Chris Klimek presides over a multiversal showdown between two of the most beloved Spider-Man films: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 and the animated Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

One is a live-action, early-2000s studio blockbuster that crystallized the modern superhero movie — grounded in practical effects, emotional melodrama, and a deeply human Peter Parker torn between responsibility and desire. The other is a radically stylized animated film that reimagines what superhero storytelling can look like, embracing comic book form itself as its visual language.

Arguing for Spider-Man 2 is Matt Singer (Marvel's Spider-Man: From Amazing to Spectacular), who makes the case that Raimi’s film remains the definitive Peter Parker story. Arguing for Spider-Verse is Daisy Rosario, who contends that the film not only updates but expands the Spider-Man mythos.

Which one better captures the essence of Spider-Man — and why does that question remain so difficult to answer? Choose your winner at moviedeathmatch.com.