Spider-Man is deceptively strong despite not boasting the same kind of physique as superheroes such as Hulk – but there is evidence for exactly how strong he is in the MCU. Spider-Man’s MCU career has been littered with immense feats of strength both physical and mental, helping to make him one of the most heroic figures in the franchise. He is also among the most prolific since debuting in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, with a back catalog that spans the MCU’s most successful movies.
This isn’t too surprising given Spider-Man is Marvel Comics’ most popular character and mascot. This explains why Spider-Man has so many franchises, from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy to Sony’s animated Spider-Verse movies. Each modern live-action version of Spider-Man boasts many comic-accurate traits, with some excelling in certain areas more than others. Of the many traits they share, the super-strength of Spider-Man is hardly up for debate – with each of them demonstrating some incredible feats of strength in their solo movies and beyond. The true extent of their power might be difficult to pin down for certain comic-accurate reasons, however.
Spider-Man’s Strength In Marvel Comics Explained
Spider-Man Has Performed Some Incredible Feats In Marvel Comics
Spider-Man’s powers stem from a radioactive spider bite in Marvel Comics. This grants him Spider-Like abilities, among them being the ability to lift objects many times above his own body weight. While Marvel explains that Spider-Man is able to lift around 10 tons, and he demonstrates this power multiple times throughout his superhero career, he has been seen lifting far heavier objects. One of his greatest feats of strength, for instance, was lifting the Daily Bugle – a New York skyscraper that would typically weigh in excess of 200,000 tons. Other incredible feats of strength include:
- Snapping a fire hydrant in two
- Catching an armored car
- Spinning a wrecking ball above his head
- Supporting a falling crane
- Pulling down a building
This strength further extends to feats of power, with Spider-Man being famous for “pulling his punches” as they would otherwise prove fatal. This was demonstrated in “The Superior Spider-Man” run of comics, where Otto Octavius’ mind is planted in Peter Parker’s body. Unaware that Parker was holding back in their encounters, Octavius inadvertently punches the jaw off of Scorpion as the Superior Spider-Man. Peter Parker has also demonstrated feats of power with such moments as knocking out an enemy with a finger, punching through multiple walls, and punching through a steel vault.
Spider-Man’s Most Impressive Feats Of Strength In The MCU
Spider-Man Has Demonstrated Similar Feats In The MCU
With the release of Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and the introduction of the multiverse, there are now multiple iterations of Spider-Man in the MCU. The variants from other universes portrayed by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have demonstrated their strength by stopping a speeding train and catching a speeding bus. For the most part, the variant seen in What If…? season 1, episode 5 seems to be indistinguishable from his live-action counterpart. Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, meanwhile, has demonstrated some incredible feats of strength in live-action. These include:
- Holding two halves of the Staten Island Ferry together with his webbing in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- Blocking and holding Bucky’s vibranium arm with one hand in Captain America: Civil War.
- Lifting a falling elevator at the Washington Monument in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- Lifting debris from a collapsed building in Spider-Man: Homecoming.
- Stopping a 3,000-pound car moving at 40 miles per hour from crashing into a bus in Captain America: Civil War.
Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man manages to keep Tom Holland’s Spider-Man from stabbing Norman Osborn, suggesting their strength is equal.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man features many parallels to the MCU, which stands to reason as it is based in an alternate universe. This includes exploring the scenario that Peter Parker was recruited and mentored by Norman Osborn rather than Tony Stark. One of the greatest feats of strength demonstrated by Peter Parker in this universe mirrors the exact moment from Captain America: Civil War in which Spider-Man is seen stopping a speeding car from crashing into a bus.
How Strong Is Tom Holland’s Spider-Man In The MCU?
The Staten Island Ferry Stunt Offers A Figure
It is possible to discern exactly how strong the MCU’s Spider-Man is by looking at his greatest feats of strength in the MCU. The most impressive of these is his ability to hold two halves of the Staten Island Ferry in New York. According to the official City of New York website, the Staten Island Ferry boasts a gross tonnage of nearly 2,800. Given the ferry had been split in two, this means Spider-Man was able to support 1,400 tons in each arm – which is significantly higher than the 10 tons suggested by Marvel.
There are limits to Spider-Man’s strength, however.
There are limits to Spider-Man’s strength, however. During his fight with Thanos on тιтan, he is overpowered by the Mad тιтan twice – with one being more understandable as Thanos holds the gauntlet, but the second time failing to wrestle the gauntlet from Thanos’ grasp even though it had been removed from his hand at the time. Keeping in mind what Spider-Man has been capable of in the past, this goes to show just how powerful Thanos was in the MCU even while not wearing the Infinity Gauntlet.
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Captain America: Brave New World
- Release Date
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February 14, 2025
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Thunderbolts*
- Release Date
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May 2, 2025
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The Fantastic Four: First Steps
- Release Date
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July 25, 2025
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Avengers: Doomsday (2026)
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Spider-Man Homecoming 4
- Release Date
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July 24, 2026
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Avengers: Secret Wars
- Release Date
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May 7, 2027
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Source: City of New York
