How to Watch All the Spider-Man Movies in Chronological Plot Order
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
We’ve seen all the (many) movies. We’ve had all the (many) discussions. And yet, we still have to ask: Who’s your favorite friendly neighborhood Spider-Man?
When it comes to the beloved comic book character, he holds a special place in many people’s hearts. And his storyline? Iconic! A quiet boy from Queens is bit by a radioactive spider whereby he gains all these superpowers and helps New York City fend off evil—it's genius. Everyone knows the premise, and yet there’s always more to Peter Parker which needs to be seen.
Some of you may just be diving into the world of Spider-Man, inspired by the recent release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. But the catalog is, honestly, a lot to dive into, and new and established fans alike may need a primer on what’s happening to the man in the tight latex suit. This is where we come in. We’ve taken the time to put together a guide just for this exact moment—because really, if you’re going to go on a journey through Peter Parker’s life, you oughta do it in the correct order.
Here’s a chronological look at the Spider-Man universe—and where it could go next.
Spider-Man (2002)
Way before fans got invested in the Avengers and the MCU, we had Tobey Maguire as the first Spider-Man. (Does he deserve more credit than we give him? Maybe!) Following Peter Parker as he gets bit by a spider and develops powers of the arachnid, it also featured Kirsten Dunst as MJ and Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin.
Shop Now Shop Now Watch on Netflix
Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Tobey Maguire returns as our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man for his second outing. Following the events of the first movie, Peter now has to take on his former mentor/villain after an experiment goes horribly wrong. And even worse? Peter realizes his powers are not working as well, making him extremely irritable and affecting his relationship with MJ. Not as good as the first, but still fun to watch nonetheless.
Shop Now Shop Now Watch on Netflix
Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Time to introduce Spidey in the black suit! Still reeling from the events that transpired at the end of Spider-Man 2, Peter now has to face off not one, but two foes: the elusive, yet dangerous Venom (we’ll meet him again in a little bit), and Flint Marko, a man who may have had something to do with his uncle’s death. It’s a lot to take on, but we know Peter can do it—after all, he’s Spider-Man.
Shop Now Shop Now Watch on Netflix
The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
Welcome to the Andrew Garfield era. Though he’s no Tobey, or even the future Spidey, Tom Holland, the movie does introduce us to a new love interest: Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Set in 2012, the film follows Parker as he tries to take down his late father’s former lab partner, who’s using research to create an extremely dangerous experiment.
Shop Now Shop Now Watch on Netflix
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Set immediately after the events of the previous movie, Andrew Garfield's Peter’s off to fight another foe. This time, though, we meet both Electro and Harry Osborne, the latter of which believes his friend Peter’s blood can cure him from his terminal illness. Definitely a heavy film, but really, it mainly served as a set-up for the Sinister Six. (Plans were ultimate scrapped, however, to continue this era of Spider-Man, which leads us to one of the best versions of the superhero around. See below.)
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
It’s time to meet the newest man in the spider suit: Tom Holland. In his first appearance in the MCU—set after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron—Holland’s version of Peter is nerdy, in awe of Tony Stark...and maybe doesn’t have his superhero moves down quite yet. But don’t worry, there are still a few more movies to go for Holland to grow into his character.
Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Set merely days after the major breakout fight in Civil War, here, Peter Parker’s finally in with the big guys! Except, you know, he can’t really talk about his run-in with the Avengers, as he’s only a teen living with his aunt in Queens and just trying to make it through high school. But he does get to flex his spider senses when he finds himself facing the Vulture, who just happens to be the father of his crush. (Talk about an awkward run-in with the parents...)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Taking place after the events of Homecoming, Spidey is back with his friend Iron Man...except they’re both now stuck in space, trying to make it back home so they can stop Thanos from taking over the world. And then there’s the part where he suddenly disappears via the blip...we won’t make you sad anymore. But just know, this one features some prime Peter Parker behavior, and we love it.
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Despite all the superhero badassery and heartbreaking moments at the end of the movie, there’s one thing to celebrate: Peter Parker is back! Even if it’s only for the final battle, Tom Holland's Parker made it out of the blip, and ready to take on being an actual Avenger, without instantaneously disappearing.
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
Set shortly after the events of Endgame, Peter’s back from the blip and on to a brand-new adventure—a school trip abroad. Whether he’s battling evil villains from a complete other version of Earth (hello, Jake Gyllenhaal), or trying to get a kiss from MJ (Zendaya), there’s a lot for our young superhero to deal with. Hopefully before curfew.
Venom (2018)
Though technically this one has no appearance of Spider-Man whatsoever, we need to consider it carefully. Since Venom is technically the big screen rival of our favorite spidey friend, it’s almost guaranteed the two will meet sometime in the future. Therefore, why don’t you prep yourself for this villain while you wait for the inevitable crossover?
Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
Venom 2 certainly let there be Carnage—which surprisingly the first time the (even more) sadistic symbiote character has made his way onto the big screen. Played by Woody Harrelson, he was a unique take on the serial killer villain, to say the least. The Venom sequel also teased yet another possibility that Tom Hardy could face off against Holland's Spidey in the near future.
Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
Marvel and Sony tried to trick us into thinking it wasn't happening, but the massive movie conglomerates couldn't hold back the excitement for all three Spideys on the screen together. Fans were fighting each other outside theaters just to get preordered tickets for this one. Earning over a billion dollars, No Way Home not only "saved the movies" during the pandemic, but also continued the MCU's current multiverse phase—ending the story with a world of possibilities for where Spider-Man's journey heads next.
Morbius (2022)
It's Morbin' time! If Sony is really going to put together a Sinister Six film, they've never been closer after adding Jared Leto's Morbius, a total meme of a film that got ridiculed to death on social media. This spinoff film still managed to double its budget in returns, so we may even see the living vampire return. With Vulture, Venom, and Morbius now in the mix, we're halfway to a decent Sinister Six lineup.
Shop Now Shop Now Watch on Netflix
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
This movie may have come out in 2018, when the three human Spideys had already been established. But as this movie features Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) as the man in the suit, we needed to give this movie an honorable mention.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
To really complete the Spider-Verse, you need every Spider-Man throughout history. Thanks to Easter eggs scattered over every inch of this animated sequel, Across the Spider-Verse celebrates the totality of the Spider-Man franchise even more than No Way Home. You've got Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, a Spider-Man from the future, and even a Spider-Man that's a car. Wacky, visually striking, and somehow still incredibly heartfelt—Across the Spider-Verse somehow excels as both a sequel and a jumping-off-point for the Spider-Verse to thrive long into the future.
You Might Also Like
