditches all his nerdy trappings and becomes, well, an equally over-the-top supervillain. Although the visual effects and sound design that were paired with this character were great, it wasn’t enough to redeem him. Even his storyline in Jon Watts’ Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) isn’t compelling enough for us to give Electro a higher spot on this list (although the newest movie does give us a brilliant moment of introspection from the character). 

29. Betty Brant (Elizabeth Banks)

First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002) 

This version of Betty Brant, while a bit boring, is actually pretty fun! Despite having to work for the miserable—albeit hilarious—J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons), she manages to hold her own at the Daily Bugle and has a few great moments on screen (most notably involving a buzzer, a desk, and Jameson’s heart medication). Our only real complaint is that we wish we’d gotten to see a bit more of her. 

28. May Parker (Rosemary Harris) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002) 

Don’t get it wrong, Rosemary Harris did a great job as Aunt May. She was always there with advice for Peter, she always tried to support him, and she forgave him after she learnt the truth about what happened the night that her husband died. So while she’s not our favourite Aunt May, our gripe has nothing to do with Harris’ acting and, instead, has more to do with the fact she was cast in the role. Peter is supposed to have an aunt, not a grandmother, and it makes us question just how old Peter’s mom was when she gave birth if her in-laws look to be in their seventies. With that being said, we do have to give credit where credit is due and Harris’ hospital monologue about Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) was spot-on with the comic. 

27. Ring Announcer/Snooty Usher/Maitre D’ (Bruce Campbell) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man (2002) 

We know, we know. This is technically three characters all played by Bruce Campbell, but given how great he is in each role we just couldn’t leave him off the list. Not only can we credit him with giving Spider-Man his name (as opposed to his original idea: the Human Spider), but fans speculated that his ever-changing role in the series was hinting at him eventually becoming Mysterio. Although that never came to be, we can’t help but wish that it had. 

26. Aaron Davis (Donald Glover) 

First Appearance: Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) 

If you’re a fan of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) then there’s a good chance that seeing Donald Glover as Aaron Davis filled you with excitement, given the character’s comic history as the Prowler. And while Marvel hasn’t officially announced that the MCU will soon see the rise of Miles Morales, Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming, his reference to his nephew who lives in New York, and the conversation that Peter Parker (Tom Holland) and Electro have in Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) has us convinced it’ll happen sooner than later.

Be sure to check out Part Two for the second half of the list!

PART TWO | TOP 25