Every Major Actor from ‘Spider-Man’ Franchise Who Died

The ‘Spider-Man’ franchise spans decades of films, animated series, and multiverse adventures, and along the way it brought together a remarkable group of performers. Many of these actors helped define characters that fans still quote, debate, and revisit, whether it’s the wise voice of a newsroom editor, the steady presence of a beloved uncle, or a quick cameo that became a tradition.

This tribute looks back at the major performers from across the franchise who have passed away. You’ll find the roles they played, where they appeared in the ‘Spider-Man’ universe, and the impact of their work on the stories and characters fans know so well.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee appeared in nearly every modern Marvel film with quick, playful cameos, and ‘Spider-Man’ was no exception. He pops up in the Raimi trilogy, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ films, the MCU’s ‘Spider-Man’ entries, and as an animated shop owner in ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’. His on-screen moments became a signature element fans looked for, and his presence tied together different eras of the character on film.

Beyond cameos, his influence is baked into the character himself. As co-creator of Spider-Man in the comics, he shaped the core idea of a teenage hero learning responsibility, which the films and shows repeatedly adapt. His brief appearances celebrate that legacy in a way audiences instantly recognize.

Cliff Robertson

Cliff Robertson played Uncle Ben in the Raimi trilogy, providing the moral foundation that drives Peter Parker. His portrayal of Ben includes the pivotal scene that sets Peter on his heroic path, and his performance is woven through the films via memory and motivation. He appears in ‘Spider-Man’ and returns through flashbacks and references in later entries of the trilogy.

Robertson’s version of Ben is referenced across the franchise as a touchstone for Peter’s decisions. Even when subsequent films introduce different mentors and losses, the lessons attributed to Ben echo throughout later stories, reinforcing how central his role is to understanding the character.

Bill Nunn

Bill Nunn portrayed Robbie Robertson, the level-headed editor at the Daily Bugle in the Raimi films. As J. Jonah Jameson’s pragmatic deputy, Robbie provides context and balance in the newsroom scenes, often acting as a quiet advocate for Peter. He appears throughout the trilogy and helps ground that side of Peter’s life.

Robbie’s character also connects the Bugle to Peter’s journey outside the suit. The newsroom is a repeating pillar in ‘Spider-Man’ adaptations, and Nunn’s performance helped define how that institution operates on screen, influencing later portrayals of the Bugle and its staff.

Michael Massee

Michael Massee appears in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and its sequel as the shadowy figure often called the Man in the Shadows or Gustav Fiers, a character tied to larger conspiracies around Oscorp. His scenes set up unanswered questions meant to seed future stories, leaving a mysterious thread that fans still discuss.

Massee’s appearances underscore how the ‘Amazing’ films explored the hidden machinery behind Peter’s world. Even with limited screen time, his character signaled a broader network of villains and experiments, shaping the series’ tone toward secret agendas and long-game plotting.

Irrfan Khan

Irrfan Khan plays Rajit Ratha, a key Oscorp executive in ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’. His character drives plot decisions around cross-species genetics research, placing him at the center of events that eventually intersect with Peter and Dr. Curt Connors. Ratha’s actions push the film’s science storyline forward.

His role adds corporate pressure and urgency to the narrative. By embodying the business side of Oscorp’s experiments, Khan helps frame the ethical stakes around the technology that creates threats Spider-Man must face, giving the film a more grounded sense of cause and effect.

Ed Asner

Ed Asner voices J. Jonah Jameson in ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series’. His performance gives the character a booming authority and rhythm that many viewers associate with Jameson to this day. The animated series reaches a wide audience in syndication and streaming, keeping his take on the editor in circulation.

Asner’s Jameson also sets a baseline for how the Bugle functions in animated adaptations. Later animated shows and even live-action versions benefit from the cadence and choices he established, making his work an enduring reference point for the character.

Roscoe Lee Browne

Roscoe Lee Browne voices Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, in ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series’. His deep, measured delivery gives the villain a calm menace that suits Fisk’s status as a mastermind. Kingpin’s presence connects street-level crime to larger conspiracies, and Browne’s voice work helps sell that scope.

This version of Kingpin became a template for later animated interpretations. The character’s blend of civility and intimidation, voiced with precision, makes him a standout antagonist in the show’s rogues’ gallery and strengthens many of the series’ multi-episode arcs.

Efrem Zimbalist Jr.

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. voices Doctor Octopus in ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series’. His portrayal emphasizes intelligence and obsession, adding dimension to a scientist whose inventions become instruments of control. Episodes featuring Doc Ock are often pivotal, and his voice performance anchors those conflicts.

Zimbalist’s work helps define the balance between Otto Octavius’s brilliance and the danger of his experiments. That balance informs later versions of the character in animation and live action, where the line between mentor and menace remains a central theme.

John Paxton

John Paxton appears in the Raimi trilogy as Bernard Houseman, the Osborn family butler. He provides key information and quiet support in household scenes, especially around Harry Osborn. Though not a headline character, Bernard has a crucial role in pivotal moments that affect Harry’s choices.

Paxton’s presence ties together the Osborn storyline behind the superhero battles. By anchoring scenes in the family home, he adds continuity and context to the emotional stakes of the trilogy’s climax, linking personal revelations to the larger conflicts.

Joan Lee

Joan Lee voices Madame Web in ‘Spider-Man: The Animated Series’. The character guides Spider-Man through complex, multiversal challenges, introducing ideas that later become central in modern films and shows. Her performance lends the mystical figure an authoritative warmth.

Madame Web’s episodes expand the series beyond a single city, hinting at larger realities and destinies. That concept foreshadows later on-screen multiverse stories, making Joan Lee’s portrayal an early building block for the franchise’s bigger canvas.

Paul Soles

Paul Soles is the original animated voice of Peter Parker and Spider-Man in the classic ‘Spider-Man’ series from the late 1960s. His performance helped define the character for television audiences, setting early expectations for Peter’s thoughtful, slightly anxious tone.

The show’s widespread reruns kept that sound in the cultural memory for years. Soles’s work established a vocal blueprint other actors would adapt, connecting the earliest television portrayal to the long line of animated and live-action versions that followed.

Share your thoughts in the comments and tell us which performances meant the most to you and why.