The battle of the webslingers: who comes out on top?
Tom Holland
Indigo Craane, Staff Writer
Tom Holland is, by far, the best Spider-Man. The essence of Peter Parker is an awkward, unpopular and just blatantly dorky teenager. He has no idea how to woo a woman and has no confidence in who he is. Yet, when he puts on that webbed mask, he instantaneously becomes a different person. Someone witty, smart, someone who can easily handle “sticky” situations and just oozes the essence of cool. Peter Parker? Spider-Man? Complete opposites.
Neither Tobey Maguire nor Andrew Garfield could undertake such a role. Listen, Maguire was a good Peter Parker, nerdy and whatnot, but not as Spider-Man. Andrew Garfield was just on the complete other side of the spectrum. He was too cool for the ever-so-gawky Peter Parker. Come on, who could believe that a skater boy in high school, who just so happens to be intelligent and enjoys photography, is bullied and socially awkward?
But Tom Holland nailed it right on the dot, with the wide-eyed innocence and wisecracking facade that makes up Spider-Man. Also, unlike the others playing Spider-Man, he did not look too old for high school! Plus he’s attractive and British, which scores him some brownie points.
Andrew Garfield
Kendra Martinez, Opinion Editor
When people think of the hero Spider-Man, oftentimes they think of Tobey Maguire’s or Tom Holland’s interpretations of the character, however the third, most underrated adaptation is quite frankly the best. Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man is the best version of the classic hero and needs to be recognized as such.
As Spider-Man, Garfield has the moves, the sarcasm, the inability to shut up during a fight and ability to save everyone—well, everyone except Gwen Stacy that is. No one thinks twice about Garfield’s Spider-Man being the best, it’s his Peter Parker where the controversy starts. Does he ride a skateboard? Yes. Is he tall and cute? Yes. Does he charm his way into Gwen’s life a little too easily? Yes. Does that mean he’s too cool for school? No. Listen, the kid is still a ridiculously smart geek who makes his own chemically-engineered web solution. Garfield’s Peter is still socially awkward and fidgety around people. He was literally the most awkward among the three in No Way Home for goodness sake. Not only that, but Garfield’s acting adds more emotional depth to the character. The way he battles grief not only in his movies but also in No Way Home just adds another level of complexity that is not quite reached with Holland or Maguire.
Tobey Maguire
Holden Kopman, Staff Writer
Sam Raimi’s ‘OG’ Spider-Man, portrayed by Tobey Maguire, has taken its place as the foundation of the Spider-Man live action franchise. With a three movie series (Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3), this original trio of Spider-Man flicks have defined the character. Transitioning from school photographer to friendly neighborhood Spider-Man with the bite of a radioactive spider, Tobey’s memorable voice truly comes out when wearing the iconic metallic webbed ‘Raimi Suit’. The evocative feel good moments and intense action included in all three of these films makes them superhero classics that are held foundly in fans hearts.
Accompanied with Tobey Maguire’s brilliant portrayal of the character, the outstanding music composed by Michael Giacchino truly adds to the moment. For many fans, one of the greatest things to come out of these movies are the memes. The fanmade character, Bully Maguire (from Spider-Man 3), has spread across all of social media with lines such as “I missed the part where that’s my problem”, “They love me” and “See ya chump”. Overall, whether a fan of the franchise itself or someone who watches it for the memes, Tobey Maguire has set base for the two other Spider-Man franchises to come, and will be commemorated for the actor who brought the live action character to life.
