See 10 Side-by-Side Photos of “Spider-Man ”Characters Played by Several Actors
See 10 Side-by-Side Photos of “Spider-Man ”Characters Played by Several Actors
Kelsie Gibson, Samantha StutsmanTue, August 4, 2026 at 10:15 AM UTC
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Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland as Spider-Man/Peter ParkerCredit: Everett; Sony(2) -
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, starring Tobey Maguire, launched in 2002
Andrew Garfield starred in The Amazing Spider-Man films, which debuted in 2012
Tom Holland stars in the MCU’s Spider-Man franchise, whose latest installment, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, premiered on July 31
For more than two decades, Spider-Man has remained one of Hollywood’s most enduring superhero franchises.
Since Tobey Maguire first suited up as Peter Parker in 2002, Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland have each brought their own take on the iconic web-slinger to the big screen, with three live-action franchises spanning nine films.
As Peter Parker has evolved, so have the characters around him. Fan favorites like Green Goblin, Harry Osborn, Aunt May, Gwen Stacy and Flash Thompson have all been reimagined by different actors, giving each era of Spider-Man its own distinct style while staying true to the beloved comics.
Those worlds famously collided in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which united multiple generations of Spider-Men and villains through the multiverse. The story has continued with Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which premiered in theaters on July 31 and saw Holland return as Peter Parker.
Swing down below to see which characters have been played by various actors across the Spider-Verse.
01 of 10
Peter Parker/Spider-Man
Tobey Maguire; Andrew Garfield; Tom Holland.Credit: Melissa Moseley/Marvel/Sony/Kobal/Shutterstock; Ray Tamarra/Getty; Chuck Zlotnick/Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock
The titular web-slinger was originally played by Maguire in Sam Raimi’s trilogy from 2002 to 2007, followed by Garfield in Marc Webb’s two Amazing Spider-Man films in 2012 and 2014. Holland took over the character in 2016 with his appearance in Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War.
While Holland is the most recent actor to play Peter Parker in a live-action film, several actors have lent their voices to the character in Sony’s animated Spider-Man films. In 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Chris Pine voiced Peter Parker, and Nicolas Cage played an alternate version, Spider-Man Noir. Meanwhile, 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse featured the voices of Nic Novicki, Josh Keaton, Yuri Lowenthal and Jack Quaid as different variations of the superhero.
Cage reprised Spider-Man Noir, a crime-fighter in 1930s New York, in the MGM+ and Amazon Prime Video live-action series Spider Noir, which premiered in May 2026.
02 of 10
Mary Jane Watson
Kirsten Dunst and Shailene Woodley in ‘Spider-man’Credit: Shutterstock; WireImage
Kirsten Dunst famously played Peter Parker’s love interest, Mary Jane Watson, in the Raimi trilogy starring Maguire. In 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Shailene Woodley was cast to play Peter’s next-door neighbor and crush and even filmed scenes for the movie, but her appearance was eventually cut.
While Zendaya’s “MJ” plays a big role in the Holland-led films, technically, she isn’t Mary Jane Watson. Though her character has the same initials, she’s a new character called Michelle Jones that the MCU created to pay homage to Peter Parker’s “past adventures and his past love.”
“She’s not Mary Jane Watson,” Marvel Studios president Kevin Feigetold IGN in 2017. “She never was Mary Jane Watson. She was always this new high school character, Michelle, who we know there’s an ‘M’ in Michelle and an ‘M’ in Mary.”
He added, “So we’re so clever, and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat if her initials were MJ?’ And then I think it leaked that she would be playing MJ, and then it became a whole headache for Zendaya to have to navigate. It was never a big, ‘Oh my God, it’s a big reveal!’ ”
03 of 10
Harry Osborn
James Franco in 2007’s ‘Spider-Man 3’; Dane Dehaan in 2014’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’.Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock; Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock
In Raimi’s film series, James Franco played Peter Parker’s best friend, Harry Osborn. DeHaan eventually took over the character in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
04 of 10
Green Goblin
Willem Dafoe in 2002’s ‘Spider-Man’; James Franco in 2007’s ‘Spider-Man 3’; Daniel DeHaan in 2014’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’.Credit: Everett; Moviestore/Shutterstock; Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock
When you think of the Green Goblin, you most likely think of William Dafoe in 2002’s Spider-Man. Franco briefly donned the Green Goblin suit in 2007’s Spider-Man 3, and Dane DeHaan portrayed the villain in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
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Dafoe reprised his role as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
05 of 10
Betty Brant
Elizabeth Banks in 2007’s ‘Spider-Man 3’; Angourie Rice in 2019’s ‘Spider-Man: Far from Home’.Credit: Marvel/Sony Pictures/Kobal/Shutterstock; J Maidment/Columbia/Marvel/Kobal/Shutterstock
Elizabeth Banks originally played Betty Brant, J. Jonah Jameson’s personal secretary at The Daily Bugle, in Raimi’s trilogy.
Angourie Rice played the high school version of the character in three of Holland’s films: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home.
06 of 10
Gwen Stacy
Bryce Dallas Howard in 2007’s ‘Spider-Man 3’; Emma Stone in 2014’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’Credit: Moviestore/Shutterstock; Columbia/Kobal/Shutterstock
Bryce Dallas Howard appeared in Spider-Man 3 as Peter Parker’s lab partner, Gwen Stacy. Of course, Emma Stone is well-known for playing the senior research officer at Oscorp in the Webb-directed The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
07 of 10
George Stacy
James Cromwell in 2007’s ‘Spider-Man 3’; Denis Leary in 2012’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’.Credit: Bobby Bank/WireImage; Jamie Trueblood/Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
James Cromwell played Gwen Stacy’s father in Spider-Man 3, followed by Denis Leary in The Amazing Spider-Man.
08 of 10
Aunt May
Rosemary Harris in 2007’s ‘Spider-Man 3’; Sally Field in 2012’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’; Marisa Tomei in 2017’s ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’.Credit: Sony Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Jamie Trueblood/©Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection; Columbia Pictures
There have been three versions of Aunt May, and they’re all very different. Rosemary Harris played the character in Raimi’s iterations, while Sally Field took on the character in The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
Marisa Tomei plays Aunt May in Holland’s Spider-Man films.
09 of 10
Uncle Ben
Cliff Robertson in 2002’s ‘Spider-Man’; Martin Sheen in 2012’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’.Credit: Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Jamie Trueblood/©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
Cliff Robertson originally played Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben in 2002’s Spider-Man, followed by Martin Sheen’s version of the character in The Amazing Spider-Man.
Holland’s Spider-Man films have never introduced Uncle Ben, but Spider-Man: Homecoming director Jon Watts told Screen Crush in July 2019 that he did exist in the MCU at one point.
10 of 10
Flash Thompson
Joe Manganiello in 2002’s ‘Spider-Man’; Chris Zylka in 2012’s ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’; Tony Revolori in 2017’s ‘Spider-Man: Homecoming’.Credit: Marvel; Jamie Trueblood/Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection; Columbia Pictures
Not to be confused with DC Comics superhero The Flash, Flash Thompson often acts as an antagonist to Peter Parker in the Spider-Man movies.
He was originally played by Joe Manganiello in Spider-Man, followed by Chris Zylka in The Amazing Spider-Man and Tony Revolori in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
