For the last few months, I’ve been seriously considering canceling my Disney Plus account. I’ve been unimpressed with the service’s Marvel TV shows for a while, and I checked out of the Star Wars universe after enduring the disastrous Rise of Skywalker in theaters. But my account is staying active for now, thanks to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on PS5.
It probably seems very strange to be sticking with one of the best streaming services because of a video game. After all, it’s not like you get access to the game via Disney Plus, or that the service includes some sort of companion TV show or movie. Instead, the reason that playing Spider-Man 2 over the last few weeks for review purposes has reignited my interest in Disney Plus because the service packs a treasure trove of Spidey content.
If you’re a fan of the friendly neighborhood superhero, then Disney Plus is an invaluable streaming service. Playing through Insomanic’s brilliant new PS5 exclusive has got me diving into Disney’s massive catalog of classic Spider-Man movies and shows. I’ll likely still end up canceling Disney Plus eventually, but the wallcrawler has delayed that day for now.
Which Spider-Man movies are on Disney Plus?
If you’re looking for Spider-Man movies, there’s plenty of choice on Disney Plus. For starters, there’s the complete Sam Raimi trilogy. Creatively titled Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, these movies were released between 2002 and 2007 and are beloved by millennials such as myself. Not only do they still hold up to this day, but numerous scenes and quotes have since become iconic internet memes.
Both Amazing Spider-Man movies are also streaming on Disney Plus, but are a mixed bag. The chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, who play Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy, is palpable but the villains are weak, and the second movie feels messy as it was used as a vehicle to set up numerous spin-offs that never ultimately saw the light of day. Maybe watch the first The Amazing Spider-Man, but feel free to skip the sequel.
Unfortunately, the latest trilogy starring the version of Spidey within the Marvel Cinematic Universe is not complete on Disney Plus. The first installment, Spider-Man: Homecoming is available, but its two sequels aren’t. They’re on Starz instead. Even worse, neither of the two Spiderverse movies has made it over to Disney Plus either.
Which Spider-Man shows are on Disney Plus?
Disney Plus really shines when it comes to animated Spider-Man shows. These are the main reasons why I’m keeping my subscription active for at least another month as I’m currently binge-watching several of my personal favorite Spidey series.
There are plenty of shows to choose from but my personal top two picks are Spider-Man (1994) and The Spectacular Spider-Man. The latter is often considered one of the best interpretations of the character ever, and while it’s not quite as good as fellow 90s superhero cartoon Batman: The Animated Series, it definitely gives its X-Men counterpart a run for its money. Meanwhile, The Spectacular Spider-Man was tragically canceled after two seasons due to a rights disagreement, but the 26 episodes we got are pretty much all excellent, and feel like pure Spider-Man fun.
I’d recommend avoiding Spider-Man (2003): not only is the cel-shaded animation extremely ugly, but it was envisioned as a followup to Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man movie before 2004’s Spider-Man 2 directly contradicted the show and it was written out of canon. Ultimate Spider-Man is another skippable series thanks to its overly silly tone and inclusion of other heroes that dilute the focus from Peter Parker.
If that’s not enough Spider-Man action for you, there’s also the 80s Spider-Man show (the pointing meme originated here), alongside Spider-Man (2017), Spider-Man Unlimited, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends and Spider-Woman. That’s probably enough Spider-Man content to keep you busy until Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 launches on PS6.
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