Spider-Man has been one of the most popular superheroes for over 60 years, and most of those years had a corresponding TV series. With Spider-Noir on the way, we're set to have three unrelated Spidey shows running at once — more than superheroes tend to get, with a potentially overwhelming variety of suits, villains, and people under the mask populating the airwaves. That's why the television side of Spidey's web is large enough to tackle in this Heist Guide!
What makes Spidey TV so unique is just how distinct the shows are from one another. Not only do they evolve with changes in animation styles and cultural sensibilities, but the entire perspective and approach to Spider-Man as a character can shift radically. If you only know Spidey from the live-action movies, for example, the versions you see piloting a giant robot or having Looney Tunes-style antics might feel pretty alien (and we're not talking about the symbiote).
So whether you're a Spidey newbie or a seasoned fan who wants to dip your toes into other adaptations, this guide is here to help you navigate the many Spidey TV installments and find the ones that make your spider-sense tingle.
Who is Spider-Man?
He does whatever a spider can! Created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko for Marvel Comics in 1962, the first and most common version of the wallcrawler is Peter Parker in the red and blue tights, the one who's headlined the live-action films. He spins a web any size, catches thieves just like flies, etc. You probably already know the Spider-Man basics.
Brooklyn teen Miles Morales also owns the moniker, and a whole bunch of other spider-folks have populated the pages and screens over time, creating a sprawling web of spider-themed characters who have appeared on television.
How much Spider-Man TV is out there?
Depends on what you're counting! There are roughly 15-ish Spider-Man-led shows so far, plus others led by Spider-Women, and even more that heavily feature or guest star a spider-person. On average we get about two or three Spidey shows a decade, all showcasing wildly different takes on the character.
Are the shows that share a name with a comic series specifically adapting that series?
Pretty much every Spidey show with a name corresponding with a comic title (Spider-Man Unlimited, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, etc.) is just using the title because it sounds cool, not because it has anything to do with those specific comics. Ultimate Spider-Man was touted as an adaptation of its namesake early on — even its comic writer Brian Michael Bendis worked on it — but aside from adapting a few plots and character designs, it too is a very different beast.
Okay, but where do I start?
Listen bud: You don't need radioactive blood for this. Every Spider-Man show is a new spider-universe, so you can start anywhere. But not every show is the Spider-Man you know. In fact, a good chunk of his shows are predicated on sticking Spidey in very un-Spider-Man-like stories — Spidey leading a team, Spidey staging a political uprising on another planet, Spidey as a mentee to Norman Osborn, etc. If you're looking for pure, unadulterated Spider-Man, you've got options. And if you're bored with the familiar Peter Parker stories, you've got just as many.
Web me up. I'm ready.
Alright, here are the big spider-led TV shows to pay attention to, organized by decades.
The 1960s
Spider-Man (1967-1968): Five years after his comics debut, Spider-Man got his first cartoon on ABC – and it's essentially two different shows! The first season, a Grantray-Lawrence production, is where all the memes like "Spider-Man pointing" come from. Mostly made up of 11-minute segments, both classic and new Spidey villains appeared in animation akin to comedy toons like Pink Panther, and stories center on Peter Parker (voiced by Paul Soles) working at the Daily Bugle newspaper. After the animation studio went bankrupt, a young Ralph Bakshi – yes, of Fritz the Cat and the animated Lord of the Rings fame – took over for season 2, rebooting the show into a moody, youth culture-centered psychedelic trip filled with underground mole people and green-skinned aliens. It was low budget even for its time, but excels with the vibes of a pulpy sci-fi/fantasy paperback. Plus, the entire series has a stellar jazz score and that earworm of a theme song.
The 1970s
"Spidey Super Stories" on The Electric Company (1974-1977): Spider-Man's first ever appearance in live action might not be where you'd expect: an educational children's sketch comedy show on PBS, The Electric Company! "Spidey Super Stories" was a recurring segment, which pit a silent Spider-Man (who only communicates with word balloons, like a comic book) against pun-tastic comedy villains including a birthday bandit, a movie-interrupting Dracula played by Morgan Freeman, and a yeti who sits on cakes. It won't fulfill your taste for superhero action, but it's low-budget silliness and absurdity at its finest.
The Amazing Spider-Man (1977–1979): The first serious attempt at a live-action Spider-Man was in line with CBS's other primetime superhero shows of 1977, The Incredible Hulk and Wonder Woman – generally grounded crime stories with a dash of action that could be pulled off on a TV budget. Nicholas Hammond's Peter Parker has the normal Spider-Man trappings, but this show curiously omits Uncle Ben in his origin story and doesn't include any of his rogues gallery. The biggest reason to watch is for the first attempts at wall-crawling and web-swinging in live-action, stunts that were probably OSHA violations, and would become less prevalent as the series went on. Despite high ratings for its pilot movie, it only did well with children and not the adults CBS wanted to cater to, and thus was cancelled after 13 episodes.
Japan's Spider-Man (1978-1979): Spidey was already a popular character in Japan, and when Marvel collaborated with the Toei Company, they reinvented him for a 41-episode tokusatsu series. For the uninitiated, tokusatsu is a Japanese genre of special filming techniques that often include practical effects and suitmation (a la Godzilla) with a focus on flashiness, artifice, and imagination. Think Kamen Rider and Ultraman, then combine that with Spider-Man stunts, and you've got magic. Takuya Yamashiro, like Peter Parker, gains spider powers from a spider bite, but the difference is that the spider came from another planet, he inherited a flying car and a giant transforming robot called Leopardon, and he fights machine monsters sent by the Iron Cross Army who then grow kaiju-sized. It's not a good introduction to traditional Spider-Man, but it's a perfect entry point for tokusatsu. Also, the success of Leopardon inspired Toei to add giant robots to its Super Sentai series, hugely bolstering its success until it made its way to the U.S. So you can thank Spider-Man for Power Rangers!
Spider-Woman (1979-1980): After a decade of no new animated Spider-Man on TV, Spider-Woman swooped in to the rescue! Paul Soles reprises his role as Spider-Man in a couple of episodes, but the biggest hero inspirations here are Wonder Woman and Superman. Jessica Drew (Joan Van Ark) is the editor of Justice Magazine, and in addition to her flying, psychic, venom blast-shooting alter-ego, she also scours the world for stories in her "jetcopter" with kid nephew Billy and horrible misogynist photographer Jeff. Calling this show bonkers would be an understatement. It's a series where Spider-Woman befriends the Loch Ness Monster, stops an invasion of alien mummies, fights a 6-inch-tall Frenchman piloting a human-sized robot of himself, and faces knock-offs of Bond villains, Darth Vader, and Wookiees. It's one of the most fun spider-shows out there!
The 1980s
Spider-Man (1981-1982): If you want the most no-frills Spider-Man, this syndicated series is the one. It's got Spidey fighting his rogues gallery and working at the Daily Bugle, but it doesn't delve much into Peter's personal life or explore any complexity in the villains. Weirdly, Doctor Doom is the main villain for six of the 26 episodes, constantly trying to take over the United Nations with robots. Otherwise there are a few standout stories, including a shrunken Spider-Man, Mysterio opening a mind-controlling disco, and Aunt May being hypnotized into killing her nephew. It's a serviceable – even if sorta forgettable – introduction to the character.
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends (1981-1983): Developed alongside the solo 1981 toon, thus sharing the same artstyle and music, this sister show overshadowed it in cultural memory. Airing on NBC, it featured Spidey joining the X-Men's Iceman and the newly-created Firestar (with pet dog Ms. Lion!) as a trio of crime fighters and roommates in an ambiguous love triangle. The goofy plots are a highlight – writers like Christy Marx (creator of Jem and the Holograms) and prolific sci-fi author Donald F. Glut combine Marvel villains like Red Skull or Magneto with dinosaurs, mind-controlling bees, living video game creatures, and reality-manipulating old men, crafting an absurdly fun show that still ranks among many fans' favorites.
The 1990s
Spider-Man: The Animated Series (1994-1998): Generally accepted as the iconic Spider-Man show, this Fox Kids tentpole was meant to be a toy-driven follow-up to a live-action film by James Cameron. The movie never happened, but John Semper's 65-episode cartoon became the most influential Spidey series ever, practically inventing the versions of the symbiote and Blade you know today and experimenting with theme-based serialized storytelling and the Spider-Verse. Though the first three seasons sometimes sport solid animation by TMS Entertainment, budget restraints result in sub-par visuals in most episodes, while the breakneck pace and rapid editing (19-minute episodes!) can be dizzying. It's true extreme 90s, too, with Aerosmith's Joe Perry going hard on the electric guitar-driven theme and every character being as buff as a bodybuilder. But it's worthwhile for the strong operatic writing that echoes loquacious comic book dialogue, delivered by some of the best voice actors of the '90s (no one can monologue like Christopher Daniel Barnes). The show embraces the tragedy of classic Spider-Man stories, and breaks your heart as much as it excites you.
Spider-Man Unlimited (1999-2001): Fox Kids wanted another Spider-Man series, but the rights to classic Spidey elements were off-limits due to the concurrent development of what would become Sam Raimi's 2002 film. That meant story editor Will Meugnoit was tasked with making a Spider-Man cartoon that was not particularly Spider-Man-like. What results is a dark sci-fi series where a nanotech-suited Spidey crash lands on Counter-Earth, a parallel planet ruled by anthropomorphic animal people called Beastials (see: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3). What stands out are the show's political undertones: humans are a mistreated underclass living in slums, and Spider-Man becomes an accidental revolutionary leader in the rebellion. It isn't really a Spider-Man show, and sometimes feels like a poor imitation of Batman Beyond, so unsurprisingly it was despised when it aired and cancelled on a cliffhanger after 13 episodes. But it's by far the most interesting show of the bunch, especially if you enjoy sci-fi about societal uprisings and/or are a furry.
The 2000s
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003): On the heels of the 2002 film, MTV produced Spidey's first fully CG-animated series, intended as a hip primetime show aimed at older audiences and following Peter Parker (Neil Patrick Harris) in college. The MTV influence is most prevalent in its cast, courting Gen X with Lisa Loeb and Ian Ziering as leads, and a list of guest stars that included Eve, Kathy Griffin, and even Michael Clarke Duncan reprising his role as Kingpin from the Daredevil film. Its take on "mature stories" often veers into nihilistic edginess – you'll find characters getting violently murdered and decapitated, and its detached worldview makes it a downer with questionable politics. The rudimentary CG by Mainframe Entertainment (Reboot, Beast Wars) is not the studio's best work, either, and MTV quickly burned off all 13 episodes before a swift cancellation. That said, the vibes are what to come here for, especially if you're into industrial club beats and cool shots of Spidey in the full moon.
The Spectacular Spider-Man (2008-2009): Widely regarded as the best Spider-Man show of them all, this toon has dream team Greg Weisman (Gargoyles) and Victor Cook (Scooby Doo! Mystery Incorporated) at the helm, crafting a series that elegantly updates and distills classic comic stories and interweaves them with character-based writing and teen soap that would make primetime WB proud. If you love arc structure, wordplay, and experimental storytelling, you'll love this one. If you're put off by the big-eyed stylized designs at first, watch them in motion for beautifully fluid animation, brutal fight sequences, and impeccable character emoting. It's got a stacked cast of voice acting greats, too, led by Josh Keaton as an appropriately flawed young Peter Parker. Despite high ratings and critical acclaim, the sale between Sony and Disney put this show in legal limbo, resulting in its cancellation at 26 episodes – but most would agree that all 26 are bangers. If you just want a great TV show in general, this is the one to watch.
The 2010s
Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-2017): Run by Ben 10's Man of Action, this divisive cartoon is a zany, comedic take full of Family Guy-style cutaways that jump-started an entire Disney XD Marvel Animated Universe. The shadow of the early MCU is heavy over this one – even Clark Gregg's Phil Coulson shows up – and it follows Spidey (Drake Bell) joining S.H.I.E.L.D. as the leader of a hodgepodge team of heroes. Currently the longest running Spider-Man show at 104 episodes, it changes drastically over its four seasons, but never loses the fast-paced irreverence that makes a lot of adults on the internet angry. If you can get past the cringe humor, you'll be treated with tons of Marvel deep cuts, top-notch animation, innovative explorations of the Spider-Verse, and even J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson and Donald Glover voicing the first ever animated appearance of Miles Morales.
Marvel's Spider-Man (2017-2020): Initially billed as a "back to basics" Spider-Man, the next Disney XD cartoon quickly pivots from that idea, instead becoming a tech-heavy show with Peter Parker (Robbie Daymond) and other spider-folks at a school for science geniuses. Miles Morales, Gwen Stacy, and Anya Corazón all suit up as spiders, and it adapts modern Marvel story arcs like Superior Spider-Man and Horizon Labs. It also focuses less on Peter as a romantic figure and instead centers the very sweet and affectionate friendship between Peter and Harry Osborn, certainly spawning a whole lot of fanfiction. Despite a negative reputation, this is a fun, feel-good show with some big swings and a healthy 64-episode run. Well worth checking out.
The 2020s
Spidey and His Amazing Friends (2021-present): Unrelated to the '80s series, this CG-animated Disney Jr. show is essentially Paw Patrol meets Spider-Man. Peter Parker/Spidey, Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider, and Miles Morales/Spin (a bizarre new moniker for Miles) are re-imagined as young children a la Muppet Babies, and they solve colorful and imaginative preschool problems with their extremely toyetic robots. If you're older than four, then what's most fun about this show is its theme song by Fallout Boy's Patrick Stump and its silly reimaginings of villains, like a comically neurotic Hawaiian shirt-adorned Lizard. With a renewal through season 6, it's on track to become the longest running Spider-Man series.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025-present): Though burdened by MCU burnout and bad press in the lead-up, this Disney Plus show is a refreshing treat. Based on the concept of "What if Peter Parker was mentored by Norman Osborn instead of Tony Stark?" showrunner Jeff Trammell (Craig of the Creek) steers this series into unexpected territories that directly challenge the recent directions of the MCU with a grounded, socially-aware story. Colman Domingo's Osborn is stellar, and the biggest surprise is the show's focus on Lonnie Lincoln/Tombstone as a second protagonist. The '60s Romita-inspired character designs truly stand out, and though the animation style takes getting used to, it yields killer action sequences. This is a real fun one for fans of Tom Holland's Spidey, but if you're put off by what feels like tired multiversal shenanigans at the start, don't worry – you'll be very rewarded.
Spider-Noir (2026): A prestige Spider-Man show?! The first live-action Spidey series in over 45 years might be the biggest swing yet: a black and white noir series set in an alternate 1930s New York, with Nicolas Cage reprising his animated role as Spider-Man Noir from Into the Spider-Verse. Oren Uziel (22 Jump Street) and Steve Lightfoot (The Punisher) are showrunners, with Lamorne Morris and Brendan Gleeson in the supporting cast. Its eight episodes are set to premiere on MGM+ and Amazon Prime in 2026.
Other Notable Shows
These aren't quite mainline Spidey shows, but they still prominently feature a spider-person.
Iron Man: The Animated Series (1994-1996): Wait, we're shoehorning Iron Man into this? Well, long before the MCU made Iron Man and Spider-Man deeply interlinked, the short-lived 90s Iron Man cartoon featured Julia Carpenter/Spider-Woman as a main character … and even Tony Stark's love interest! Jennifer Hale (Black Cat on the Spider-Man: The Animated Series) voiced Spider-Woman in season 2, and this version of Iron Man and War Machine cross over into Spidey's concurrent series, so the connection is stronger here than you think.
Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers (2014-2015): Toei's long relationship with Marvel continued with an Avengers anime – specifically, a "gotta catch ‘em all" mon-style anime where Marvel heroes like Iron Man and Captain America are trapped in holographic color-coded disks that children collect and use in battle. Yes, it's literally Marvel-meets-Pokémon and Digimon, and it's as incredible as it sounds. Though this isn't a Spidey-led show, Peter Parker is an important character – one of the only heroes who isn't trapped inside a disk, in fact – and even gets his own symbiote suit storyline. This show never made it to the U.S., but an English dub with Spidey voiced by Robbie Daymond (Peter Parker of the 2017 cartoon) does exist.
Marvel Superhero Adventures (2017-2020): These preschool shorts aired on Disney Jr. as five-minute segments introduced by the Spidey from the 2017 cartoon. Presented in a digital puppet-rigging style of animation, the segments always include Spidey learning lessons by getting into hijinx with other Marvel heroes, from Captain Marvel to Miles Morales, all with cutesy chibi-type designs.
Where else can I find Spider-Man on TV?
So you watched through those hundreds of episodes and still aren't out of web fluid. Luckily, you'll see Spidey pop up in plenty of crossovers! Shared universes are the obvious go-tos.
X-Men: The Animated Series (1992-1997, 2024): The relationship between the two Fox Kids Marvel cartoons is interesting. While the X-Men play major roles in multiple episodes of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, Spidey only has the tiniest of cameos in X-Men – literally just his hand appears in part five of "The Phoenix Saga." The revival series X-Men ‘97, however, surprised everyone when the 90s Spider-Man cameoed, albeit briefly and unvoiced, along with Mary Jane and Flash Thompson in parts one and three of "Tolerance is Extinction." Whether Spidey makes a significant appearance in later seasons remains to be seen!
Marvel Animated Universe on Disney XD (2012-2020): Both the Ultimate and 2017 iterations of Spidey recur across multiple episodes of Avengers: Assemble, Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., and Guardians of the Galaxy. (No, the continuity doesn't make any sense between those two Spider-Men.)
MCU on Disney Plus (2020-present): In the What If…? series, Spider-Man appears in the "What If…Zombies?" episode, which is also the debut of Hudson Thames as an animated Peter. Spidey was reportedly meant to be in a season 2 episode described as "Children of Men with Spider-Man," but it was deemed "too dark" to produce.
There's gotta be more than that, right?
Wanna swing even farther? Here are some standout, or at least, weird and interesting, one-off appearances on TV.
Muppet Babies (1984-1991): The episode "Comic Capers" has the babies venture through various newspaper comics, but the most memorable bit is an appearance from both animated Spider-Man and live-action Stan Lee! Since the classic toon was produced by Marvel Productions, they had the opportunity to legally include Spidey and ran with it. Bonus points for showing various Muppets in the red and blue tights.
Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes (2006-2010): The episode "Frightful" sort of features Peter Parker as a Daily Bugle photographer…but he notably never suits up or is even referenced as Spider-Man. In fact, despite being a significant character in the episode, the show takes great pains to never explicitly name him, even though promotional materials and interviews do. It was likely a loophole to get through those pesky licensing shenanigans that plagued Spidey throughout the 00s.
The Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (2010-2012): Spidey guests in three episodes, most prominently in "Along Came a Spider…". The behind-the-scenes story is a bit tragic The creators were fans of The Spectacular Spider-Man and sought to have Josh Keaton reprise his role to give him a send-off after his show's cancellation. Keaton recorded his lines, but then his dialogue was replaced by Disney with the then-current Ultimate voice Drake Bell, and Keaton didn't learn about it until the episode aired.
Phineas & Ferb: Mission Marvel (2013): Spider-Man, Venom, and other Marvel characters get tangled up with the Disney Channel comedy series in this lighthearted hour-long special. They even get a musical sequence out of it!
Marvel Future Avengers (2017-2018): Like Marvel Disk Wars, we've got another Marvel anime, this time produced by Madhouse. Unlike Disk Wars, this one did make its way to the U.S. and is widely available. Spidey only has a small role in this series, though, with a three-episode arc involving Green Goblin.
Marvel Rising (2018-2019): This series of animated specials follows a diverse and woman-centric team of young heroes, including Gwen Stacy/Ghost-Spider. The Battle of the Bands installment centers on her the most.
LEGO Marvel Superheroes (2013-present): These short films initially released on Disney XD and featured Spidey in a handful of installments, most prominently in LEGO Marvel Spider-Man: Vexed by Venom. Being LEGO specials, they're high-energy and irrelevantly funny.
Where else have the TV versions of Spidey appeared?
Comics: In addition to their own tie-in comics and scattered references, the 2014 "Spider-Verse" and 2018 "Spider-Geddon" comics included the worlds of Spider-Man (1967), Amazing Friends, and Japanese Spider-Man, along with The Animated Series and Unlimited as one combined continuity.
Film: The 1967, Unlimited, and Spectacular Spideys all appear in Across the Spider-Verse – the latter even gets an impactful spotlight. Japanese Spider-Man was reported to appear by Phil Lord, which hopefully means he'll show up in Beyond the Spider-Verse.
Video Games: Though not technically the same versions, video games are the place to go to hear voice actors reprising their TV roles. The 2000 Spider-Man game includes numerous voices from The Animated Series and Unlimited returning as their TV characters. Then, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Edge of Time were intentional TV homages by bringing in previous Peter Parker voices (Neil Patrick Harris, Christopher Daniel Barnes, Josh Keaton, and Dan Gilvezan) to voice Spider-Men. Most recently, Insomniac's Spider-Man games had Nadji Jeter and Nancy Linari reprise their roles from the 2017 series as Miles Morales and Aunt May, respectively.
I know what I'm watching. Where can I find these Spider-Man TV shows?
Disney Plus: This is the best home for Spider-Man TV right now. All released shows on the main list are streaming except for the live-action shows, Spider-Man (1967), The New Animated Series, and Spectacular, though the latter two did briefly stream and were removed for unknown reasons. It's unlikely that Spider-Noir will stream on Disney Plus after its release.
DVD/Blu-Ray: The complete series of Spider-Man (1967), The New Animated Series, and Spectacular are on DVD, with the latter also on Blu-Ray. A few episode collections of The Animated Series exist, but no full series release.
Amazon Prime: All shows on the main list are available for rent except for the live-action shows, Spider-Man (1967), Spider-Woman, Spider-Man (1981), and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. This will also be a home for Spider-Noir after it debuts.
Got a favorite Spidey series? Let us know your thoughts over on Bluesky!
If you haven't already, consider supporting worker-owned media by subscribing to Pop Heist. We are ad-free and operating outside the algorithm, so all dollars go directly to paying the staff members and writers who make articles like this one possible.
