Trying to work out how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order? Well, firstly, you aren't alone, and secondly, we are here to help you before your next web-slinging movie marathon.
While most of the Marvel timelines are super complicated, Spider-Man's is exceptionally tricky thanks to Sony and Marvel Studios having their own universes (that occasionally cross-over, but also don't). Even superhero veterans can get a headache from keeping track of it all, and now with Spider-Man: Brand New Day out and Beyond the Spider-Verse heading our way, it's only going to get more confusing. That's why I've made this guide to help make sense of it all.
Below, I've broken down exactly how to watch all the Spider-Man movies in order, whether that's by release dates or chronologically. To make things even easier to navigate all the different Spider-Universes, I've also broken up each separate timeline and explained how they relate to the MCU. I will say though for an MCU breakdown, I reccommend heading to our Marvel movies in order guide first, but if it's just Spidey you are after, read on, folks!
How to watch the Spider-Man movies in release order
There are multiple timelines and franchises to get through when we talk about the Spider-Man movies. However, before we get into breaking down each timeline, an easy way to grasp Spidey's cinematic history is to watch all the superhero movies in order of release.
In fact, it's probably the easiest watch to get to grips with everything since we rarely see the different films clashing with one another - until we get to more recent entries (kicking off with Tom Holland's outing as Peter Parker).
Below are all the Spider-Man movies in release order:
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
- The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
- The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
- Captain America: Civil War (2016)
- Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
- Venom (2018)
- Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
- Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2019)
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021)
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)
- Morbius (2022)
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023)
- Madame Web (2024)
- Venom: The Last Dance (2024)
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day (2026)
How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order: Tobey Maguire's movies
Tobey Maguire appears in three of his own Spider-Man movies. Released between 2002 and 2007, the trilogy – directed by Sam Raimi – marked the first major big-screen appearance from Spider-Man, and in the process, the movies broke box-office records. These are simply some of the best superhero movies ever released and introduced us to all the classic components of the Spider-Man story.
They aren't related to the current MCU, though, so you don't need to watch them really. However, you'll likely appreciate No Way Home more if you do, and again, they are excellent, so we recommend it. However, be warned, Spider-Man 3 is one of the worst Spider-Man movies ever made, thanks to being overloaded with villains and the plot just generally being a mess. It's not one to skip, though, as there are just so many excellent memes. If you laugh along, you'll be just fine.
Below are all the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies in order:
- Spider-Man
- Spider-Man 2
- Spider-Man 3
How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order: Andrew Garfield's movies
Andrew Garfield drew the short straw when it came to his time playing Spider-Man. The actor is excellent as Peter Parker, yet the movies' plots are both too tangly for their own good. The first one has its moments, but the second really can be a slog.
However, as with Spider-Man 3, there's no getting around watching it, and the defining moment in Garfield's time as Peter takes place near the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Just ignore the setup for The Sinister Six that never came to be. These films aren't part of the current MCU, but you'll want to still watch them to get the most out of No Way Home.
Below are all the Andrew Garfield Spider-Man movies in order:
How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order: Tom Holland's movies
Thinking of not watching the other Spider-Man movies? Think again! Tom Holland's version of Peter Parker skips the character's outright origins story, with Marvel and Sony presuming that you've probably already seen Pete being bitten by a radioactive spider in the Maguire and Garfield movies.
However, things get complicated. You're going to want to have watched absolutely everything above to fully appreciate what's going on in Spider-Man: No Way Home. That's because that movie brings together a bunch of characters from Maguire and Garfield's movies, and you're also going to want to watch the Venom movies, too.
These are also the movies that are officially part of the MCU, and with Spider-Man: Brand New Day now out, you'll want to rewatch them all to get up to speed as well.
Below are all the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies in order:
- Captain America: Civil War
- Spider-Man: Homecoming
- Avengers: Infinity War
- Avengers: Endgame
- Spider-Man: Far From Home
- Spider-Man: No Way Home
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day
How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order: Tom Hardy's Venom movies
The Venom movies are part of Sony's ever-growing Spider-Verse, and become almost inexplicably linked to the wider Spider-Man movies later on. To fully understand Spider-Man: No Way Home, and later Morbius, you're going to want to watch these all the way through and make sure to catch the Venom 2 post-credits scene.
Venom: The Last Dance is also one to watch, and from its post-credit scene (read our Venom 3 ending explained guide for more on that), we know that the door is still slightly open for a future MCU crossover. We also know that from the best Venom comics, that our favorite symbiote has a ton more stories to tell. So, fingers crossed, we can add more movies to this watchlist in the future.
Below are all of Tom Hardy's Venom movies in order:
How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order: Sony's Spider-Verse
When we talk about Sony's Spider-Verse, we are talking about the other movies that exist alongside Venom and Spider-Man. In this case, it's Morbius and Madame Web.
In the case of Morbius, the movie brings back Michael Keaton's Vulture from Spider-Man: Homecoming, but also takes place in a completely separate universe from Holland's movies. That means Morbius is not in the MCU but has an MCU character in it.
Morbius, for the most part, works as a completely separate movie from all the others on this list, minus Venom, who gets a namecheck. That is, until the Morbius post-credits scene, where it suddenly becomes entangled with all of Holland's movies, including Spider-Man: No Way Home.
Essentially, Morbius adds to the intriguing puzzle and links between the MCU and Sony's Spider-Man movies. It can be enjoyed on its own, but it will be better received if watched as part of the entire Spider-Man journey.
Below are all of Sony's Spider-Verse movies in order:
How to watch the Spider-Man movies in order: Spider-Verse
The Spider-Verse movies are our picks for the best Spider-Man movies, yet they don't fall neatly into the watch order. This is because the animated movies don't share any plot threads with any other movie in this guide.
Like Venom, the first film was released in late 2018 and can be watched in between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame if you want. But really, this can be watched at any stage in your Spider-Man run-through. It also introduces the concept of the multiverse in a very straightforward way, which may be helpful for No Way Home, though not necessary, as there is no crossover.
Another thing to take note of is that while Spider-Noir makes an appearance in these movies, the films aren't connected to the recent Amazon Prime series Spider-Noir. So don't worry about having to watch that series for the complete experience; they are totally separate as well.
Below are all the Spider-Verse movies in order:
And that's how to watch the Spider-Man movies in order. That's a lot of web-slinging! For more, check out our guides on how to watch the X-Men movies in order and how to watch the DC movies in order.
