Tom Holland’s Spider-Man may seem like the least grounded movie adaptation of the wall-crawler, but several MCU scenes prove he has retained his street-level roots throughout the years. Introduced in Captain America: Civil War, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man became an inherently Avengers-level hero when he teamed up with Team Iron Man to fight Team Captain America and later received high-tech suits and gadgets directly from Tony Stark. Holland’s Spider-Man fought powerful villains like the Vulture, Mysterio, and five multiversal Spider-Man supervillains in a rather short span, proving he’s a remarkably powerful live-action Spider-Man variant.

Spider-Man’s interactions with the Avengers and the rest of the MCU is a dream come true for many, but it also comes at the cost of his street-level nature. Unlike Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parkers, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man jumped to larger-than-life threats almost immediately after getting his powers. Holland’s Spider-Man didn’t even create his most iconic suit himself, as Tony Stark was the one who came up with the original design. Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending promises a more grounded future for the MCU’s Spider-Man, but there are multiple moments where Holland’s web-slinger proved he’s a street-level hero just as much as he is an Avenger.

10

Spider-Man Escapes From New York Citizens After Mysterio Reveals His Secret Idenтιтy

Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) & Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

After Spider-Man fights an Avengers-level threat in the form of Mysterio and his fake Elementals, Mysterio lands the most effective blow to Peter Parker’s life. Quentin Beck reveals Spider-Man’s secret idenтιтy to the world, leading regular New York citizens to hound and harᴀss Peter Parker as he tries to escape with MJ. Beck seems to die for good after fighting Spider-Man, but his final move leaves a bigger mark on Spidey’s life than any other villain’s physical attack, and all he has to do is share a video with the Daily Bugle.

Mysterio’s reveal is shown in two parts: Quentin Beck’s video drops the bomb on Times Square in Spider-Man: Far From Home‘s post-credits scene, and Spider-Man escapes the raging crowd in Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s opening scene. Mirroring Spider-Man 2‘s iconic train scene where regular citizens risk their lives to help Spidey, Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s opening sequence marks the first time New Yorkers rebel against Spider-Man on the big screen. This immense pressure is what leads Peter Parker to resort to Matt Murdock and Doctor Strange’s help.

9

Spider-Man Chases Multiple Villains Without Tall Buildings To Attach To

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man’s first MCU encounter with proper villains also presents an unprecedented sight. In Spider-Man: Homecoming, a stubborn Peter Parker chases down Aaron Davis and the Shockers in order to thwart a criminal deal. The problem comes when Spider-Man realizes that he’s running after them in the suburbs, and he struggles to catch up to their van as he tries to swing from low rooftops and trees. Spider-Man’s efforts only manage to alert the Vulture and scare a couple of kids.

Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s suburb chase scene shows what would happen if an inexperienced Spider-Man was caught with no tall building to swing from for the first time on the big screen, and it shows how Peter Parker puts his creativity to the test in adverse circumstances. Spider-Man’s enemies are also as grounded as they come, with only a couple of Chitauri-inspired weapons raising the stakes for both sides. Spider-Man’s next few attempts to stop Vulture’s gang also fail, but his final effort proves to be the right decision.

8

Spider-Man Saves Liz Allan At The Washington Monument

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

In typical Spider-Man fashion, Peter Parker’s regular life gets tangled in Spider-Man’s superhero battles for the first time in Spider-Man: Homecoming, where Peter’s Decathlon team gets caught in a falling elevator inside the Washington Monument due to an exploding device in Ned Leeds’ backpack. Once again, Spider-Man finds himself forced to come up with a creative solution, as he has to crawl up the monument, glide around a helicopter, and stop the elevator from falling with his webs. Spidey is also pressured by the police and saves his current love interest, as he usually does in Marvel comics and movies.

Spider-Man does receive some help from his suit’s Stark technology, which keeps him updated on the state of the elevator and his friends’ exact location. However, it doesn’t change the scene’s grounded tone and stakes. Spider-Man manages to save his friends using almost exclusively his strength, speed, agility, regular web shooters, and most importantly, his ingenuity. Although it takes place in the MCU, Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s Washington Monument scene would have fit perfectly in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man franchises.

7

Spider-Man Fights Vulture, Shocker, And Scorpion On A Ferry

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

After chasing Aaron Davis and the Shockers through the suburbs, Spider-Man confronts Shocker, Mac Gargan, and the Vulture aboard the Staten Island Ferry. Spider-Man finds it easy to fight the former two, but Vulture overpowers Spidey and causes the ferry to split into two. While Spider-Man does everything he can to hold the ferry together, Iron Man arrives to save the day.

Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s ferry scene is infamous due to Spider-Man’s carelessness and Iron Man’s intervention, but it achieves an excellent balance between grounded action and sci-fi extravaganza. Spider-Man’s movements are as spider-like as ever during Spider-Man: Homecoming ferry battle, while Vulture’s attacks reflect his bird inspirations perfectly. While this action sequence borders on unrealistic for Spider-Man’s street-level standards, it captures the tone of Spidey’s one-off Silver Age adventures.

6

Spider-Man Wears A New Costume As He Swings Through New York

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

After Peter Parker accepts the fact that the whole world will forget him, he starts back from scratch in Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s final swing scene. Spider-Man returns to his roots, struggling to make ends meet and fighting crime with no external help. Peter Parker designs and ᴀssembles his own costume, which lacks any technological feature beyond his web-shooters and perhaps his dynamic eye lenses. Then, he swings through New York’s skyline.

It took five years for him to get to this point, but Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s final scene marks the first time Tom Holland’s Spider-Man swings through NYC with his classic costume, no extra tech, and no extra pressure. In comparison, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man had his first casual web-swinging scene in his first movie’s final scene, and Andrew Garfield had his as soon as he created his first suit. Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s ending sequence could be the first of many similar street-level swinging scenes.

5

Spider-Man Fights The Green Goblin In Happy Hogan’s Condo

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

More than halfway through Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man finally fights Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin in what could be one of the most brutal fights in MCU history. Peter Parker and Norman Osborn exchange blows with zero restraint, showing off a variety of different moves they had never displayed in previous movies. Ultimately, Spider-Man and Green Goblin’s first fight leads to Aunt May’s death and the MCU’s official “responsibility” line.

Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s condo battle is the epitome of Spider-Man and Green Goblin’s feud, as Green Goblin enjoys putting Peter Parker through the wringer and Spider-Man struggles to stop Norman Osborn even though he takes his strength to the limit. Green Goblin also waits until Spider-Man is weakened and vulnerable to use his weapons and kill Aunt May, similarly to how the villain waits until the very end to attempt to kill Peter in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man and actually murder Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

4

Spider-Man Uses His Spidey Sense To Detect Green Goblin’s Betrayal

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

Before Spider-Man and Green Goblin fight for the first time in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the MCU delivers one of the most intense Spider-Man scenes to date. Peter Parker gives each of his multiversal villains a cure to their powers, but his Spider-Sense warns him about an oncoming threat. Peter calms down to focus his Spider-Sense, and he discovers that the Green Goblin has already taken over the meek Norman Osborn.

Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s Spider-Sense scene uses all the tricks in the book to make Norman Osborn’s Green Goblin reveal a tense moment. The camera work, sound design, score, and performances hone in on Peter Parker’s desperation to find out who’s going to betray him. Though it may be obvious for Marvel fans, Norman Osborn’s evil turn is still effective, and it sets the stage for Spider-Man and Green Goblin’s first fight.

3

The Vulture Discovers Peter Parker Is Spider-Man

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Another MCU Spider-Man scene on the same level of tension as Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s Green Goblin reveal scene is the moment when Adrian Toomes finds out Peter Parker is Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming. While driving Peter and Liz Allen to their prom party, Adrian Toomes begins to suspect Peter Parker is linked to the hero who’s thwarting his criminal activities. Once Liz mentions that Peter disappeared after visiting her house, Vulture confirms Spider-Man’s secret idenтιтy. Toomes has a “dad talk” with Peter, which consists of threatening him if he puts Liz’s life in danger and keeps interfering with Toomes’ business.

Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s “dad talk” scene is purely dialog-based, but it also drops some interesting hints at both characters’ thoughts. Adrian Toomes and Peter Parker exchange different looks through the rearview mirror every time a new clue is revealed, and the lights reflecting on Toomes’ face change color as soon as the puts the pieces together in his mind. This scene also cements Michael Keaton’s Vulture as a villain who just wants to keep his criminal life to himself instead of killing innocents or taking over the world.

2

J Jonah Jameson Blames Spider-Man For Aunt May’s Death

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

The lowest point in Spider-Man’s MCU story comes when J. Jonah Jameson lambasts Spider-Man for wreaking havoc in Happy Hogan’s condo, painting Spider-Man as a criminal precisely when Peter Parker is mourning Aunt May’s death after failing to heal the multiversal villains. Peter Parker cries in the rain atop a rooftop watching Jameson humiliate him on a huge screen.

J. Jonah Jameson and Peter Parker never see each other in person in Spider-Man: No Way Home, yet Jameson’s decision to denounce Spider-Man at his lowest point makes him just as evil as the movie’s other five villains — without the need for any superpower or physical attack. Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s J. Jonah Jameson rooftop scene makes up for Jameson’s absence in previous MCU movies, and it captures the character’s essence in a matter of minutes. The scene’s extraordinary cinematography and score is the cherry on top.

1

Spider-Man Finds The Strength To Lift The Rubble

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

After Iron Man takes the tech-enhanced Spider-Man costume from Peter Parker in Spider-Man: Homecoming, Peter doubles down on his attempt to stop the Vulture by himself, but Adrian Toomes leaves him for ᴅᴇᴀᴅ under a collapsed building. Wearing his homemade costume, Peter Parker finds the strength to lift the rubble before it crushes him. Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s rubble scene is an homage to Marvel Comics’ “If This Be My Destiny” Spider-Man arc, where Spidey achieves a similar feat.

Probably the most inspiring moment in Peter Parker’s MCU origin, Spider-Man: Homecoming‘s rubble scene centers exclusively around Peter Parker’s inner strength. It proves that what makes Spider-Man special isn’t his gear or his superpowers, but his ability to push the boundaries of his body and mind against all odds. Peter Parker is at his most vulnerable, and he achieves an unprecedented feat of power all by himself.

Upcoming MCU Movies

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  Thunderbolts*

  Release Date

  
  May 2, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  The Fantastic Four: First Steps

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  July 25, 2025
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Doomsday

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  May 1, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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  July 31, 2026
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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  Avengers: Secret Wars

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  May 7, 2027
  

  
  
  
  

  
  

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