Just when we thought Spider-Man couldn’t get any more exciting, he does. The latest in a long line of Hollywood cameos, Robert Pattinson, is set to play the iconic character in the upcoming blockbuster, Venom. While this may be great news for Spider-Man fans, it’ll be slightly bittersweet for Harry Potter fans, as it’s his pre-seriously-potty-stage actor, Robert Pattinson, who will be taking on the mantle of the famous mascot. In case you’re wondering, here’s a brief list of every Spider-Man movie to date.
Spider-Man 1
Ridiculed and bullied for his appearance, Peter Parker is inspired to become a superhero and vows to fight evil and protect the innocent. In this seminal film, Peter gets a job at the Daily Bugle and meets Mary Jane Watson (at the time, still known as Betty). Together, they form the crime-fighting team, the Amazing Spider-Man, which he names after himself.
It’s great to see a movie that explores the dark and light sides of a character’s nature. Spider-Man is a unique film, in that it portrays a more comedic interpretation of the character, which isn’t often seen in other superhero movies. While we wouldn’t want to diminish the impact that this movie had on popular culture, Spider-Man 1 is most remembered for its satirical take on superheroes, including a scene where Spider-Man battles the Hulk, played by a then-little-known Lou Ferrigno. Thanks to the popularity of this scene, today, many people think that Spider-Man battles the Hulk.
Spider-Man 2
The second Spider-Man movie improves on the first. Having established himself as a competent crime-fighter, Peter decides to dedicate himself to stopping evil singlehandedly. This film also marks the introduction of Venom, a shape-shifting creature with the power to infect others with a lethal parasite. While Spider-Man often battles the bigger and meaner villains, this film also features an homage to one of the most well-known horror films of all time, King Kong.
Unfortunately, like many other sequels, the quality of Spider-Man 2 plummets. For a movie that improves on its predecessor, this one is a complete wash. This is mainly because it was cheaply made and most of the original cast, including a then-unknown Andy Garcia, felt that they were making a mockery of the franchise, by appearing in a sequel, especially one that was so bad. But, the film is still memorable for its unique villain, the Shrike, and Peter’s (once again) poignant realization that he’s not as strong as he thinks he is. Plus, it’s one of the most memorable boxing matches of all time, as William Hurt’s character pummels Spider-Man, played by then-unknown Sean Young, for the majority of the film’s running time.
Spider-Man 3
The third Spider-Man movie is most remembered for its amazing special effects. While the film doesn’t reach the lofty heights of its predecessor, it does feature some memorable scenes and performances. Most notably, this is the film that introduced us to Harry Osborn, the son of Norman Osborn, played by Justin Timberlake. When he discovers that his father is responsible for several terrible accidents, including the death of his mother, he vows to take revenge.
Timberlake’s performance as Harry is fantastic. Unfortunately, this is also one of the few Spider-Man films that takes itself a bit too seriously. It’s not often that we get characters that are this relatable, especially ones that don’t take themselves too seriously, like the sarcastic Spider-Man that pops up in a couple of these films.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
More than 10 years after the release of Spider-Man 3, Marvel decided to give the character a break, with Far From Home, a film that serves as a prequel to the upcoming Disney+ series, Avengers: Endgame. In this movie, Spider-Man must go on a world tour to prevent another Big Apple-type incident. Along the way, he teams up with John Mulaney, a New York City police officer who secretly serves as Spider-Man’s best friend, as well as other famous fictional characters, including Ironman and Black Widow.
The results of this unprecedented team-up are hilarious. While the movie doesn’t reach the level of the previous films, it does feature some great scenes and a fantastic performance from Tom Hanks, as the world’s greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes. It also marks the first time that Spider-Man has ever interacted with the Avengers, with the film serving as a prologue to A:E2k.
Venom
Coming off of a decade-long absence, Spider-Man returns in a film that serves as a prequel to his upcoming partnership with the alien symbiote, Venom. This film revolves around an unexpected team-up between Spider-Man and the world’s most dangerous villains, which eventually proves to be more beneficial than harmful.
While Venom is often regarded as one of the most horrific villains in cinematic history, he’s never been played for laughs. This film will feature several hilarious scenes, as Spider-Man battles various villains, including the insane Brockerton, as well as the giant, four-armed creature known as the Abomination. It will also mark the triumphant return of the role that made his name, Robert Pattinson. He plays the eponymous Venom, a character who wants nothing more than to hurt the person he loves the most. His obsession with Spider-Man, and his refusal to accept that he can no longer fight, makes for an incredibly dynamic and complex character.
While it’s great to see a character that was once considered too scary for children, now playing a crucial role in a Marvel movie, it’s deeply frustrating that this will be Robert Pattinson’s last appearance as Spider-Man. His on-screen partnership with the wall-crawler will provide hours of comedy, while also giving us a fresh and exciting new take on the iconic character.
Tangled
The studio that brought you the first three Spider-Man films decided to give him another shot at movie stardom, with Tangled, a spinoff of the popular Toy Story franchise. This time, though, the focus is on the titular character, after she befriends a spider that helps her climb rapidly up an escalator.
While the first three Spider-Man films were dominated by William Hurt and Tim Robbins, the latter half of the 20th century has been home to a number of famous Spider-Man guest stars. Most notably, there’s been a Spider-Man movie almost every year, as well as an animated series for kids, so it’s only natural that child actors would grow up wanting to be just like him.
Spider-Man 2099
The year 2099 will mark the 400th anniversary of Spider-Man’s birth. To commemorate this auspicious occasion, a team of scientists and mathematicians from the future, travelling back in time to change something about the past has recreated Spider-Man, and they’ve gone back in time to give him a future. This film will feature several cameos from celebrities, as well as the return of several from previous Spider-Man films, including Toby Maclaurin, who plays the role of Uncle Ben. But, most importantly, this is the movie that introduces us to the glorious and most versatile Spider-Man of the future: Miles Morales.
Miles Morales is the only Spider-Man that has ever existed. It’s only fitting, then, that since his conception, the character has never really gone out of style. Coming off of a strong performance in the upcoming Black Panther movie, it’s clear that the versatile Miles Morales will be appearing in several films, and undoubtedly, Spider-Man 2099 will be among them.
With such an array of fantastic guest stars and a brilliantly conceived story, it’s no wonder that Spider-Man 2099 is often cited as one of the best Spider-Man films of all time. It finally brought the character to the big screen, in a way that hasn’t been seen before, and it did so with a sense of humour and an incredible performance by one of cinema’s most beloved characters..