mcu when to watch spiderman?

• Spider-Man (2002) .
• Spider-Man 2 (2004) .
• Spider-Man 3 (2007) .
• The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) .
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) .
• Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018) .
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Part One (2022) .
• Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Part Two (2023)

Peter's journey was continued in Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, with Maguire returning to play the titular character for the trilogy of films.

Following the end of this trilogy and aborted plans for a fourth Spider-Man film, the series was rebooted by Sony with Andrew Garfield taking over the role of the superhero, with two films featuring him as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as love interest Gwen Stacy. Both films were directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer).

However, the Amazing Spider-Man film series was cancelled when Sony Pictures made a deal with Marvel Studios to have Spider-Man join the highly successful Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Tom Holland took over the role of Peter Parker as Spider-Man and joined the likes of Iron Man and Captain America in the MCU films, beginning with his appearance in Captain America: Civil War.

Since then, Holland's Peter has appeared in three solo outings, subtitled Homecoming, Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home, which also feature Zendaya as Peter's chief love interest, Michelle 'MJ' Jones-Watson, a re-imagining of Mary Jane from the comics.

If you're looking to watch (or rewatch) the Spider-Man franchise in chronological or release order, the good news is that they're the exact same! Read on for a complete guide to the Spider-Man franchise so far.

And if you're keen to watch the MCU films, be sure to check out our guide on how to watch the Marvel movies in order.

Sam Raimi brought the web-slinger to the big screen in fine form for this acclaimed blockbuster, which sees Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) come face to face with his iconic foe, Green Goblin/Norman Osborn (Willem Dafoe).

This outing also introduces us to Kirsten Dunst as the love of Peter's life, Mary Jane Watson, and James Franco as Norman's son and Peter's best friend, Harry Osborn.

The film also gave us the first outing of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson and delivered one of cinema's most iconic kisses.

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The high point of Raimi's trilogy, Spider-Man 2 is widely regarded as one of the greatest superhero films ever made, chronicling Peter Parker's clash with the terrifying Doctor Octopus/Dr Otto Octavius (Alfred Molina).

In case that was not enough, Peter faces an identity crisis about whether he should stay in his role as Spider-Man as he watches MJ move on with her professional and romantic life.

Elsewhere, Harry Osborn grew increasingly resentful of Spider-Man, leading him to make a dark discovery.

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This final outing for Maguire's Spider-Man was something of a misstep, biting off more than it could chew with the inclusion of three villains, none of which particularly resonated with audiences.

While still a financial success, the cold critical reaction to the film, in particular an ill-advised dance number, ultimately encouraged Sony to reboot the franchise with a younger lead actor and fresh continuity.

Nevertheless, Spider-Man 3 does have its defenders; there are a handful of great moments and the film does a serviceable job of wrapping up character arcs set up earlier in the trilogy.

The film sees Peter on top of the world while facing challenges in his romance with Mary Jane, before an alien symbiote sees some dark changes underway. Elsewhere, Harry returns as the New Goblin for revenge on Spidey and Peter discovers who was really responsible for the death of Uncle Ben.

It also features new additions in the form of Sandman/Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church), Venom/Eddie Brock (Topher Grace), Gwen Stacy (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Captain George Stacy (James Cromwell).

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Andrew Garfield took over the web-shooters for this reboot, which retells Spider-Man's tragic origin in a somewhat more grounded way.

Emma Stone co-stars as the ill-fated Gwen Stacy, while Rhys Ifans takes on the role of troubled scientist Dr Curt Connors, better known by his supervillain alter-ego: The Lizard.

While by no means revolutionary, most critics agreed that The Amazing Spider-Man was a fun and promising new take on Marvel's wisecracking wall-crawler.

Martin Sheen stars as Uncle Ben Parker in the film, while Sally Field portrays Aunt May Parker and Dennis Leary plays Gwen's father, Captain George Stacy.

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Unfortunately, here's where things went wrong (again).

Sony was keen to spin their Spider-Man franchise into an expansive cinematic universe rivalling that of the mainline MCU but ultimately tried too much too fast.

The result is a film that is far too long, overloaded with villains and semi-incomprehensible from a story perspective, once again putting the future of the franchise in doubt.

Loosely based on the Death of Gwen Stacy storyline, the feature pits Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man against Jamie Foxx's Electro/Max Dillon, Dane DeHaan's Green Goblin/Harry Osborn and Paul Giamatti's Rhino.

Emma Stone returned as Gwen Stacy, with Peter and Gwen's romance taking centre stage once more as Peter feels guilt over the death of her father Captain George Stacy.

The film also saw Big Little Lies star Shaileene Woodley cast in the role fo Mary Jane Watson but her scenes ended up on the cutting room floor.

Also look out for a small turn from Felicity Jones as Felicia Hardy, who here is an Oscorp employee but likely would have become the Black Cat if Sony's Spider-Man Cinematic Universe had taken off as planned.

Don't expect it to knock your socks off, but it would be worth familiarising yourself with this entry prior to watching Spider-Man: No Way Home.

And it is worth noting that while the movie itself can be a slog, Andrew Garfield once against showed why he was a great choice to don the suit.

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While not officially tied to Sam Raimi's Spider-Man universe, there are a handful of playful references in Sony's acclaimed animated hit that make it a fitting palate cleanser before diving into Spidey's next iteration.

The Academy Award-winning family flick tells a charming coming-of-age story built around High School student and spider bite victim Miles Morales, who teams up with heroes from alternate universes to halt a sinister plan by the Kingpin.

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Due to be released later this year, the Spider-Verse adventures continue with Spider-Man/Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), Spider-Woman/Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld) and Spider-Man/Peter B. Parker teaming up with fellow heroes to take on a dangerous new villain. Oscar Isaac will voice Spider-Man 2099/Miguel O'Hara in a major role in the film, while Issa Rae will portray Spider-Woman/Jessica Drew.

Expect a cliffhanger to lead into the second part of this story.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Part One is released in cinemas on the 7th October 2022.

The third instalment in the Spider-Verse series will continue on directly from Part Two and will likely feature all of the same characters. Also expect this and the preceding entry into the series to lead into a female-led spin-off film in development focused on the Gwen and Jessica iterations of Spider-Woman and the character Silk/Cindy Moon.

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - Part Two is due to be released in cinemas in 2023.

The mixed reviews regarding The Amazing Spider-Man 2 led to a groundbreaking deal between Disney and Sony to share custody of Spider-Man, allowing him to join the MCU proper.

Once again, the role was recast and the continuity wiped clean, with Tom Holland playing a fresh-faced Peter Parker who actually looked high school-aged, rather than like a man in his early 30s.

He debuted in Captain America: Civil War in a small but memorable role that lays the groundwork for 2017's Homecoming, introducing a mentor relationship between Peter Parker and Tony Stark.

The appearance here also introduces Marisa Tomei as May Parker.

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In Spider-Man: Homecoming, Holland's first solo outing as Spider-Man sees him face his toughest challenge yet, coming to blows with Michael Keaton's ruthless villain: The Vulture/Adrian Toomes.

Taking cues from '80s teen flicks like Ferris Bueller's Day Off, it's a fun ride with some great comedic moments and a small supporting role for Robert Downey Jr's Iron Man.

The film also introduces Zendaya as Michelle aka MJ and Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, while Peter's chief love interest for the film is classmate Liz (Laura Harrier).

Spider-Man: Homecoming also stars Jon Favreau as Harold "Happy" Hogan, Donald Glover as Aaron Davis, Tony Revolori as Eugene "Flash" Thompson, Tyne Daly as Anne Marie Hoag, Marisa Tomei as May Parker, and a cameo from Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts.

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In Avengers: Infinity War, Holland reprised his role for an epic crossover which sees the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy merge in a brutal confrontation against Thanos and his sinister followers.

As you might expect, Spidey once again sees himself paired up with Iron Man, while also meeting Doctor Strange for the first time - but certainly not the last.

The film ends with a devastating cliffhanger that directly involves Peter.

In addition to this, Jacob Batalon also puts in a small appearance as Ned.

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Picking up after the devastating events of Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame follows the Marvel heroes as they try desperately to revert the actions of Thanos, whatever it takes.

Peter Parker is one of the individuals saved by the actions of the Avengers and joins all of the main superheroes in the climactic battle towards the end of the film.

He also shares an incredibly emotional scene with mentor Iron Man/Tony Stark and Pepper Potts at the climax of the battle.

Also, be sure to look out for appearances once more from both Ned and May towards the end of the film.

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Set shortly after the events of Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home is another fun solo adventure for the webslinger, chronicling Peter Parker's school trip across Europe.

Along the way, he hopes to win over his crush MJ, but that won't be easy when Nick Fury recruits him to fight a group of elemental monsters, alongside an enigmatic new hero called Mysterio/Quentin Beck (Jake Gyllenhaal).

And it has a doozy of an ending too that sets the stage for a very different adventure for the web-slinger when he returns - with potentially some other Peter Parkers alongside him and a host of returning villains.

Far From Home also stars Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill, Jacob Batalon as Ned Leeds, Marisa Tomei as May Parker, and Jon Favreau as Harold "Happy" Hogan.

Available to purchase on Amazon

Picking up from the cliffhanger ending of the last film, Spider-Man: No Way Home sees Peter struggling with all the extra attention he is receiving and the impact it is has on his loved ones, including girlfriend MJ, best friend Ned and his aunt May Parker (Marisa Tomei).

Turning to sorcerer Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), Peter hopes to undo some of the latest events in his life but unwittingly opens up his world to dangers caused by villains from across the Multiverse.

Among the villains are Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina), Sandman (Thomas Haden Church) and Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe) from the Sam Raimi trilogy, along with Electro (Jamie Foxx) and Lizard (Rhys Ifans) from the Amazing Spider-Man films.

However, do Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield return in Spider-Man: No Way Home?

It should be noted that this film follows the events of every live-action series of Spider-Man films.

See here for our explainer for the Spider-Man: No Way Home ending and also our explainer on the end credits scenes.

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Starting this month, it’s going to be easier than ever to keep track of the Amazing Spider-Man’s amazing big screen adventures, with the news that six of Sony’s Spider-Man movies — the Tobey Maguire trilogy, Andrew Garfield’s two outings, and 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming — will be added to Disney+ in April and May, along with the first Venom movie. That’s not all; according to Disney, more titles are going to be added later this year. (Everything but Homecoming and Venom will be added April 21; those latter two will be added May 12.) But now that you know where you’re going to be able to watch the Spider-Man movies, the question remains: how do they all hang together?

After all, when it comes to cinema, few superheroes swing as high as Spider-Man. This comic book superhero has been a box office star for most of the 21st century, and shows no sign of slowing down. If you want to dive into Spider-Man’s filmography, but aren’t sure how to navigate it all, we’ve got you covered! Are all the films in the same continuity? Is Spider-Man 3 a sequel to Amazing Spider-Man 2 or Spider-Man 2? Where does Venom fit in? This article will answer all these questions so you can get started on your Spidey film journey!

If you wanted to watch every Spider-Man film in release order, here's how you would do it.

In 2002, Spider-Man finally came to the big screen after years of false starts and development hell. The Sam Raimi directed trilogy featured Tobey Maguire in the title role. The trilogy dominated the box office, making Spider-Man one of the first big comic book movie franchises of the 21st century. If you want to watch the Raimi/Maguire Spider-Man trilogy, here is the chronological order.

While it isn’t a part of the Raimi/Maguire series, Tobey Maguire does reprise his role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

In 2012, the Spider-Man film series was rebooted, with Marc Webb serving as director, and Andrew Garfield suiting up as Peter Parker. Webb’s films put a new spin on the mythos, telling a different kind of story than what was seen in Raimi’s films. There was a larger focus on the mystery of Peter Parker’s parents. The films also leaned into the love story between Garfield’s Peter Parker and Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. If you want to watch the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man films, here is their release order.

Although it isn’t a part of the Webb/Garfield series, Andrew Garfield does reprise his role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home. In fact, if the ending to The Amazing Spider-Man 2 leaves you heartbroken, there’s a scene in the last act of Spider-Man: No Way Home that brings things full circle, giving Garfield’s Spider-Man some emotional resolution.

In 2015, Sony Pictures announced a partnership with Marvel Studios for the next phase of Spider-Man movies. The two studios would work together on a series of Spider-Man films, which would allow Spidey to be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Tom Holland was cast as Peter Parker, making his big screen debut as Spidey in Captain America: Civil War (2016). Holland then went on to star in his own Spider-Man film series. If you want to watch all of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films, here is their chronological order.

We’ve given you the watch order for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man films, but what if you wanted to mix it up and include all of his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe? We’ve got you covered! Here’s a list of all of Tom Holland’s MCU appearances, and how they fit in with the chronology of his solo films.

Spider-Man is also the star of an animated film series. The Spider-Verse films star a variety of multiverse Spider-Men (plus Spider-Women, a Spider-Ham, and more) teaming up for an interdimensional adventure. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is the first entry in that series, and it won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Not bad Webhead! Here’s how to watch the series in order.

Okay, that’s it for now. But two sequels are on their way! Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse will hit theaters in 2023, with Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse following in 2024. We’re getting a Spider-Verse trilogy! If you haven’t done so already, check out the Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse trailer that recently dropped. It’s bonkers.

Sony has the motion picture rights to Spider-Man, and that deal includes many of the villains and allies in Spider-Man’s world. With the rise of superhero films at the box office, Sony has tried to create their own Spider-Man cinematic universe. As of this writing three spin-off films exist in that universe, with plans for more on the way.

While Morbius (2022) and the Venom films have connections to the world of Spider-Man, they are not considered Spider-Man movies. Spider-Man does not appear in any of the films, except as a piece of news footage during the end credits of Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021). For that reason, it’s hard to justify classifying them as Spider-Man films and putting them on the master list at the beginning of the article.

However, these movies do set some seeds that might play out in future Spider-Man films. The post-credits scene from Morbius features the return of Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes, and hints at the formation of the Sinister Six. The credits scene for Venom: Let There Be Carnage also sets up Tom Hardy’s cameo during the post-credits scene in Spider-Man: No Way Home.

There is also a question of continuity. Morbius and Venom seem to take place in a different universe than the one inhabited by Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. However, the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home seem to have broken the barriers between the universes, allowing characters to crossover. This could lead to some fun in future Tom Holland solo movies.

If you’re interested in watching the Spider-Man spin-off films, here is their viewing order.

Movies starring Kraven the Hunter, El Muerto, and Madame Web are also in various stages of production. It seems Spider-Man’s cinematic web is continuing to grow.

The Toei Company Spider-Man television series is one of the weirdest chapters in the Webhead’s career, but it’s also one of the most fun. It would be an understatement to say that the live-action Japanese television series took some liberties with the source material. The character is called Spider-Man, and he wears his iconic costume, but that’s about it. Instead of photographer Peter Parker, he’s a motorcycle racer named Takuya Yamashiro. Instead of a science demonstration on radiation, Takuya’s powers came from an alien from Planet Spider.

The series also gave Spider-Man a giant fighting mecha, which is probably the show’s most lasting piece of pop culture influence. The popularity of Spider-Man’s mecha Leopardon led to the Toei Company including giant fighting robots in their Super Sentai series. In other words, the Power Rangers had a Megazord because Spider-Man had Leopardon.

In 1978 the Toei Company produced a Spider-Man film (simply titled Spider-Man) for Japan’s Toei Manga Matsuri film festival. The film was only 24 minutes long, which makes it hard to consider it a true movie. For that reason, it has been left off the master list at the beginning of the article. Film or not, the Japanese version of Spider-Man is still a fun piece of media that every Spidey fan should experience at least once.

From 1977 through 1979, Nicholas Hammond played the title role in the live-action The Amazing Spider-Man television series. Although the series didn’t feature any of Spider-Man’s iconic villains and very few members of his supporting cast appeared, the series entertained Spider-Man fans in an era where superhero shows had smaller budgets and shorter runs. Nicholas Hammond is also fondly remembered for the way he embodied a more mature Peter Parker.

Interestingly for our purposes, the pilot for the series was a television movie, which was common practice at the time. The 1977 television pilot movie was simply called Spider-Man. It was later given a theatrical run outside of the United States. However, because it was initially written, shot, and released as a television production, we’re not counting it as an official movie. Spider-Man Strikes Back (1978) and Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge (1981) soon followed.

Both had theatrical releases outside of the United States, but both of those movies were repackaged versions of episodes of the television series. In fact, Spider-Man: The Dragon’s Challenge came out two years after the episodes had already aired, and the series was already cancelled. For this reason, they’re not considered true Spider-Man movies, and that’s why they aren’t included on the master list at the beginning of the article. However, that doesn’t mean they have no entertainment value. If you want to check out Nicholas Hammond’s Spider-Man television trilogy, here is the watch-order.

The most recent Spidey flick wasn’t just a fun family reunion. It also led to Marvel verifying the existence of the multiverse in its live-action productions. As the former Sorcerer Supreme Doctor Strange says in the film, “The multiverse is a concept about which we know frighteningly little.”

While the establishment of the multiverse has a still yet to be determined impact on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, in the present it can make watching Spider-Man movies in order a little complicated.

Thankfully, there are a myriad of ways to enjoy your friendly neighborhood Spider-Men. Below is a list of the Web Head’s appearances in films in release order. If you’re looking to dip your toes into the multiverse, you’ll also find several options to watch the different Spidey films in chronological order as well.

Director Sam Raimi helmed Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man in three Sony-produced films. This was followed by Andrew Garfield donning the familiar red and blue tights in two more Sony productions. The third live-action Spider-Man, Tom Holland, would first appear in the Disney-released “Captain America: Civil War,” after Marvel Studios reached a deal with Sony to share the character.

While Spidey isn’t mentioned in the first “Venom” film, he does appear in a post-credits scene in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage,” which could be a possible teaser to the two comic book rivals/reluctant teammates’ futures and brings Venom into the MCU. And even though it doesn’t feature a live-action Wall Crawler, “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is also included in this list because it’s not only an amazing film but brilliantly explores the multiverse that will come to have a major impact on the Spidey franchise.

So if you’re looking to watch the “Spider-Man” movies in order of release, here’s your lineup:

If you’re looking to really get to know Spider-Man, the best place to start is at the beginning. And since Tobey Maguire establishes himself as the oldest of the three Spider-Men in “No Way Home,” it makes sense to start with his films if you’re looking to fully appreciate the Spider-Man timeline. The Maguire-led films not only tell Spidey’s origin story, but over time introduce characters integral to Peter Parker’s life. Although we’ll see Aunt May, Uncle Ben, Mary Jane Watson, Flash Thompson and Gwen Stacy in different forms in later films, the Sam Raimi-directed versions most closely mirror their comic book counterparts.

The appropriately named Marc Webb directed two Spider-Man films starring Andrew Garfield that rebooted the franchise. They provided audiences with a more upbeat, romantic and emotionally attuned version of Spidey and introduced a slew of characters from the comics. Classic villains The Lizard, Electro, Rhino, and a new Green Goblin all challenge the Wall Crawler. Viewers also get the first onscreen appearance of Peter’s father, Richard Parker, and watch the romance with Gwen Stacy conclude in heartbreak, which receives an important callback in “Spider-Man: No Way Home.”

And while further sequels and even a “Sinister Six” movie were planned, this run of the franchise was ended abruptly after the performance and critical reception to “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.”

While the Tom Holland version of Spider-Man is first introduced in “Captain America: Civil War,” the three Jon Watts-directed Spidey films provide the most in-depth look at the character. Arguably the most earnest, humorous and fun version of the Web Slinger, the Watts movies not only tie Spider-Man’s world to the larger events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also bridge the gap between the three distinct eras of Spidey films via “No Way Home.”

Tom Holland’s Spider-Man trades barbs and blows with villains The Vulture, Shocker, and Mysterio in two films before teaming up with Garfield (Peter 3) and Maguire (Peter 2) to take on Doctor Octopus, Electro, Green Goblin, Sandman, and Lizard in “No Way Home.”

The most recent Spider-Man films reimagine Mary Jane Watson and Aunt May in pivotal roles and introduces Peter’s best friend, Ned, a character created specifically for the new franchise that’s an amalgamation of different characters from the Spider-Man comics.

Watching Spider-Man movies is like eating a Reese’s, there’s no wrong way to do it. That said, if you’re new to Peter Parker’s heroics, watching the films in release order is a good way to go. Starting with 2002’s “Spider-Man” and working all the way through to 2021’s “No Way Home” will connect all the hero’s significant plot points and shows the intricate evolution of the character.

However, viewing the Spider-Man films in chronological order is certainly a great option as well, particularly because it allows you to break up Peter Parker’s world into manageable chunks. Watching a batch of two to six films with each of the different leads to get your Spidey fix is a lot less intimidating than taking on 14 films featuring Spider-Man over 20 years.

You won’t find all of these Spider-Man movies on Disney+ (sorry), but as of right now here’s where each one is streaming:

It ends before the events of Avengers: Infinity War begin. The first MCU Spider-Man movie takes place the fall after the events of Captain America: Civil War, with Tom Holland's Peter Parker struggling to become his own hero.