It’s been a hot minute since we’ve had Tom Holland’s Spider-Man back in movie form, and there’s always way too much to catch up on when it comes to the MCU. Should you watch everything leading up to Spider-Man: Brand New Day? Probably. But who has that kind of time?
You might even be concerned that you’ll miss out on too much if you haven’t seen Daredevil: Born Again or The Punisher, but ultimately that’s okay, too. As much as the new movie will bring in new villains and some key players from the MCU, what most of us have time for is a handful of movies to refresh our memories.
Here are Tom Holland’s Spider-Man movies in order.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Despite the fact that we first meet Tom Holland’s Spider-Man in Captain America: Civil War, the movie isn’t necessary to give us a true origin. If you’re short on time, I’d recommend watching his scenes as opposed to the entire movie because Homecoming does plenty to establish the tone, stakes, and everything in between to introduce us to our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. And ultimately, rewatching this one is crucial considering we’ll likely be seeing Scorpion again in Brand New Day.
Homecoming does everything right from the jump and also features some of the more gritty elements in this universe. We get a clear picture of how different this version will be from the ones we’ve had before, and Holland shows us enough about his character to effectively remind us that Peter Parker is essentially a kid when we first meet him. Let him have a high school experience, Marvel!
Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame
It’s understandable that most people will be short on time and might not be able to squeeze in the two Avengers movies, but with Doomsday also releasing this year, might as well add these two into the line-up now. It’s in Infinity War where we first get a glimpse of Peter Parker as a true Avenger, and it’s in these movies where Holland really shows off his emotional chops in some of the most gutting scenes. They also feel imperative considering everything that we get in Far From Home as a follow-up.
Spider-Man: Far From Home
Far From Home is a gutting portrait of grief and another reminder of how fantastic the MCU can be when it relies on the best comics. In other words, Peter Parker isn’t getting any downtime any soon. Mysterio is a riveting villain and the narrative is great, but more than anything, Far From Home shines in the quieter moments where it builds upon friendship and romance.
The small glimpse we get into Peter and MJ’s budding love story is everything, and it’s gorgeous to see the trust that’s immediately. It’s oddly hilarious, warm, and leaves us with the kind of cliffhanger that makes jumping into No Way Home perfect.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Heartbreak doesn’t feel good in a place like this, but I stand by the fact that Spider-Man: No Way Home is the best live-action movie for the character, as well as the most gorgeous love letter to found families. Nostalgic, comforting, and deeply satisfying in how it explores the multiverse, everything about No Way Home shines as a movie about grief and endurance.
It’s so easy to be in awe of Tom Holland’s performance in this movie, and it’s entirely because of the people next to him who uplift him with their work, like Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Marisa Tomei, and the returning Spider-Men, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield. There could never be another movie where classic villains returning could be as satisfying. Perfection through and through.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Finally, after five years, we get to reunite with Spider-Man in hopes that his friends will remember again. There’s naturally nothing I can say about the movie right now, considering this article is releasing before we’ve seen it, but every trailer and teaser has made me cry. Few things matter to me in the fictional realm the way Peter Parker’s happiness does, and I really hope that’s what we’ll get.
First Featured Image Credit: ©Marvel