Spider-Man has saved the world approximately seventeen times across three different universes, but his greatest achievement might be how consistently hilarious he is while doing it. From Tobey Maguire itchy crotch confession to Tom Holland accidentally sending Nick Fury to voicemail, the wall-crawler has delivered more laughs than most dedicated comedies. And somehow it never undermines the heroics. It actually makes them hit harder.
Tobey Parker was doing awkward comedy before it was trendy. Remember him trying to sell photos to J. Jonah Jameson? Crap. Crap. Mega crap. That is not just a rejection. That is art. Then there is the legendary wrestling scene where he tells the promoter his suit rides up in the crotch. Most superheroes worry about secret identities. Tobey Spider-Man worried about chafing. Relatable king.
Andrew Garfield brought a different energy. His Peter Parker was cooler, snarkier, and absolutely terrible at talking to girls. The scene where he tries to ask Gwen out while she is working in an internship? Painful. Beautiful. Peak comedy. And let us not forget the classroom moment where he claims he does not know Spider-Man while his friend basically outs him in front of everyone. The lying. The panic. The sheer social anxiety of it all.
Then Tom Holland arrived and somehow made Spider-Man even funnier. This Peter Parker has a suit lady who accidentally activates instant kill mode. He has 576 possible web-shooter combinations and no idea how to use any of them. He sends Nick Fury to voicemail and then immediately panics because you do not ghost Nick Fury. He tells MJ he has a perfume allergy to get a seat change on a plane. The kid is a disaster, and we love him for it.
The supporting characters deserve credit too. Ned wanting to be the guy in the chair. Flash Thompson being a fanboy bully. Happy Hogan trying to be a mentor while clearly having no idea what he is doing. MJ calling Peter out on his terrible lies. Spider-Man works because the comedy comes from character, not forced jokes. These people feel real, and real people are awkward.
Even the villains get in on the fun. Doctor Octavius asking Peter if he is one of his students. Mysterio complaining that Tony Stark renamed his life work BARF. The Green Goblin telling Peter that his weakness is morality. Okay, that last one is less funny and more terrifying, but you get the point.
What makes Spider-Man the most comedic superhero is that his humor is baked into the premise. He is a teenager trying to balance algebra homework with alien invasions. Of course he is going to be funny. The alternative is crying, and we have seen enough of that in No Way Home.
So whether you prefer Tobey dorkiness, Andrew snark, or Tom Holland complete inability to function around adults, one thing is clear. Spider-Man is the funniest hero in the multiverse, and it is not even close. Long may he crack jokes while cracking skulls.
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