2. Marisa Tomei
By the time Tom Holland was cast as Peter Parker, audiences had already seen two other versions of the character on the big screen. As a result, the Marvel Cinematic Universe went in a different direction from what audiences were used to when bringing the wall-crawler to life, and that was evident in every aspect of Spider-Man: Homecoming. Harry Osborn was dropped in favor of Ned Leeds, and Mary Jane was technically replaced by Michelle Jones as well (who is still M.J., but not the version of M.J. we all knew from other movies and comics). Finally, May Parker was portrayed by Marisa Tomei, who became the youngest actress to ever play that part.
Marisa’s version of the character really evolved throughout the years. She went from being a quirky character who was played mostly for laughs to being the MCU’s version of Uncle Ben. As a result, Marisa Tomei had the ability to display multiple facets of the character, ranging from delivering comedic jokes to portraying a tragic death in the arms of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. Thanks to Marisa Tomei’s acting, audiences were sold on the idea Aunt May could be both a relaxed woman who dated Happy Hogan and also a mature role model for Peter Parker’s life. Her version of May Parker truly had it all.
Unlike Sally Field, Marisa Tomei was given a good script to work with. That was evident specifically in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Marisa played Aunt May as a compassionate woman who genuinely cared for the people surrounding her. After watching her interpretation of Aunt May It was easy to see where Tom Holland’s Peter Parker obtained his goodness from.
As if it wasn’t enough, the scene where May finally tells Peter Parker the speech about responsibility was a highlight of the entire film, only to be surpassed by what happened next. Aunt May’s death is one of the most devastating moments in the MCU so far, and it was able to have such an impact thanks to Marisa Tomei’s and Tom Holland’s acting. Both actors played their part to perfection making audiences cry along the way. That is a testament not only to Marisa’s skills but also to how much of a good fit she turned out to be for the role of Aunt May in the end.