Spider-Man is one of the most iconic and profitable superheroes of all time. First introduced in 1962 in the pages of Amazing Fantasy #15, Spider-Man has gone on to star in countless comic books, TV shows, video games, and films over the past 60 years. With so many different actors portraying the web-slinging hero across various mediums, there is an ongoing debate amongst fans about which Spider-Man made the most money overall based on the financial success of their Spider-Man projects. To determine which Spider-Man raked in the most dough, we need to look at the box office earnings of the Spider-Man movies each actor starred in, as well as their salaries and any revenue generated from related video games or merchandise. The main actors who have played Spider-Man that we will compare are Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland.
Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Earnings
Tobey Maguire was the first to play Peter Parker on the big screen in the 2000s Spider-Man film trilogy directed by Sam Raimi. Maguire starred in Spider-Man (2002), Spider-Man 2 (2004), and Spider-Man 3 (2007). According to reports, Maguire earned $4 million for the first Spider-Man film. His salary increased substantially for the sequels, where he earned $17 million for Spider-Man 2 and $15 million for Spider-Man 3. The Raimi Spider-Man trilogy grossed over $2.5 billion worldwide at the box office, with each film earning over $700 million. In addition to his sizable salaries, Maguire likely earned backend bonuses based on the films’ profits. While he did not voice Spider-Man in any theatrical video games, Maguire’s likeness was used in many Spider-Man video games during this era like Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, which further added to his earnings through likeness rights payments. Overall, Maguire earned around $36 million for his three Spider-Man films, along with potentially millions more from merchandise and gaming royalties.
Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Earnings
After Tobey Maguire’s tenure ended, Andrew Garfield took over the role of Peter Parker in 2012’s The Amazing Spider-Man reboot and its 2014 sequel. Reports indicate that Garfield earned around $500,000 for the first Amazing Spider-Man film, but his pay was bumped up to $2 million for The Amazing Spider-Man 2. The Amazing Spider-Man films grossed over $1.5 billion total at the worldwide box office. While Garfield did not earn backend bonuses like Maguire did, he still earned a decent amount from his upfront salaries. Garfield also voiced Spider-Man in two theatrical video games tied to his films – The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 – which likely earned him additional income. Between his two Spider-Man movie salaries and video game voice roles, Garfield made around $2.5 million total for playing the webhead. Although lower than Maguire’s total, Garfield earned a respectable amount for his brief stint as Spider-Man before the rights went back to Marvel.
Tom Holland’s Spider-Man Earnings
Current Spider-Man actor Tom Holland has potentially earned the most from playing the superhero due to his prominent role in the lucrative Marvel Cinematic Universe. Holland first appeared as Spider-Man in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, and has since been the web-slinger in five MCU films: Spider-Man: Homecoming, Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man: Far From Home, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. While Holland’s salaries for the individual Spider-Man movies have not been publicly reported, his paydays have likely been sizable. Industry insiders estimate Holland earned around $250,000 for his Civil War cameo, then between $1.5 million and $3 million for his standalone Spider-Man films. On top of that, he likely earned additional fees for appearing in the Avengers crossover events. The five movies Holland has appeared in as Spider-Man have grossed a mind-blowing $6.9 billion worldwide. Even if Holland only earned a few million per film, when counting his backend bonuses from these extremely profitable hits, his total Spider-Man earnings are likely over $15 million and counting.
In addition to the live-action Spider-Man movies, Holland has voiced the webslinger in a few LEGO projects and also starred as Spider-Man in Disney’s SpideX-Man ride at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure theme parks. These extra gigs have supplemented Holland’s income even further. At just 25 years old, Holland has many more earning years ahead of him as Spider-Man as well, especially with another MCU Spider-Man trilogy reportedly on the way. Of the three Spider-Men compared, the money leader seems to be Tom Holland by a significant margin when accounting for his MCU box office dominance.
Other Notable Spider-Man Actors
A few other actors have donned the Spider-Man costume across television, video games, and animated films over the decades, also earning nice paychecks for their time as Peter Parker:
- Nicholas Hammond played Spider-Man in the live-action TV series The Amazing Spider-Man (1977-1979). He likely earned a few thousand dollars per episode for the role.
- Christopher Daniel Barnes was the voice of Spider-Man in the popular 1990s animated series. He added over 100 episodes of voice acting to his resume.
- Rino Romano voiced Spider-Man in the 2000 Spider-Man Unlimited animated series for one season.
- Neil Patrick Harris portrayed Spider-Man in the MTV 2003 animated series Spider-Man: The New Animated Series.
- Josh Keaton provided the voice of Spider-Man in several video games such as Spider-Man: Edge of Time.
- Dan Gilvezan voiced Spider-Man in the 1981 solo Spider-Man animated series for one season.
Although their earnings were modest compared to the Hollywood blockbuster Spider-Man actors, these voice actors and television Spider-Men had the honor of portraying the beloved character to generations of fans.
Conclusion
Looking at the numbers, Tom Holland has clearly made the most money so far by being Spider-Man, raking in over $15 million and counting from just his live action appearances. Tobey Maguire trails behind with around $36 million earned from his trilogy. Andrew Garfield made a respectable $2.5 million for his two Amazing Spider-Man films. And the animated/TV Spider-Men likely earned a few thousand dollars here and there for their voice work. Holland’s prominence in the MCU has been by far the most financially rewarding for any actor. With his young age and the massive box office hauls of his MCU films, Holland has many years left to extend his earning lead and cement his status as the highest paid Spider-Man. But Maguire and Garfield also deserve credit for laying the foundation for the role that Holland now benefits from. In the end, all these actors have gained fame and fortune by playing the same friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.
