Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s portrayal of Spider-Man exhibit different versions of Peter Parker. Tobey Maguire’s depiction brought more maturity to the films and character. Maguire’s 2002 Spider-Man took place over the course of months, showing Peter and Mary Jane graduating from high school and taking on the adult world. Additionally, the two following sequels continue the trend of offering a young adult Peter Parker acting as Spider-Man. While they kept closer to the high school years, Andrew Garfield’s films struggled in story-telling, eventually leading to the cancellation following the Amazing Spider-Man movies.

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Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, however, has only been successful. Brought in as a quippy kid from Queens, claiming his inability to fight Captain America in Germany because of homework, his role only grows. Holland’s Peter Parker is a relatable teenager in addition to his Spider-Man abilities. He is awkward and perky, and his personality comes across as someone who could actually pass as a high school student; even in the more dramatic moments of Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home. Although Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the character have their positive aspects as well, Tom Holland’s portrayal develops the character in an exciting way.

RELATED: Best Moments From Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man Trilogy

He Looks Age-Appropriate

     Marvel Studios

When an actor is significantly older than the character being played, it has the potential to take the audience out of the story. But, while Tom Holland may be slightly older than Peter Parker was meant to be, it is only by a few years when he makes his first appearance. On the other hand, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were in their late twenties during their first Spider-Man movies.

Tom Holland is fresh-faced, allowing him to easily fit into the high school backdrop without feeling out of place. Being far younger than the Avengers also allows him to be noticeably more youthful than his other Marvel co-stars, which works to his advantage as a high school kid surrounded by experienced adults.

A Real Teenager’s Personality

     Marvel Studios and Sony Spider-Man: Far From Home Tom Holland as Peter Parker and Zendaya as MJ

Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is shy and awkward with a perky personality that keeps him upbeat regardless. He does not always say the right thing, and he is nervous to talk about his feelings. Peter misuses Stark’s technology to erase photographic evidence that could make him look bad to MJ.

However, whether it be a comedic scene or dramatic, Peter cares deeply for May, MJ, Ned, and Happy. In No Way Home, he wants to give his friends a chance at a future they will not have by being affiliated with him. He does not always think his decisions all the way through, which is a very relatable thing for a legitimate teenager.

RELATED: Tom Holland’s Best Movies That Aren’t Spider-Man, Ranked

Skipping the Spider Bite Origin Story

     Marvel Studios Captain America: Civil War Tom Holland as Spider-Man

After watching Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield get bitten by a spider, the Marvel Cinematic Universe skips directly over it when Peter Parker is introduced in Captain America: Civil War. Although the spider bite is an essential part of the Spider-Man origin story, the MCU knew that it had already been done twice in such a short amount of time, and viewers would understand Peter Parker’s new story without it.

By skipping the initial origin story, viewers did not need to sit through a different version of the same coming-to-terms with new powers that had already been done twice. Instead, Peter Parker is already Spider-Man, and the storylines can hit the ground running to push the overall plot forward.

A Successful Trilogy

Tobey Maguire did get a Spider-Man trilogy. However, Spider-Man 3 was not considered the most successful movie plot-wise. Between the storyline, going in a darker direction with the black Spider-Man suit, and the memed Peter Parker strutting down the sidewalk, the movie fell apart as a conclusion to the trilogy. However, that was further than Andrew Garfield’s iteration received. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was the abrupt end to the series, as viewers and critics alike determined the movie was not what they were looking for.

Tom Holland’s version is the only Spider-Man with an utterly successful trilogy. Spider-Man: Homecoming was the first Peter Parker-centric MCU movie, after his actions with the Avengers, and trying to step up beyond the friendly-neighborhood Spider-Man. Far From Home was an ambitious follow-up to Avengers: Endgame, portraying Peter’s mixture of excitement and hope toward a romance with MJ, the grief of losing Tony Stark, and the uncertainty of what it may mean to need to step up when the world asks if he is the next Iron Man. No Way Home is the emotional punch, hitting all the right comedic and depressing beats as it tells a new version of the Peter Parker origin story. However, it also delivers a third film redemption to Tobey Maguire, and a character redemption to Andrew Garfield. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has also appeared in more movies than either of his predecessors due to team-up films.