It certainly is a Brand New Day! Spider-Man more than proved itself as a top-tier comic book IP when Spider-Man: Brand New Day shattered box office records with a $360.1 million domestic opening, besting Avengers: Endgame, and a worldwide start of $932 million. The film has already cleared a billion dollars globally, becoming the second fastest film to do so, and $407.09 million domestically, becoming the fastest movie to do so in just four days (Avengers: Endgame took five to hit that domestic milestone).
Spidey mania is in full effect, and the release of the latest flick has sparked the discussion of who is the best actor to swing across New York City. For the sake of this piece, we’re going to throw in vocal performances from animated projects as well as we rank your friendly neighborhood Spider-Men. A lot of these performers bring something to the table to bring this character to life, but who comes out on top? Let’s swing in!
5. Christopher Daniel Barnes
For some, Christopher Daniel Barnes might be one of their first exposures to Spider-Man outside of the comic books. Barnes voiced the character on Spider-Man: The Animated Series, and what he brings to the table, just through his voice, is a genuine enthusiasm that captures the nerdy relatability of Peter Parker while also encapsulating the confident quips of Spider-Man. According to reports, Barnes more than brought his vocal abilities to the table.
The actor was a big fan of the comic books and tried to imitate his physical movements in his vocal audition, which brought out a much-needed energy that has gone a long way in continuing to make his iteration a memorable one for fans. Barnes’ best contributions come when he hits surprising emotional highs. In the Season 3 finale “Turning Point” (Part 2), Mary Jane Watson falls into a time-dilation portal after she is thrown off of a bridge by the Green Goblin (the episode was a loose adaptation of “The Death of Gwen Stacy” from the comic books).
Believing that she’s forever, Barnes’ vocal work comes to life in a way that makes it transcend a typical voice-over performance. He conveys all of the character’s rage and pain, resulting in an episode that still resonates today. That pain hits again in Season 5’s “The Return of Hydro-Man” when Peter discovers that Mary Jane, who has reappeared in his life following the events of “Turning Point” (Part 2), is actually a water-based clone.
The real Mary Jane never came back to Peter, and that, along with watching the clone disintegrate and evaporate into the air right in front of him, reopens a wound that allows Barnes to tap into the character’s devastation all over again. Barnes may not have been given the live-action treatment, but he may just be the definitive voice actor of the role, and this has ensured him lifelong respect from many fans.
4. Shameik Moore
As fans wait for Miles Morales to make a proper big-screen live-action appearance (Donald Glover shows up as the character briefly in Spider-Man: Homecoming), Shameik Moore stands tall as the definitive version of the character through his vocal work in the Spider-Verse films. Morales, a modern reimagining of Spider-Man created in 2011 by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Sara Pichelli, has long been a fan favorite because the character still embodies the youthful energy of Spider-Man while representing many readers as a teenage son of a Black American father and an Afro-Puerto Rican mother.
Moore brings a realism to Morales that is rooted in familiarity. It has been said that Moore manifested getting the role years before it happened when he wrote “I am Miles Morales” in his journal. As an actor, Moore not only wanted to do this, but he also connected to the importance of the character’s representation. He performs with a sense of agency as if he can feel the weight of what Miles Morales means to so many fans all over the world. Moore exudes Morales’ vulnerability but also genuine teenage innocence that captures the character as he’s growing through the formative years that most teens deal with, as he’s also having to deal with the craziness of the multiverse story.
Moore grounds all of the chaos with expert comedic timing and heart that has served in making the Spider-Verse films not only popular but some of the best Spider-Man material put to the screen. While Moore’s work has been great across the two films released, he truly comes into his own in 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. The sequel has more emotional stakes, and the character sees a growth that Moore has no problem stepping into. It’ll be great to see (or hear) Moore close this all out in Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse because we’ll get to see Morales’ evolution and just how much Moore has been invested in making this character a definitive version of Spider-Man that will be remembered for years to come.
3. Tobey Maguire
Over the years, the love for Tobey Maguire’s take on Peter Parker/Spider-Man has been seen by some as more of something looked back on through nostalgic rose-colored glasses, but that simply isn’t true or fair. Maguire deserves a lot of credit for bringing the character to life on the big screen in a meaningful way and capturing the traits that make both Peter Parker and Spider-Man something sacred for the fans. For many, Maguire is THEIR Spider-Man because his big-screen adventure was the first, and he was able to bring a character from the page of a comic book to life in a way that felt honest and true to what Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko created in 1962.
As Peter Parker, Maguire tapped into the character’s awkwardness, vulnerability, and relatable nerdiness that has made many see themselves in the character for years. He’s the definition of an underdog who is then gifted with extraordinary abilities that allow him to embrace a confidence he didn’t know he had. Maguire can give all shades of the character’s personality their due. He quite loses Peter’s awkwardness and everyman persona, but he’s able to shift into the character’s quick wit as Spider-Man and make it a natural transition.
It’s also a credit to Maguire’s strength as an actor because he imbues the character with genuine and deep emotion. You can feel his burden and sacrifice, particularly in Spider-Man 2 when he takes true ownership of the role. There is an inner resilience that always shines through in Maguire’s portrayal, making a near-perfect balance between the two personas. For many years he was my personal favorite Spider-Man, but Maguire ultimately shifted down a bit for reasons that really have nothing to do with choices made by him as an actor.
Other performers who took on the role after just happened to either really find something in Peter Parker/Spider-Man that made him fresh, or they had the true benefit of longevity with the character that Maguire wasn’t afforded. That being said, it was a delight to see him come back in Spider-Man: No Way Home and watch him interact with other versions of the character that only shined a light on the uniqueness of Maguire’s interpretation. Should the rumors be true that he’s making a return in Avengers: Doomday, it’ll be great to see him swinging his web once again.
2. Andrew Garfield
In the case of Andrew Garfield and the years he spent bringing Spider-Man to life, time has been kinder to the actor compared to when he took the role on. Garfield was never viewed as an awful choice, even though his depiction of Peter Parker has been viewed as being too cool and not nerdy enough, but his two main films have been viewed as lacking by a lot of fans. Along with that came a bit of a bad rap for Garfield, but once all of that dust settled, fans were able to see the strengths he brought to the role that made his spin honestly pretty great, even if the films didn’t always measure up to what he was bringing.
For instance, as Spider-Man, he might be the best in terms of portraying the wall-crawling persona because the wit he brought to the role is more comic-book accurate compared to other takes on the character. He completely nails the quips and signature humor of the part, making his time in the suit some of the best things the live-action franchise has offered over the years. In addition, he also brings a unique physicality to the role, seemingly mimicking movements that allow him to move like a real spider. Garfield is aware of his physical environment and is able to contort his body in ways that aid in presenting the character’s physical agility. His take on Peter Parker is worthy of nitpicking.
If you’re expecting Maguire’s awkward nerd, that was tossed aside for something a bit more hipster and less traditionally nerdy. The interpretation works for these particular films, but it’s understandable why the change is a bit jarring when compared to what fans were used to. That doesn’t mean he loses the character’s innate vulnerability or intelligence. The choice to have him create his own mechanical web-shooters rather than them being organic as they were in the Sam Raimi films allows the audience to dive into Peter’s scientific mind, something that was missing in a sense compared to the previous films.
The vulnerability shows in his scenes with Aunt May (Sally Field), Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen), and Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), the latter of which presents some of the best on-screen chemistry between the character and his leading lady (it helps that the reel romance became a real one). Their union and its tragic end give the films a beating heart that is evident even as the movies faltered in other ways. His true redemption of sorts came when he appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Not only did he get to come back and deliver his signature snarky humor that fans loved, but it also served as a reminder to those very fans that Garfield really did give his all to the role, which may have provided some redemption to Garfield as an actor to see just how much he was missed and loved in the part.
1. Tom Holland
1. Tom Holland – Captain America: Civil War (2016), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
Tom Holland has earned his place as many fans’ personal favorite Peter Parker/Spider-Man after the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day because it was the first time during his era that you felt him stepping into total control of both roles. By isolating the character and allowing him to go through an emotional arc that helps him define his place as both personas, Holland was able to prove just how invested he has become in the character, and that goes a long way to really make his interpretation work.
You can feel Holland’s respect for the character, and that makes the audience care even more about the man portraying him. The weekend box office results prove just how beloved this character is, and the audience can see that Holland shares that genuine affection as well. Holland has also been afforded the luxury of time and longevity with the character, spanning ten years and seven films (with four of them being solo outings) that have allowed the audience to grow with him. He was just 19 when he made his first appearance in Captain America: Civil War, making him the first real age-appropriate actor to take on the role. It has made his journey from high school youthfulness to his current place of self-discovery through loss and acceptance more true to life.
It’s an evolution that can be tracked, and it showcases just how much Holland has grown as an actor and how much Peter has grown across all of his MCU appearances. Holland is capable of portraying Peter and Spider-Man with a balanced tone that makes him perfect for both roles, and he has the natural physical skill to make all of the Spidey action feel authentic, something expertly shown in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. What we also get to see in this latest film is the growth and depth of his emotional range. He effortlessly jumps from lighthearted and genuinely funny moments (all of his stuff with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher is gold) to heartbreaking emotional beats that get to your core(his longing for Zendaya’s MJ provides some of the best emotional turns the franchise has seen to date).
Also, and this shouldn’t be understated, he has seemingly fit into the larger MCU while also making his solo films personal. Watching him get “blipped” in Infinity War wouldn’t work nearly as well without his improvised “I don’t wanna go,” and his triumphant return in Endgame succeeds because of the goodwill Holland achieved in the role so early in his tenure. Holland has achieved a level of maturity in the part that has made his journey the best to watch so far. He has a few more spins in the role before he passes the baton, but it surely will be a tough act to follow when it happens.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day is now playing in theaters nationwide.
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