Summary:
- Spider-Man movies have been going strong for decades, with three different actors playing the titular role so far.
- Apart from the movies, there are also animated movies that were well-received by critics and fans alike.
- Here is the ultimate Spider-Man movie watch order guide covering everything, even before the MCU started.
Spider-Man has always been a huge part of the cultural media, no matter which era we look at. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man quite literally kick-started the superhero genre, with the much more divisive The Amazing Spider-Man as a successor. We now have Spider-Man: Brand New Day, trying to reinvent the character yet again.
If you’re living under a rock and have never seen a single Spider-Man movie or are just looking for a refresher on what order to watch Spider-Man movies in, here’s what you need to know.
Table of Contents
Chronological Watch Order of Spider-Man Movies
Spider-Man could once be enjoyed as standalone stories within their own eras. That was until MCU came along and made everything canon. Since then, Spider-Man movies have formed a connected timeline that (technically) ties together Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, Spider-Verse, and MCU.
1. Spider-Man (2002)
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 90% (Tomatometer) and 67% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5
- Runtime: 2h 1m
- Director: Sam Raimi
Be it the MCU or even the DCU, without this movie, none of those universes would exist without Spider-Man. Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, better known as Spider-Man 1, tells the classic origin story of Peter Parker. It became the first movie ever to reach the $100 million mark in a single weekend and at the time was the most successful superhero film ever made. Its success cemented the commercial viability of the genre and sparked the superhero boom that followed.
2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- IMDb rating: 7.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93% (Tomatometer) and 82% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5
- Runtime: 2h 7m
- Director: Sam Raimi
Spider-Man 2 continues the story of Peter Parker while introducing us to Doctor Octopus, played by Alfred Molina. Spider-Man must face his mentor, Dr. Otto Octavius, turned into Doctor Octopus because of the cyborg arms, all while grappling with his fading Spidey powers. This movie is considered by many fans to be the definitive Spider-Man story and is still at the top for many in the Spider-Man movies list.
3. Spider-Man 3 (2007)
- IMDb rating: 6.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 63% (Tomatometer) and 51% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.2/5
- Runtime: 2h 19m
- Director: Sam Raimi
Be it the Bully Maguire memes or the iconic black Spider-Man suit, Spider-Man 3 has become a part of the multimedia zeitgeist. It has recently seen a fan resurgence, despite its mixed reception upon release. The movie tries to juggle many storylines and fails to deliver any of them effectively. However, the movie still gave us Venom, Sandman, and the only black-suited Spider-Man ever put on screen.
4. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
- IMDb rating: 6.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 71% (Tomatometer) and 77% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.5/5
- Runtime: 2h 16m
- Director: Marc Webb
After the negative reception of Spider-Man 3, Sony Entertainment decided to halt production on Spider-Man 4 and decided to hit the reset button. Andrew Garfield was brought in as the new Spidey, with Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy and Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Connors/Lizard. Gone was the nerdy, fumbling Spider-Man of Tobey Maguire. Garfield’s Spidey was a sleek, skateboarding, dashing Spidey meant for modern audiences.
5. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
- IMDb rating: 6.6/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 50% (Tomatometer) and 64% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.1/5
- Runtime: 2h 21m
- Director: Marc Webb
Continuing the story of TASM 1 and giving us one of the best live-action Spider-Man suits, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 could’ve been a worthy sequel. However, it bites off more than it can chew and, just like Spider-Man 3, fails to deliver on all aspects. Sony wanted this movie to set up multiple Spidey villain movies, and that is why the movie was full of Easter Eggs and references. However, that never came to be.
6. Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- IMDb rating: 7.8/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 90% (Tomatometer) and 89% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.6/5
- Runtime: 2h 27m
- Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
The first trailer for Captain America: Civil War set the internet on fire back when it came out by giving us a glimpse at a new Spidey joining Team Iron Man. Following the failure of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony and Marvel Studios agreed upon a deal that allowed the MCU to introduce its own Spider-Man. The then 20-year-old Tom Holland was cast as Spider-Man, giving us a glimpse into the future of the MCU’s friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
7. Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- IMDb rating: 7.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 92% (Tomatometer) and 87% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.5/5
- Runtime: 2h 13m
- Director: Jon Watts
Just one year after the release of Civil War, audiences got to see Spider-Man in his own movie. This was the first Spider-Man movie to skip the origin story and get straight to Peter’s current life as Spider-Man. The story picked up right after the events of Civil War as Peter continued to use the suit given to him by Tony Stark. Despite the movie being criticized for Spider-Man being called “Iron Man Jr.,” this is considered by many to be the best Spider-Man movie out there.
8. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 97% (Tomatometer) and 93% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 4.4/5
- Runtime: 1h 57m
- Director: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman
Spidey fans thought they had it all with Peter finally being part of the MCU. Then out of nowhere comes a movie that changed the superhero game forever. Into the Spider-Verse was the first superhero movie to introduce the multiverse trope. Not only that, but the blend of 3D and 2D visuals revolutionized animation forever. Into the Spider-Verse is the highest-rated movie on this list and is still considered by many to be the best superhero movie ever made.
9. Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 85% (Tomatometer) and 92% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 4.0/5
- Runtime: 2h 29m
- Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Well, if you’re following the chronological order of Spider-Man movies, you have to club in Avengers: Infinity War as well. Not only does Peter Parker play an integral role in this movie, but his fate at the end of the movie directly influences his standalone sequel movie. That said, Infinity War is one of the best superhero movies ever made and I’m just glad I get an excuse to watch it again because of Spider-Man.
10. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- IMDb rating: 8.4/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 94% (Tomatometer) and 90% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.9/5
- Runtime: 3h 1m
- Director: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
After having one of the saddest deaths in Infinity War, Spider-Man came back at the end of Avengers: Endgame, only to watch his father figure die right in front of him. The death of Iron Man was treated with the gravitas it deserved, not only in Endgame but also in future Spider-Man movies. The future movies dealt with Spider-Man coming to terms with the death of his mentor and how to stand his ground without all the fancy tech.
11. Spider-Man: Far from Home (2019)
- IMDb rating: 7.3/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 91% (Tomatometer) and 95% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.4/5
- Runtime: 2h 09m
- Director: Jon Watts
Spider-Man: Far From Home takes place right after the events of Infinity War as we see the world grieving the death of Iron Man, with Peter Parker trying to find his place in the world. The movie also addresses the five-year time jump between Infinity War and Endgame. That said, this is the first movie in the MCU that explicitly talks about the multiverse, but this is not where the Spidey multiverse opens up.
12. Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- IMDb rating: 8.2/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 93% (Tomatometer) and 97% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 3.8/5
- Runtime: 2h 28m
- Director: Jon Watts
This is the first Spider-Man movie where watching every Spider-Man movie finally pays off. We see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Spidey team up with Tom Holland to take down different villains from their universe. No Way Home was an amusement ride for Spidey fans who had watched these movies since they were kids, which is basically all of us.
That said, No Way Home also establishes that MCU Spider-Man didn’t exactly have an Uncle Ben event take place for him. This movie essentially positions the entire Home trilogy as the origin story for Spider-Man, with Aunt May finally delivering the “With great power…” line.
13. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
- IMDb rating: 8.5/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 95% (Tomatometer) and 95% (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: 4.4/5
- Runtime: 2h 20m
- Director: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Across the Spider-Verse builds upon the first movie and elevates every single element from the first movie. Not only that, we finally see Spider-Man travel through multiple dimensions. We also get a peek at what a canon event is, which is essentially what leads to the making of Spider-Man. It is in this sequence that we see the Spider-Men from different eras.
This movie includes characters from every Spider-Man project. This includes the movie Spider-Man, Spider-Man from every single animated series, and even Insomniac’s Spider-Man. If you have followed Spider-Man across generations, this will most definitely be a feast for your eyes and heart.
14. Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
- IMDb rating: N/A
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: N/A (Tomatometer) and N/A (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: N/A
- Runtime: N/A
- Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is officially set to kickstart a new MCU Spidey trilogy next year. Our hero will be donning the sleek suit we saw at the end of No Way Home, devoid of the unnecessary Stark tech and drones. Brand New Day will see Spider-Man return to the formula, with the web crawler being joined by two other iconic MCU heroes.
That said, Brand New Day is shaping up to be one of the most promising Spider-Man movies yet. The movie is being directed by the director of Shang Chi, known for his stunning long-take fight sequences. To top it off, a legendary Chinese martial artist will be overseeing the action in Spidey’s latest outing.
15. Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027)
- IMDb rating: N/A
- Rotten Tomatoes Rating: N/A (Tomatometer) and N/A (Popcornmeter)
- Letterboxd Rating: N/A
- Runtime: N/A
- Director: Bob Persichetti, Justin K. Thompson
Beyond the Spider-Verse will serve as the conclusion to Miles and Gwen’s story. The movie was originally set to release in 2024 but was delayed indefinitely, with a release date finally being announced for 2027. Since this is the end of the Spider-Verse trilogy, this movie will most likely feature a bunch of cameos by live-action actors, instead of showing blink-and-you-miss-it moments.
Rumors have it that after the Spider-Verse trilogy ends, the MCU is planning to introduce Miles Morales in its own universe. Who knows? Maybe we might see this Miles crossover with the rest of the live-action Spideys.
Watch Order of Spider-Man Movies by Release Date
The release order is the best order to watch any movie, unless, of course, you’re watching Star Wars. So, here’s the release order for every Spider-Man movie:
- 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)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
- Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse (2027)
Do You Need to Watch Sony’s Spider-Man Universe of Movies
No, you don’t need to watch Sony’s Spider-Man movies to understand any of these movies. Save yourself the hassle and avoid these atrocious movies. The only connective tissue between these two universes is Venom being transported to the MCU, leaving behind a small piece of the symbiote before returning to Sony’s universe, and the hilarious Vulture cameo in Morbius.
However, both of these moments haven’t been addressed (and likely never will be). Sony has confirmed that Kraven: The Last Hunter marks the end of its villain-centric Spider-Man films. The studio won’t be making any more of those movies and will instead be focusing on Spidey himself, like the upcoming Spider-Verse movie.
