Since kicking off in 2002 with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man, the friendly neighborhood wallcrawler has been played on the big screen by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland. With the 8th live-action Spider-Man film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, continuing to dominate at the box office, it seemed like a good time to take a closer look at some of the women who've shared the screen with Spidey.
Zendaya
Spider-Man's current leading lady, Zendaya has appeared as Michelle "MJ" Jones in Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), and Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021). MJ is the MCU take on classic comic book love interest Mary Jane Watson. Zendaya is a former Disney Channel star and is also known for her roles in The Greatest Showman, Dune, and the HBO teen drama Euphoria.
Emma Stone
Emma Stone played Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) opposite Andrew Garfield. Gwen is another classic Peter Parker love interest from the Marvel Comics series. Stone is best known for her roles in La La Land, Easy A, and The Help.
Kirsten Dunst
Kirsten Dunst was our first big screen MJ, playing Mary Jane Watson opposite Tobey Maguire in director Sam Raimi's three Spider-Man movies in 2002, 2004, and 2007. Dunst broke out as a child actor in Interview with the Vampire and Jumanji, and has gone on to adult roles in films like The Power of the Dog, Melancholia, and Hidden Figures.
Laura Harrier
Actress and model Laura Harrier played Liz in Spider-Man: Homecoming. The character was Peter Parker's love interest in that movie and also turned out to be the daughter of supervillain the Vulture. Liz was a nod to comic book character Liz Allan. In the comics, Liz has been a supporting character and occasional romantic interest since the earliest Spider-Man stories in the 1960s. You've also seen Laura Harrier in BlacKkKlansman, The Last Five Years, and 4th Man Out.
Bryce Dallas Howard
Bryce Dallas Howard was actually the first actress to play Gwen Stacy in 2007's Spider-Man 3. Howard is known for her acting work in Jurassic World, Rocketman, and The Help. She's also an accomplished director with episodes of The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett on her resume.
Marisa Tomei
Marisa Tomei has played Peter Parker's Aunt May since Spider-Man arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Captain America: Civil War (2016). Aunt May is traditionally an elderly woman with white hair, but they went a very different direction when casting MCU version of the character. Tomei is know for roles in The Wrestler, The King of Staten Island, and What Women Want. She won the 1993 Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her work in My Cousin Vinny.
Elizabeth Banks
Elizabeth Banks played Betty Brant in all three Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies. The character has traditionally worked at the Daily Bugle as J. Jonah Jameson's secretary. Not a huge role in these movies, but Betty has been a supporting character and occasional love interest for Peter Parker since the earliest issues of The Amazing Spider-Man. Banks is best known for her acting work in the Hunger Games and Pitch Perfect movies. She has also directed movies including Charlie's Angels (2019) and Pitch Perfect 2.
Photo: Getty Images