Since his comic book debut in 1962, Spider-Man has been one of Marvel's most popular characters, and with that status have come myriad adaptations of the character for the screen in both film and TV, live-action and animation.
Spider-Man, played by Tom Holland, made his Captain America: Civil War in 2016, and he has since gone on to star in his own solo trilogy and make additional appearances alongside the Avengers. Spidey's MCU appearances are ranked not only according to how they inform his character and further his story but also by his prominence within them.
What If...?
Although it can be argued that there were some What If...? Peter Parker fell somewhat flat.
Appearing in the aptly named zombie apocalypse episode "What If... Zombies?!", Spider-Man is a survivor of the zombie virus and travels with other heroes to hunt for a cure. Though in this reality Peter retains his optimism and tendency to reference pop culture, What If...? unfortunately doesn't reveal anything new about the character.
Avengers: Endgame
Given that Avengers: Endgame mostly deals with the fallout of the Blip, of which Peter Parker was a victim, his role in this movie is small. Upon his resurrection, Spider-Man fights alongside the rest of the Avengers in the final battle against Thanos and reunites with Tony Stark.
After Stark's death, Peter is seen at the funeral mourning his mentor and friend. While Peter's Endgame presence is important because it sets up Spider-Man: Far From Home, it doesn't have a huge impact on his story in and of itself.
Avengers: Infinity War
Taking Spidey from a local hero to an intergalactic one, Avengers: Infinity War marked some important milestones in Peter's story despite its large cast. Infinity War not only showed Peter as part of a united Avengers team for the first time, but it also solidified his bond with Tony Stark, a connection that led to one of the film's most heartbreaking moments in the wake of the Snap.
The movie also marked the first appearance of one of the best Spider-Man costumes from Marvel Comics, the Iron Spider, an armored yet flexible suit with retractable 'spider legs' that have a lot of versatility. Ultimately, Infinity War is a story of growth for Spider-Man, though it doesn't measure up to his solo movies.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Spider-Man: Far from Home sees Peter dealing with a lot, from processing the grief he feels over the loss of Tony to balancing the responsibility he has as Spider-Man with the pressures of a high school field trip.
The movie features several figures who urge Peter to do more, whether it's Fury wanting him to a fight, Mysterio using him for his secret scheme, or Ned and MJ wishing to spend more time with him, and it's through these struggles that new depths of his character are shown. The movie also ends with a shocking Peter Parker is Spider-Man reveal, ushering him into a new phase of his story.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
The first solo Spider-Man movie in the MCU, Spider-Man: Homecoming covered a lot of ground in rounding out the character and gave both his superhero and civilian identities attention. By eschewing the hero origin story, Homecoming had far more time to show Peter in the present, filling in the blanks of his day-to-day life.
There are many revelations about Spider-Man revealed in Homecoming, and the film is unafraid to show the hero making mistakes, a choice that makes him much more relatable. The movie also builds on many of Peter's closest relationships, not only with Tony Stark but also with Aunt May and his best friend, Ned Leeds. Peter's motivation to do good in the world is explained by this strong system.
Captain America: Civil War
While teenage superheroes like Spider-Man are by no means a new phenomenon, Peter Parker became the first young hero of the MCU when he ed the fight in Captain America: Civil War. The movie instantly made efforts to reflect his age by contrasting him with those around him to great effect.
Even though Civil War was an ensemble movie, and Peter had a relatively small role in it, its importance in his story cannot be overstated. Spider-Man's presence in the narrative introduced the core tenets of his character and proved that there were still fresh angles to approach Peter Parker's story from. It ended up being a smart move to attach Peter's introduction to an established series within his new home franchise.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
It's difficult to think of a superhero movie that successfully covers more bases than Spider-Man: No Way Home, which not only wraps up the overarching story of the Homecoming trilogy but also hints at new adventures to come in Peter Parker's life.
The film pulls off uniting past versions of the hero and past villains that these Spider-Men have faced, and it also has real personal stakes. No Way Home puts Peter's moral code front and center, yet it doesn't shy away from showing the consequences of that worldview. Balancing tragedy with moments of levity, No Way Home pushes the limits of what a live-action Spider-Man movie can be.
