Who’s The Most Comic Accurate Live-Action Spider-Man?

[Amadeus Arkham]

Looks-wise and Spider-Man personality -> Garfield.

When you say looks, what looks are you talking about exactly? Peter has been drawn by several different artists with their own spin on how he looks though he has consistently been depicted as a white guy with short brown hair…which all the casting has been so far. So I don’t know if I can say one actor looks more like the comics character(who’s been drawn differently thanks to differing art styles) over the other.

[Spiderfan001]

When you say looks, what looks are you talking about exactly? Peter has been drawn by serious different artist with their own spin on how he looks but he has consistently been depicted as a white guy with short brown hair…which all the casting has been so far. So I don’t know if I can say one actor looks more like the comics character(who’s been drawn differently thanks to differing art styles) over the other.

I mean Stan lee did say Pete(specially after the Spider-bite) was a good-looking nerd.
I feel Garfield did that well, the beaten up by his life nerd vibe was there.His acting was top-notch as well.He gave the role his all and it shows(the other 2 are great as well).

[Amadeus Arkham]

I mean Stan lee did say Pete(specially after the Spider-bite) was a good-looking nerd.
I feel Garfield did that well, the beaten up by his life nerd vibe was there.His acting was top-notch as well.He gave the role his all and it shows(the other 2 are great as well).

That’s pretty vague, and not really specific enough to really denote a particular visual feature of Peter from the comics. All the movie Spider-Men are considered good-looking. Tom Holland is generally considered good looking as well, and even Maguire isn’t too shabby himself believe it or not. The original Ditko Peter wasn’t drawn as a good-looking guy just more of a average looking guy - which was obviously a result of Ditko’s art style which leaned toward making the human characters look kind fairly undesirable.

When Romita Sr. took over the book after Ditko left, that’s when Peter started getting handsome. Point is, I don’t know if there is a set Peter Parker look from the comics outside white guy with short brown hair, who has blue or brown eyes. At least not enough that any of the white actors who have been cast as the character looks anymore like the character from the comics than the other.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

Holland's Peter spends too much time trying to impress Tony Stark. It really weakens Spider-Man as a character when he is literally positioned as being in Iron Man's shadow.

This might be a good time to bring this up...

One argument I see pop up sometimes for why this makes sense is that unlike other versions of Spider-Man, this Peter grew up with the Avengers in childhood, so it makes sense for him to blindly admire Iron Man like that compared to other versions.

I will give this argument some credit. First, this argument admits that MCU Spider-Man is an anomaly. It's not trying to BS anyone into thinking that there is nothing fundamentally different about MCU Spider-Man, or that it has any precedent in comics. I actually kinda appreciate the subtexual honesty in this argument.

Second, there is some truth to this. Indeed, MCU Peter growing up with Iron Man there is a major difference, and a Spider-Man just starting out is realistically going to admire Iron Man more than other versions.

The key words being 'just starting out'. It's one thing if he starts out that way and then has a change in attitude, but MCU Peter never had that T'Challa moment where he stops blindly looking up to his idols. His attitude should have changed after Homecoming, but it hasn't.

Also from a realism perspective, people in real life stop blindly looking up to their childhood idols all the time once they reach a teen age. This is especially true in the case of parental figures. Peter experiencing this with Tony would not only be normal, it is literally what a character like Spider-Man was designed for. You know, being about growth and teen independence and all that.

My point being, after Homecoming, using the fact that Peter grew up with Iron Man comes across as apologetics and not as a solid argument.

[Frontier]

When you say looks, what looks are you talking about exactly? Peter has been drawn by several different artists with their own spin on how he looks though he has consistently been depicted as a white guy with short brown hair…which all the casting has been so far. So I don’t know if I can say one actor looks more like the comics character(who’s been drawn differently thanks to differing art styles) over the other.

That’s pretty vague, and not really specific enough to really denote a particular visual feature of Peter from the comics. All the movie Spider-Men are considered good-looking. Tom Holland is generally considered good looking as well, and even Maguire isn’t too shabby himself believe it or not. The original Ditko Peter wasn’t drawn as a good-looking guy just more of a average looking guy - which was obviously a result of Ditko’s art style which leaned toward making the human characters look kind fairly undesirable.

When Romita Sr. took over the book after Ditko left, that’s when Peter started getting handsome.

To me he looks the most like a modernized Romita Sr. Pete.

[Spiderfan001]

That’s pretty vague, and not really specific enough to really denote a particular visual feature of Peter from the comics. All the movie Spider-Men are considered good-looking. Tom Holland is generally considered good looking as well, and even Maguire isn’t too shabby himself believe it or not. The original Ditko Peter wasn’t drawn as a good-looking guy just more of a average looking guy - which was obviously a result of Ditko’s art style which leaned toward making the human characters look kind fairly undesirable.

When Romita Sr. took over the book after Ditko left, that’s when Peter started getting handsome. Point is, I don’t know if there is a set Peter Parker look from the comics outside white guy with short brown hair, who has blue or brown eyes. At least not enough that any of the white actors who have been cast as the character looks anymore like the character from the comics than the other.

Fair enough

And many people grow much more attractive with age from teens to adulthood so that makes sense.

[Kaitou D. Kid]

Garfield looks exactly like Romita Sr's Peter in the face, but has Ditko's skinny frame. He is like a combination of the two.

Oh, and of Ultimate Peter. He's dressed similar to Ultimate Peter in the first film - brown baggy sweater, blue jeans, and always carrying a backpack.

[Amadeus Arkham]

To me he looks the most like a modernized Romita Sr. Pete.

I think so too, but I think Garfield has a mixture of Ultimates and early 616 Peter personality wise. He has the angry loner vibes in the characterization. But I do think Holland looks more like Ultimate Peter facially and when he rocks that hair style - despite his version being almost nothing like him.

[Triniking1234]

Holland is closer to 1610 Spidey
Garfield is closer to 616 Spidey

[Frontier]

Holland is closer to 1610 Spidey
Garfield is closer to 616 Spidey

I think in terms of looks, yeah, although personality-wise I don't think Holland is all that close to 1610.

[Speed Force League Unlimited]

None of their portrayal is close to any version of the character. Tobey's nerdiness does not mean he should be awkward or a milksop and a doormat, a nerd should be excited while talking about his favorite material and is very engaged in it, this is a nerd. Comic Peter was always confident and charming.
Tobey's Spider-Man is at least the most competent and most responsible one.

I love Garfield in the role, I love his movies, but he has some scenes that got the character right, while he needs help of Gwen or someone else to defeat the villain. I don't mind seeing him limited as an inexperienced teen though, but it's obviously not accurate.
His Peter is nowhere near as mean spirited as he's reputed to be.

Holland feels right in Markus and Macfeely scripted movies, except when he casually unmasks to other heroes like Doctor Strange and telling Carol who he just meets for the first time his full name. Then his own movies feel very disjointed and a different version of the character barely related to the rest of the stuff. Homecoming especially is a big mistakes that gets instantly discredited in Infinity War.

[FFJamie94]

Raimi's trilogy is the closest to feeling like a Ditko comic come to life.
Webb's duo-logy feels like a mix between Ultimate Spider-Man with 80's era Spider-Man.
MCU Spider-Man feels more like Miles Morales.

[Agent Z]

a nerd should be excited while talking about his favorite material and is very engaged in it, this is a nerd.

I'd say this applies to Maguire's version.

Comic Peter was always confident and charming.

No he wasn't.

I love Garfield in the role, I love his movies, but he has some scenes that got the character right, while he needs help of Gwen or someone else to defeat the villain.

Comic Spider-Man has also relied on help before. ASM Peter did most of the heavylifting in beating the villain

His Peter is nowhere near as mean spirited as he's reputed to be.

This I will agree with.

[Spiderfan001]

Raimi's trilogy is the closest to feeling like a Ditko comic come to life.
Webb's duo-logy feels like a mix between Ultimate Spider-Man with 80's era Spider-Man.
MCU Spider-Man feels more like Miles Morales.

Yeah pretty much this.Specially the MCU

[Frontier]

Comic Spider-Man has also relied on help before. ASM Peter did most of the heavylifting in beating the villain.

Yeah, but it kind of defeats the point if he needs someone to do the mental heavy lifting.