Totally agree with this. In a way, I’m actually a little shocked that it seems like he’s the big fan favourite, especially recently. I never thought that many people cared that much for his portrayal. (The films on the other hand, yes. We all love them)
Tbh I still wonder what would have happened had they recast Tobey with Jake Gyllenhaal in Spider-Man 2. I do think he could have elevated that particular version of the character a little more. Around that time, I think he fit the part better than Tobey. He had a similar look to him, but was a little more conventionally handsome, which personally, is how I think of Peter Parker. He’s been portrayed as awkward, but handsome nerd more than the complete dweeby wallflower.
in regards to Garfields Peter, I really don’t understand all the hate it gets. I get that they made him a little more “cool” with his hoodie and skateboard and many think it made him less believable as the unpopular nerd, but take it from someone who was in high school around that time, the skaters didn’t have girls swooning over them. Maybe a couple in their tiny little cliques, but overall, the hoodie wearing skaters weren’t really that popular, so I think it was actually a fairly realistic take on the character, just updated a little.
Personally, I much prefer that to the extremely geeky kid of the Tobey films.
those films are still undoubtedly the best and IMO are only now being topped with NWH (largely due to the inclusion of so many characters from those films), but the lack of chemistry throughout those films really brings it down for me. Rewatching them recently, it really just feels like actors playing a role. Whether it’s between Peter and MJ, Peter and Harry, or even Peter and Aunt May. Not to say they didn’t play the roles well, but there was a disconnect there.
With the Garfield and Holland films, those same relationships (Peter and his S.O., Aunt May, and his friends) feel so much more authentic, regardless if the films were better or not.
That is why to me, Garfield and Holland are the better versions of the character.