Age of MCU: Maguire vs. Garfield – Who Was the Better Spider-Man?

So there’s going to be a new actor inside the webbed pyjamas. Something to look forward to, hopefully. But as we eagerly await the news of who’ll play the wallcrawler next, we must look back and decide once and for all… who’s the better Spidey? Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire? There’s only one way to find out….. FIGHT!

Okay, no fight. But it is an interesting question. While the Amazing Spider-Man reboot films are usually derided in comparison to the Rami films, the debate never really focuses on the actors themselves. Most people just talk about the films as a whole. Well, today we’re going to settle this once and for all. This will decide who truly is the best Spider-Man. At least until the next guy (Please be Dylan O’Brien, please be Dylan O’Brien, please be Dylan O’Brien!).

DISCLAIMER! The following is an evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in the role of Spider-Man. It is not a judgement of their acting abilities in general, nor is it a critical analysis of their respective films. Because the Rami films are much better and you know it! Well, except for Spider-Man 3, that was bloody atrocious. Why did the black suit make him dance? It makes no sense! Where was I? Oh, yeah.  

 

6. Looks Aren’t Everything

Our first round is a simple one. Who looked most like Peter Parker? As in from the comics. Now, I know that it’s impossible to get a person who looks exactly like any given comic book character. Even Hugh Jackman, arguably one of the best cast superheroes ever, isn’t dead on (He’s too tall, okay?). But which of our Spider-Men looks the MOST like his comic counterpart?

This is a bit tricky. See Garfield has a leaner, more spry physique. Which is in keeping with the comics. Whereas Maguire is… less so. I mean, he’s not chunky or anything. But he’s not the exact body type, per se. However, Garfield looks like a model, not a science geek. With the hair and the skateboard… he looks too cool! Maguire on the other hand can look like a believable superhero and a nerd at the same time. Which is a tough look to pull off.

It’s a close one, but I’m going to go with Maguire.

Maguire: 1

Garfield: 0

 

5. Who Wore It Best?

Ah, the Spidey suit. A classic. Instantly recognisable around the world. But which of our guys looks the part in it? Let’s get ’em on the runway and find out!

Maguire looks very cool in his suit… when he’s moving around. In the scenes when he’s not moving… not so much. The suit looks still and restrictive, which makes it seem implausible when he flies off all THWIP THWIP THWIPPY THWIP!

Garfield on the other hand looks very natural in the suit all the time, both standing still and in motion. Less so with the first costume, but mainly with the second one, which was a vast improvement! It was like the Spidey from the comics had leapt out of the pages and onto the screen. You’d think he’s look silly, just standing there in a red and blue spandex onesie, but he doesn’t! And that deserves a lot of praise.

Sorry Tobey, it just looks better on Andrew.

Maguire: 1

Garfield: 1

 

4. Chemistry (Bow Chicka-Wow-Wow)

Every lead needs to have great, believable chemistry with their co-stars. And again, this is a little tricky. Maguire has some fantastic scenes with the supporting cast of the Rami films, especially with Aunt May. Their little talks are emotional, honest, and a joy to behold. His scenes with Mary Jane are… okay. That’s it.

For Garfield, it’s the opposite. His onscreen chemistry with Emma Stone is infamous, and rightly so. Personally, I chalk this up to the fact that they were in a relationship offscreen as well, but hey, whatever works. But his scenes with the other supporting character s are less appealing. I was never really invested in the relationship between him and Sally Field. Not that she’s a bad actress, far from it. They just never clicked for me. Same with all the rest of the cast too.

Tough call, but I’m going to go with Maguire. His chemistry with Kirsten Dunst wasn’t that great, but he makes up for it with the rest of the characters.

Maguire: 2

Garfield: 1

3. Does Whatever A Spider Can

If there’s one thing every superhero film needs, it’s action! Hell yeah! So which one of our actors fought and moved most like Spidey? And yes, I know CGI played a big part in that. So I’ll take that into account.

Garfield seems to be quicker and more agile. He’s more acrobatic than Maguire, so he certainly moves like a spider. Well, a Spider-Man at any rate. But Maguire looks stronger than Garfield. He really packs a punch in the Rami films, and performs incredible feats of strength. But he never gives off the impression that he’s Superman. He has his limits. But he definitely falls down in the movement department. He just doesn’t look very graceful. So it’s pretty much tied between them.

Judge ruling… I’m going to award points to both contenders. Yes, I can do that! Suck it up.

Maguire: 3

Garfield: 2

 

2. Identity Crisis

Every superhero has two sides to them. The costume, and the person behind it. Unless you’re Tony Stark, in which case you’re just Iron Man, deal with it! But which of our wallcrawlers was best at being plain ol’ Peter Parker?

Like I said earlier, Maguire can pull off the nerd part very well. But it’s less science-y science and more… woobie. He’s a hapless, sympathetic dork that we’re meant to feel sorry for. Which works… up to a point. Things constantly go wrong for him and at first it’s very endearing. But eventually it gets repetitive and annoying.

Garfield seems like a much more confident Peter Parker. And he’s definitely all about the science, despite the non-nerd look. True, things don’t always go his way, but he doesn’t dwell on them TOO much. I mean, when things go really wrong, of course he gets sad. But the little things don’t bother him more than they should. On the other hand, he’s kinda blasé about the whole secret identity thing. He just up and tells Gwen he’s Spider-Man, with no thought to the consequences, pretty much at the drop of the hat. Maguire knew the benefit of protecting those he loved from a world that would endanger them. So which is better?

Well, in the comics, things frequently go wrong for Peter. But he doesn’t get all sad about it. He either shrugs it off, jokes it off, or gets mad. And I think that’s more in line with Garfield, even with the whole secret identity thing. Sorry, Tobey. I love ya, but Andrew pulled it off (Although, he did mumble a lot in the first one. Ah, too late.).

Maguire: 3

Garfield: 3

 

1. With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

This is it. The decider. The final countdown. Last train to London. Leaving New York. Speed of sound. Don’t stop believing. Like a virgin. What does the fox say. *SLAP*. Thanks, I don’t know what happened there.

Our last round will decide which actor best represents the spirit of Spider-Man. I know, that’s a hard thing to define. But as I see it, Peter Parker was a guy who had a hard life, was given amazing powers, and wanted to use them for personal gain. This selfishness lead to his Uncle dying and made Peter realise that he had to use his powers to help everybody he could. My question is this… who represents this aspect of Spider-Man best?

Right off the bat, it seems like Garfield might have this one in the bag. His indifference leads him to standing by when a shop cashier is being robbed, which later leads to Uncle Ben being killed by the same man. This has more of an emotional weight than a robber ripping off a corrupt wrestling manager like in the Rami film. However, this leads to him becoming Spider-Man… just so he can hunt down his Uncle’s killer. Which he never actually does, remember? Sure he ends up helping people, but he just sort of falls into it.

Maguire on the other hand becomes Spider-Man AFTER he finds his Uncle’s killer. It’s that moment that leads him to accept his responsibility and help people. Plus, the emotional confrontation he has with Cliff Robertson before he’s killed, when he yells at him to stop pretending to be his father, is way more engaging than Garfield’s scene with Martin Sheen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad scene or a bad performance from either of them. It’s just not as good as the one with Maguire and Robertson.

It’s been a mighty battle but I’ve made my decision. For all the strengths and weaknesses of both characters, Tobey Maguire is the superior Spider-Man!

Maguire: 4

Garfield: 3

Thanks for playing, Andrew. Congratulations Tobey, what’ll you do now that you’ve won? Oh, geez. He’s crying. I forgot he does that alot. Still, it’s better than dancing. OH GOD! Now he’s dancing AND crying! For goodness sake Tobey!