Movies to watch before spider man no way home

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Maggie Tillman, US contributing editor

·   Updated  28 September 2022 ·

Explainer Provides context or background, definition and detail on a specific topic.

(Pocket-lint) - Spider-Man isn't a typical superhero. He's one character in the Spider-Verse, a complex web of Spider-People in alternate universes, which has converged in the latest Spider-Man movie.

The Tom Holland-led version of Spider-Man is just one of three takes on the character we've seen on the big screen - with Andrew Garfield and Toby Maguire also taking on the role of Peter Parker. The trio recently joined forces, thanks to some multiversal high-jinks in Spider-Man: No Way Home. This team-up film, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, also features villains from Sony's Spider-Man films. (Sony now co-produces Spider-Man films starring Tom Holland with Marvel. Sony and Marvel also released 2018's Into The Spider-Verse.)

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Let's also not forget Sony has been producing its own Spider-Verse offshoot films, with 2018's Venom and its 2021 sequel as well as 2022's Morbius. The last film sees Jared Leto play Dr Michael Morbius, a villain in the Spider-Man comics. Confused? Well, to truly understand what's happening with the Spider-Verse and how Spider-Man fits into the MCU, you need to re-watch all the web-slinger's movies. Here's the best order to follow.

It's as chronological as you can get and explains everything you need to know. 

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Spider-Man movies in order: The best way to watch (chronological)

NOTE: THERE ARE SPOILERS BELOW.

This viewing order guide is mostly chronological, but it gets confusing because there are multiple universes and timelines at play. For instance (SPOILER), Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker is from an alternate universe in 2002 but appears in present-day Now Way Home, set in the main MCU timeline. Anyway, at the bottom of this page, you'll find a spoiler-free, bulleted-list version of our guide.

Sony

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018 - Marvel and Sony animated movie)

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A surprise hit that grossed over $375 million in the US box office, this animated feature is directed by Bob Persichetti. It shows a character named Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore) getting bitten by a radioactive spider and developing powers similar to how Peter Parker does in most Spider-Man films. Morales then meets other people who have spider-like powers.

Into the Spider-Verse won Best Animated Feature at the 91st Academy Awards. We recommend you start with this film because it reveals multiple versions of Spider-People coming together from multiple universes, aka the Spider-Verse.

Sony

Spider-Man (2002 - Sony movie)

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Long before Marvel and The Avengers and the MCU, this 2002 film was what superhero films hoped to be like - successes with a great story. Directed by Sam Raimi, the film follows young Peter Parker (played by Tobey Maguire) as he develops super speed, strength, and the ability to produce webs and stick to walls after getting bitten by a genetically enhanced spider. The film also stars Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson and Willem Dafoe as the villain Green Goblin.

Sony

Spider-Man 2 (2004 - Sony movie)

One of the most beloved superhero sequels sees Tobey Maguire return to take on his mentor Otto Octavius (played by Alfred Molina), who has transformed into Doctor Octopus following an experiment gone wrong. To make it harder for Parker this time around, his powers are failing him, and his relationship with Mary Jane is on the rocks. Sam Raimi returned to direct this film, too.

Sony

Spider-Man 3 (2007 - Sony movie)

The final film in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy is the most disappointing. It sees most of the series' main actors return, such as Maguire as Peter Parker, Dunst as Mary Jane, and James Franco as Harry Osborne. But, this time, Spider-Man is forced to face off against two foes: the dangerous symbiote Venom, who has attached itself to fellow journalist Eddie Brock (Topher Grace); and Flint Marko, a small-time thug who had a role in the death of Peter's uncle Ben.

Sony

The Amazing Spider-Man (2012 - Sony movie)

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Sony rebooted the Spider-Man franchise in 2012, but with Andrew Garfield in the lead role as Peter Parker and Emma Stone as his love interest Gwen Stacey. The film sees Parker discover some of his deceased father's research into a way for humans to regrow lost limbs. Peter turns these notes over to his father's former partner, Curt Conners (played by Rhys Ifans), who uses the new information to attempt a dangerous experiment.

Sony

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014 - Sony movie)

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Garfield returns to play Parker, while Jamie Foxx stars as the villain Electro. Not only does Peter battle Electro in this film, but he must contend with his terminally ill friend Harry Osborne, who believes Spider-Man's blood could hold the key to curing him. Coming off of the success of the first film, Sony made big plans to flesh out the Spider-Man universe, including spin-offs centered around Venom and The Sinister Six. However, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was such a bomb that most of those plans were cancelled.

Disney/Marvel

Captain America: Civil War (2016 - Marvel movie)

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Following the collapse of its own Spider-Man universe, Sony agreed to let the Spider-Man character be used by Marvel in the MCU. This led to the debut of Tom Holland as Peter Parker in Civil War. When Captain America (played by Chris Evans) and Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr) fall on opposite sides of a debate over government control of superhumans, they recruit their own teams to face off, leading to Tony visiting Peter's apartment in New York City.

Sony/Marvel

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017 - Marvel and Sony movie)

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Following his adventure with Tony Stark (played by Robert Downey Jr), Holland's Peter Parker returns home to his life with his Aunt May (played by Marisa Tomei). However, with that taste of the Avengers' life, Parker continues fighting crime in his neighborhood, which leads to him facing off with Adrian Toomes (played by Michael Keaton), a former construction worker who's selling recovered weapons from the Battle of New York in the first Avengers film.

Marvel

Avengers: Infinity War (2018 - Marvel movie)

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In Spider-Man's third entry in the MCU, Tom Holland gave us one of the most heartbreaking moments in the 20+ film series, when we see Peter Parker's fate following the snap. We also get to see Spider-Man fight in the "Iron Spider" armor, which is basically an Iron Man suit designed for Spider-Man.

Marvel

Avengers: Endgame (2019 - Marvel movie)

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While Spider-Man isn't featured a tonne in Endgame, this Avengers' installment is important for the future of the MCU and Spider-Man, as it sets up Peter Parker as the potential future leader of the Avengers. Tom Holland delivers another tear-jerker, too, when his mentor, Tony Stark, makes the ultimate sacrifice.

Sony/Marvel

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019 - Marvel and Sony movie)

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The first post-Endgame MCU film, Spider-Man: Far From Home, shows Holland's Peter Parker dealing with the fallout from the death of his idol and mentor, Tony Stark. When on a field trip to Europe, Parker is contacted by Nick Fury (played by Samuel L Jackson), who wants him to be one of the leaders of the Avengers. While Parker is initially hesitant, he finds another mentor to help him through the process in the form of Mysterio (played by Jake Gyllenhaal).

Sony

Venom (2018 - Sony movie)

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Sony finally began fleshing out the Spider-Man Universe with 2018's Venom. It follows the story of investigative journalist Eddie Brock (played by Tom Hardy) as he uncovers unethical trials - conducted by the corporation Life Foundation - on alien symbiotes found in space. When Brock breaks into the Foundation's lab, one of the symbiotes bonds with him and becomes Venom. Because there is no Spider-Man appearance in Venom, we orginally said this film is optional. However, Venom's second film has changed that.

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Venom: Let There Be Carnage (2021 - Sony movie)

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Tom Hardy returns as the host for symbiote Venom - this time alongside Woody Harrelson who plays Venom's nemesis, Carnage.

The end-credits scene also teases Tom Hardy's Eddie Brock being transported to the MCU when he sees Peter Parker's (Tom Holland) identity revealed on TV. Because of that moment, we're including this film and its original in the Spider-Man timeline ahead of Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

Morbius (2022)

Morbius (2022 - Sony movie)

The latest addition to the Spider-Verse is the Sony-produced Morbius, which takes place in the same universe as Venom but is different from the MCU.

The film sees Jared Leto play Dr. Michael Morbius, who has been featured as a villain in Spider-Man comics. Morbius is a world-famous scientist who suffers from a rare blood disorder. Unfortunately, he transforms himself into a superpowered vampire after attempting an experimental cure for his illness that involves vampire bats. 

While the film was critically panned, including a 17 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it has made 163 million worldwide since its release. And the film has now basically become a meme on online with Morbius 2 trending on Twitter. 

Sony Pictures

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021 - Sony Marvel and Sony movie)

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No Way Home sees the return of Tom Holland as Spider-Man, along with MJ (Zendaya) and Ned (Jacob Batalon). The film leans heavily into the idea of the Spider-Verse. After turning to Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) for help after his identity is revealed, the situation for Holland's Peter Parker only gets worse as we see the return of Spider-Man's foes from across the history of Spider-Man films.

Willem Defoe is back as Norman Osborn, Alfred Molina is back as Otto Octavius, Jamie Foxx as Electro, and the list goes on. 

To help Tom Holland fight this laundry list of Spider-Man villains, former Spider-Man actors Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their versions of Peter Parker who have been transported to the MCU by Dr. Strange's spell. 

What is the best streaming device for your TV? Our top recommendation is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. Also excellent are the Google Chromecast with Google TV, the Roku Express 4K, the Apple TV 4K and the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

Spoiler-free version: Spider-Man movies in chronological order

This is a version of the guide above, complete with the Venom and Morbius movies, but free of spoilers. It's mostly chronological, but it gets confusing because there are multiple universes and timelines at play. Read above for a more detailed explanation of why each movie should be watched in the following order.

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