With Spider-Man: Brand New Day coming out on July 31st, we’re getting a fourth Tom Holland (and Zendaya) Spider-Man movie, and cool. I’m looking forward to it. However, do you know what gets me down? The fact that we never got that fourth Tobey Maguire Spider-Man flick.

Because, honestly, a fourth Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie has always been a dream of mine. Yes, I do love how Raimi came back to Marvel and brought his horror sensibilities to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, but his Spider-Man movies (most notably Spider-Man 2) were the first time that I really thought Hollywood nailed comic book flicks.

So, even though I’m cool with a fourth Tom Holland Spidey movie, here’s why I still wish we got that fourth Tobey Maguire Spider-Man film.

I Liked Spider-Man 3, But It Was Kind Of A Mess

A lot of people really love Tom Holland’s third Spider-Man movie, No Way Home, and I’m one of them. I especially loved seeing my favorite cinematic Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, return, as well as Tobey Maguire. However, one might argue that No Way Home was a bit overstuffed, and really shouldn’t have been a multiverse movie at all. Because in a lot of ways, there was a bit too much going on in that film.

Well, speaking of “too much going on,” I think the king of that is 2007’s Spider-Man 3, which had so many subplots going on that it really did feel like being trapped in a web. We had Peter and MJ’s relationship falling apart. We had a new villain in Sandman. We had Topher Grace being Peter’s rival, Eddie Brock, who eventually became Venom. We had Bryce Dallas Howard as Peter’s new love interest, Gwen Stacy. We had James Franco becoming the New Goblin. I mean, it was all just TOO FREAKING MUCH!

And, honestly, it wasn’t a great film to end the trilogy on. Because, yeah, while I love a great trilogy just as much as the next person, I genuinely feel like a middling third movie can taint the other two films. For example, take The Dark Knight Rises. I know some people love that movie, but besides it being one of the weaker Christopher Nolan movies (if you ask me), I also just think it brings down the other two movies, which were both bangers. And I think the same goes for Spider-Man 3, which I don’t even hate.

Because that’s the thing. I DON’T detest Spider-Man 3 as so many people do. However, it’s such a mess that I think it brings down the other two films when viewed as a whole. So, I think a fourth movie could have fixed that problem, especially given what the fourth movie might have been…

What We Know About What Spider-Man 4 Could Have Been Sounds Pretty Cool

Am I the only one who wanted a fourth Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie? No, of course not, as there are plenty of fans who want this as well. That said, do I want a NEW version of Spider-Man 4? No, not really. Because this article isn’t about the future, or about getting Raimi back in the saddle to direct another Spider-Man movie. No. This is more of a “what-if” scenario, as in, What-if we got that fourth Spider-Man movie back in 2011? How cool would that have been?

Well, according to ScreenRant, the fourth, cancelled Spider-Man movie might have featured John Malkovich as Vulture (We’d later see Michael Keaton fill that role in Spider-Man: Homecoming), and Black Cat might have also been in the film, possibly played by Anne Hathaway, who would later go on to play Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises, so apparently, she was always destined to be a cat person. Cooler still though, was that Bruce Campbell might have been in the movie as Mysterio (Who Jake Gyllenhaal would later play in Spider-Man: Far From Home).

There is also speculation that Dr. Curt Connors, who was played by Dylan Baker in Maguire’s Spider-Man films, might have actually finally transformed into The Lizard. And, do you know what this sounds like to me? It sounds like the beginning of the Sinister Six! Now, I know The Sinister Six was supposed to get their own movie in The Amazing Spider-Man universe, but that was ultimately scrapped, which I’m not particularly mad at since I genuinely detest The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (I’ll actually get to those movies in a second).

A movie with then-unseen characters like Vulture, The Lizard, and Mysterio vs. a seasoned Spider-Man? How could you NOT have wanted to see that?

I Kind Of Like The Amazing Spider-Man Films, But I Also Kind Of Wish They Never Existed

As I said earlier, Andrew Garfield is my favorite Spider-Man, but I’m sorry, The Amazing Spider-Man 1 and 2 are quite possibly the worst Spider-Man flicks ever made. I mean, the first one wasn’t terrible. In fact, I actually kind of dig it. But that second TASM is arguably the worst in the entire franchise (though some may say Spider-Man 3 edges that out).

That’s another reason why I wish a fourth Tobey Maguire movie got released. It would have meant that we likely never would have gotten a reboot of the franchise, and thus, no TASM movies at all. Would this be a bad thing? Well, in a sense, yes, since it means that we never would have gotten my favorite Peter Parker/Spider-Man in Andrew Garfield. However, it also means that we never would have gotten THAT version of The Lizard, or THAT version of Electro.

It also means that we wouldn’t have gotten Gwen Stacy’s death mishandled so poorly. It also means that we wouldn’t have gotten Spider-Man: No Way Home, as there wouldn’t have been multiversal Spider-Men to pull from, which is probably just best saved for the Miles Morales Spider-Man movies anyway.

Honestly, in a lot of ways, it’s actually kind of hard to imagine the ripple effect that a fourth Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movie might have had if it had ever been made. For example, would we still be getting Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies to this very day? It makes one wonder…

I Love Tom Holland, But Similar To Hugh Jackman Being The Only Wolverine, I Wish Maguire Was The Only Spider-Man

…and it leads me to this conclusion: If we had gotten that fourth Spider-Man movie, then Tobey Maguire might still be the only actor to have played the webhead in the live-action films. You might think this is absurd, since the powers that be would definitely want a younger Peter Parker eventually, but just look at Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. There has only been one live-action version of the character (Let’s ignore Deadpool & Wolverine’s variants for a moment), and that would be cool if there was only one live-action Spider-Man, too.

Because while I do like Tom Holland in the role, I’d much prefer it if we only had one live-action Spider-Man, similar to Wolverine. I love how Maguire is an older Spider-Man, since that’s my favorite version of the character, and I think his getting older could be a good plot point, rather than him repeatedly being brought back to high school age.

Aside from everything I’ve already mentioned, I think this is the biggest reason why I wish there had been a fourth (successful!) Spider-Man movie with Tobey Maguire, and it’s because I’d love to only see him underneath the mask. But alas, we'll never know.

What do you think, though? Do you wish there was only ONE live-action Spider-Man actor, and a fourth movie with him in it? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a giant place, and there are plenty of upcoming Marvel movies that fans are looking forward to. Next up will be Destin Daniel Cretton's Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which will pick up Tom Holland's title character after No Way Home's ending. A few pages of the script were recently released online, including a fun homage to Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire.

Fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order lost it when the three Peter Parkers united in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Cretton shared three pages of No Way Home's script (via EW), including annotations by the director. One such note is about the hero's new suit, reading:

Honestly, I love this. While there are plenty of fans hoping to see Maguire and Garfield's Peter Parkers return to the MCU in future projects like Avengers: Secret Wars, this is already one example of how their legacy lives on. Peter's new suit is inspired by their multiversal crossover, which is why it has a more traditional blue and red look to it.

While Tom Holland's suits have always been fitted with Stark Industries tech, things will be different in Brand New Day. Peter is completely on his own, and his suit will therefore look a bit more homemade. Although I have to wonder if Doctor Strange's spell from No Way Home also erased the memories of the other two Peter Parkers, in addition to everyone in Earth-616.

Only time will tell if we'll ever see the three Peter Parkers back on the big screen together, but it's fun to hear how Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire's Spider-Men are still influencing Brand New Day. And it explains why we'll be seeing a more traditional suit worn by Holland's hero when he hits theaters this summer.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day's first trailer thrilled fans, especially thanks to its inclusion of both Jon Bernthal's Punisher and Mark Ruffalo's Bruce Banner. But there are still countless questions about the movie, including its villain, and who Sadie Sink will be playing. Marvel will likely keep its cards close to the chest, but with the movie arriving in a few months we should be treated to new footage soon.

All will be revealed when Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters on July 31st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully we're given a full trailer in the near future.

When it comes to celebrities and their love lives, many of them have developed a reputation for the kind of people they go after, and it’s not always the most flattering. Leonardo DiCaprio would fall into that category, as the 51-year-old’s penchant for dating women in their 20s was even joked about at the Golden Globes. Well, Lisa Rinna just spilled some hot tea, as she revealed that the One Battle After Another star has “hit up” her twentysomething daughters Amelia and Delilah.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star — who you can also see on the current season of The Traitors, streaming with a Peacock subscription — appeared on Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, where she confirmed or denied rumors about her life. When asked if Leonardo DiCaprio had ever approached either 27-year-old Delilah or 24-year-old Amelia, who Lisa Rinna shares with Harry Hamlin, she confirmed:

The 62-year-old Housewife wasn’t done, though. After Andy Cohen joked that it was something of a rite of passage for famous models in their 20s to catch the eye of the Titanic star, Rinna continued:

Andy Cohen confirmed that he knew of at least one more older guy who was apparently interested in Lisa Rinna’s daughters, though they kept the name under wraps.

Leonardo DiCaprio is currently dating 27-year-old model Vittoria Ceretti, who is only the latest in a line of younger women who have been attached to him, including Bar Refaeli, Gigi Hadid and Camila Morrone.

It’s not super surprising to hear that he and Tobey Maguire allegedly have similar interests in women. They’ve been friends for a long time as two members of the unfortunately named early aughts friend group the “Pussy Posse.” The Spider-Man star was even one of the murderers’ row of celebrities who attended Leo’s 50th birthday party in 2024, and both actors were reportedly part of the real-life poker game that inspired Aaron Sorkin’s Molly’s Game.

Tobey Maguire, 50, has also been reported to date younger women, as he was attached to Lily Chee, who was 20 at the time they allegedly dated in 2024, and 20-year-old influencer Mishka Silva, who he was seen with at Super Bowl LX earlier this month.

According to Lisa Rinna, though, the actors’ interest in her daughters was not reciprocated. Delilah has reportedly been dating actor Henry Eikenberry since 2023, while Amelia announced in late 2025 that she was dating Guess heir Nicolai Marciano.

Amelia Hamlin was previously in a relationship with Scott Disick — the father of Kourtney Kardashian’s three oldest children — who is 18 years older than Amelia. They dated for about a year, and much to Lisa Rinna’s delight, the couple broke up in 2021.

I have to wonder what Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire think of The Traitors star’s revelation — as well as her daughters! — but I guess you can always count on a Housewife to spill the tea.

If you thought the Marvel Cinematic Universe had already exhausted its biggest “no way they actually did that” moments, a new rumor suggests we may not even be close. A claim making the rounds online about the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday suggests the 2026 movie release could feature a multiversal showdown that feels ripped straight from fan-fiction dreams. We are talking Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man squaring off against Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, with their entire worlds on the brink of collision.

What The Rumor Actually Claims

The claim comes from well-known X scooper MyTimeToShineHello, who says the upcoming Marvel movie will feature a showdown between Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. According to the post:

If accurate, the rumor confirms that both actors would be returning as their legacy versions, something Marvel did not reveal during last year’s five-hour livestream character reveal, and this would also raise the stakes significantly. Framing the fight as part of a multiversal incursion directly builds on the groundwork laid by Loki, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Spider-Man: No Way Home. In other words, this wouldn’t just be a cool crossover moment; it would be a collision years in the making. So how are fans reacting to the possibility?

How Fans Are Reacting

People on X are reacting exactly how you’d expect: half thrilled, half suspicious, and half ready to fight the scooper (yes, that’s three halves — welcome to the multiverse). Here’s a roundup of the responses:

• @iiFARii197991: “If this doesn’t happen i’m gonna unfollow”
• @Rob429196272475: “Two Icons”
• @strangedft: “Peak 🔥”
• @sasha280809: “So the plan of Marvel is to erase all the old movies that became canons thanks to multiverse”
• @ShadyMo34239931: “Isn’t wolverine with Deadpool now?”
• @Ag3nt077: “They gonna be mates later in the film?”
• @FaziluF: “Can we expect Andrew Garfield's spiderman again in any future projects ?”
• @AymarTimothy: “These spoilers are annoying as fuck”
• @DawidK520: “I hear this since Russo's had been set do direct Doomsday and Secret Wars....just stfu cause I'm tired seeing the same news since that day, give us something new”
• @Jeancholidis: “Idk how marvel hasn’t gotten to u with all your spoilers lol”
• @Ashtoncrouch: “This wolverine is based with the TVA”

Taken together, it’s a familiar mix of excitement and fatigue, which is understandable when you’re talking about two of the most iconic superhero movie characters of the early 2000s. Still, as chaotic as the reactions may be, this wouldn’t be a fight pulled out of thin air. Spider-Man and Wolverine actually have a long, intense history of clashing in the comics.

My Take on Spidey Vs Wolverine

Marvel has a history of pitting the “Web Head” against "The Ol' Canucklehead," and this onscreen battle would be paying off a clash decades in the making. The most famous example is the 1986 one-shot Spider-Man vs. Wolverine, which proved how naturally these two collide, both physically and philosophically. Spider-Man’s absolute refusal to kill runs headfirst into Wolverine’s lived-in brutality. Now add the fact that this would reportedly pit Hugh Jackman’s Fox-era Wolverine against Tobey Maguire’s early-2000s Spider-Man, and suddenly it feels even bigger as audiences will watch two legacy versions, two entire cinematic universes, colliding at the possible end of one of them.

To be clear, this rumor is far from confirmed. But if Marvel truly wants Avengers: Doomsday to feel like a capital-E Event, this is exactly the kind of swing that could make it happen. Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man and Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine are emotional cornerstones for two different generations of fans. And seeing them collide on the big screen would be overwhelming in the best way. I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t absolutely lose it in the theater.

Until then, I’ll settle for revisiting the entire MCU movie slate in order, multiverse saga chaos and all, with my Disney+ subscription.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, thanks to new projects hitting theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. The most highly anticipated upcoming Marvel movies are Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars, and there are countless rumors about what those titles might contain. A new circulating online claims that Tom Holland won't be the actor playing Peter Parker, but instead we'll be seeing the return of Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man. Let's break this all down.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is super limited, leading fans to fill in the blanks with theories and rumors. The Doomsday cast announcement revealed most of the actors who will appear, but more surprises are expected. Scooper Daniel Richtman (Via ComicBook) claimed that Maguire will once again return as Spider-Man following his thrilling role in No Way Home. And my mind is pretty blown.

Moviegoers who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order have seen just how beloved Tom Holland's Peter Parker is. And since his fourth movie Brand New Day is arriving prior to Doomsday, the belief was that if anyone was going to play Spider-Man it would him. So the idea of Maguire swinging into the action is definitely going to turn heads.

Of course, we should probably take this rumor with a grain of salt for the time being. There are countless reports about what might be going on in The Russo Brothers' next two Avengers movies. This is thanks to Marvel's tight security, as well as the endless possibilities of the multiverse. So there's currently no guarantee that Maguire will be Doomsday's Peter Parker.

Another reason why people think the OG Spider-Man is going to be in the blockbuster is because Tobey Maguire was spotted in London by a fan back in September. Once he posted on Twitter, the comments section was filled with speculation about Doomsday. This has happened to a number of actors who were spotted across the pond during the next Avengers movie's production.

Fans freaked out when the three Peter Parker actors united for Spider-Man: No Way Home, especially when they worked together on that epic final battle. With Maguire and Andrew Garfield officially part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans have been hoping to see them once again pop up on the big screen. We'll just have to see if Maguire get to do just that in Avengers: Doomsday, or if this ends up being a rumor that doesn't actually come to fruition.

Since Spider-Man: Brand New Day is the next MCU movie heading to theaters, the character has been the subject of a ton of discussions. Fans are curious to see what came of Holland's Peter Parker after No Way Home's ending erased him from the world's memory... including MJ and Ned.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day will arrive in theaters on July 31st, and Avengers: Doomsday will follow suit on December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list.

Tom Holland remains the latest actor to play the role of Spider-Man across a series of films. However, as Holland works on the latest installment in his own trilogy, rumors continue to swirl around potential Marvel projects for his predecessors, including Tobey Maguire. As of late, it’s been alleged that another Spidey flick headed up by Maguire could happen, and writer Mattson Tomlin fanned the flames when he revealed he was “trying” to pitch it. I’ve wondered whether this will actually happen, and Tomlin just shared his two cents.

When it comes to the superhero genre, Mattson Tomlin is arguably best known for his (uncredited) work on The Batman, and he also co-penned the sequel in an official capacity with director Matt Reeves. Tomlin knows how to tell a great Gotham City-based story, but it seems he has a keen desire to spin (no pun intended) a yarn about Sam Raimi’s web-slinger. Tomlin revealed earlier this month on that he was hoping to pitch a fourth film in the franchise and, when someone asked him whether he thinks it’ll happen Tomlin said:

That’s honestly a very measured take from the Project Power scribe, who shared those comments on X while participating in a Q&A session with fans. It seems the writer honestly isn’t sure if such a superhero project will ever come to fruition. However, at the same time, Tomlin also confirms he hasn’t received a hard “no” at this point. Overall, these sentiments convey the tough reality of pitching something in Hollywood while also providing Spidey fans with at least a small glimmer of hope.

Mattson Tomlin isn’t the only person who recently expressed optimism about the prospect of a fourth Spider-Man film set in Sam Raimi’s continuity. Mary Jane Watson actress Kirsten Dunst expressed a willingness to reprise her role, and she even has a fun idea. Dunst would love to see a story that involves Peter and MJ as parents (and I wouldn’t mind that at all). Ahead of that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield were wrapped up in rumors regarding their characters allegedly showing up in future Sony-produced flicks.

While that speculation continues, Tom Holland’s fourth Spidey flick remains in production, and there’s been considerable hype surrounding it. Plot details are being kept under wraps by the teams at Sony and Marvel Studios. However, it’s known that the film will serve as a new chapter for Holland’s Parker, who will apparently also cross paths with Jon Bernthal’s Punisher and Bruce Banner’s the Hulk. On a more subtle note, Holland is also honoring Maguire and Garfield’s Spider-Men with some sweet alterations to his suit.

It remains to be seen if Tobey Maguire will be donning his own suit at some point, whether it be for his own solo film or another installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s multiverse saga. All the way, though it seems Mattson Tomlin is keeping hope alive in regard to the possibility that a fourth film in Maguire’s series happens.

Stream Sam Raimi’s three Spider-Man films now using a Disney+ subscription.

Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man trilogy is what made me a fan of new superhero movies. For years, the scrapped fourth film has been my ultimate “what if”—the one sequel I’ve always wanted to see. And, lately, with all of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse chaos, there’s been real buzz about Raimi and the original cast possibly being up for another round. Even Kirsten Dunst is game, and she’s got an A+ idea for how she and Tobey Maguire could return. I want it so bad I can taste it.

During an appearance on The Supes Show podcast on YouTube, Dunst was asked if she’d ever return as Mary Jane Watson. Her answer wasn’t just yes, but came with a bold new angle that makes all the spidey-sense in the world. She responded:

That’s right, Dunst is open to returning, especially if the story explores Peter and MJ as parents. Aging superheroes navigating family life is one of the most compelling angles out there. It would also be a natural evolution for the characters of that era, with their relationship already one of the most grounded and emotional in superhero films; adding the chaos of parenthood could take that depth even further. It also lines up with established comic lore and other Spidey media.

In some comics, and in Across the Spider-Verse, Peter and MJ have a daughter: Mayday Parker. She’s both sharp and fearless, and she's already swinging from webs as a toddler (thanks to Peter, who immediately regretted making her web-shooters). Picture Tobey Maguire’s Peter trying to keep up with a tiny superhero–or even a teenager–while MJ keeps the family from falling apart. It’s ripe for storytelling potential and, for Sam Raimi, it’s a rare shot to explore legacy and fatherhood in a Spider-Man film, a lane no one’s fully driven in yet.

After Tobey Maguire’s return in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside the other Spideys, anything feels possible for his version of the character. Tom Holland’s Brand New Day is set to hit the 2026 movie schedule, and Stranger Things star Sadie Sink has been cast in a mysterious role. Some fans have speculated she might be playing a version of Mayday from another universe, possibly even the Raimi timeline. Is that likely? Probably not. But, if it turns out to be true, I’d be all in.

Now, with Dunst expressing interest and the idea of a “Spider-parents” storyline on the table, momentum is quietly building again. Writer Mattson Tomlin (of The Batman fame) recently revealed he’s actively trying to pitch Spider-Man 4—one that specifically explores Tobey’s Peter Parker balancing life as a husband and father. The writer took to his X account, writing:

That tracks. Stories about superhero parents are compelling, from Logan to Across the Spider-Verse to even Multiverse of Madness. Also, with the MCU’s multiverse still wide open, there’s no reason Sony couldn’t greenlight a legacy sequel that leans into this maturity aspect.

For now, Sony’s attention is on Tom Holland’s next new Spider-Man film, but I don't think that means a Sam Raimi continuation is off the table. Kirsten Dunst is ready. Mattson Tomlin’s ready. The fans are more than ready. It’s time to make it happen, because this is the closest Spider-Man 4 has come to being possible in over a decade.

While we wait—and hope—for any updates, Spider-Man fans will have to make do with rewatching the original trilogy and the newer MCU films, which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

I should start this by saying we’re not lacking for upcoming Spider-Man movies. Tom Holland will return as the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Peter Parker when Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrives to the 2026 movies schedule, and the animated Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse will follow in 2027. However, if a third Spider-Man movie could be added to the slate, it sounds like one of The Batman writers is game to tackle one focused on Tobey Maguire’s version of the Web-Slinger.

This all started when a fan shared that the rerelease of the Maguire-starring and Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man movies grossed $2.25 million last weekend across nearly 1500 theaters. When that same fan tagged Mattson Tomlin, who worked on The Batman’s script with director Matt Reeves and Peter Craig, suggested that this money should go towards writing a Spider-Man 4 script, the writer simply said this on X:

Was he joking, or is he sincerely interested in writing a fourth installment in the original Spider-Man film series? There was a time when Spider-Man 4 was in active development, but various factors led to the Tobey Maguire sequel being scrapped. That paved the way for the Amazing Spider-Man film series led by Andrew Garfield, but that film series also came to an unceremonious end after just the two movies. That’s how we got Tom Holland putting on the costume in the MCU, starting with his debut in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, and Spider-Man: Homecoming following the year after.

While it was great to see the Maguire, Garfield and Holland’s versions of Peter Parker team up in Spider-Man: No Way Home, many fans have been hoping since then that Spider-Man 4 will be revived. Sam Raimi even shared how he’d approach the movie given how much time has passed since Spider-Man 3. We didn’t get much insight into what’s happened to Maguire’s Peter since he defeated Venom and Sandman, and lost his friend Harry Osborn, so there’s a lot that can be explored.

Whether Mattson Tomlin would work with what had originally been planned for Spider-Man 4, like including Vulture and Black Cat, or he would start from scratch is a mystery. Either way, considering how much I like The Batman and am eager to see what he and Matt Reeves have written for 2027’s The Batman: Part II, I’d welcome Tomlin putting his own spin on this shelved project. Unfortunately, with Tom Holland’s Spider-Man film series still going, the chances of this movie actually happening seem slim.

There is an alternative, though. Mattson Tomlin has experience writing comic books, like Batman: The Imposter for DC Comics, as well as BRZRKR: Fallen Empire and A Vicious Circle for Boom! Studios. If he received permission to write a Spider-Man 4 script, maybe Marvel would be willing to turn it into a comic book miniseries. DC’s done similarly in recent years with its Batman ’89 and Superman ’78 comic books, so why couldn’t the Tobey Maguire continuity live on in a different medium?

Again, at least we have Spider-Man: Brand New Day to look forward to on July 31, 2026, but if any kind of progress can be made on making Spider-Man 4 some kind of reality, I’ll be pleased Meanwhile, we’ll see Mattson Tomlin’s next DC contribution when The Batman: Part II is released on October 1, 2027.

It’s been a little over four years since Tom Holland last suited up as everyone's favorite wall crawler. Now, however he's currently deep into filming the fourth installment of his Spidey franchise. As of late, the Uncharted actor has been giving fans a bit of a look behind the curtain on the upcoming Marvel movie. With that, he just shared one way the film is paying homage to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s takes on the character, and boy is it cool. And I honestly can’t believe I missed this.

Tom Holland just gave fans a classy reason to zoom in on every stitch of his Brand New Day costume. Over on Complex Pop Culture’s Instagram, the account highlighted fresh quotes from its recent interview with theImpossible star that confirm what some fans have already been picking up on. Holland's new suit is a love letter to the Maguire and Garfield Spider-Man costumes. He told the outlet:

After the second and third look, I see how the upcoming Spider-Man flick is paying homage to its predecessor. Later in the same conversation, Holland spelled out the thinking behind the mash-up:

I recently wrote about what I hope Holland’s Spidey will learn from the Raimi-era films, but costume didn’t even cross my mind. However, if you’ve been tracking the on-set glimpses and official teases, the visual breadcrumbs line up. The raised webbing absolutely evokes Maguire’s vibe. Simultaneously, the sleeker black chest emblem and proportions nod toward Garfield’s suit, specifically, the near-perfect Web Head costume from The Amazing Spider-Man 2.

This absolutely is not an instance of copy-and-paste. Essentially, it's more so a tasteful blend of what came before, and that is a fantastic way to go.

What I love most is how the homage choice doubles as character work. Following the ending of No Way Home, Peter is operating without Stark tech, without his family and friends and without a safety net. Building a suit that carries DNA from his “big brothers” is such a beautiful little nod and way to honor the legacy of the chapters of the character before this MCU iteration.

The sentiment above definitely tracks with Holland’s recent comments about being more hands-on with this movie’s creative direction. Holland apparently dug into what fans responded to and shaped Peter’s next step with intention.

It’s clear Tom Holland’s Peter Parker is literally wearing his influences on his sleeve, and I’m so here for it. If, like me, you keep a calendar for all things new superhero movies, be aware that Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits the 2026 movie schedule on July 31 with production already in motion.

Installments in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy are among the best superhero movies of all time and are still watched today. Through those 2000s films, a new generation was introduced to awkward teen Peter Parker, who had to navigating life after a spider bite turned him into a full-fledged hero. I'ver personally rewatched the initial 2002 installment in the Tobey Maguire-led franchise (which is streamable with a Disney+ subscription). However, even I was surprised when an eagle-eyed fan made note of a wild error in the film.

One of the best battle sequences in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man is the final battle between the titular hero and the Green Goblin. The web-slinger’s villainous foe delivers violent blows towards him, and it's hard watching Peter on the verge of being broken down. Plus, much of that scene plays without a musical score, as the focus remains on the raw intensity of the moment. Interestingly, an ever-astute X user named @InternetH0F noticed one particular BTS goof involving a Green Goblin stunt:

Well, now we know the trick behind Green Goblin being able to nail that impressive flip! A trampoline was underneath the stunt actor, and it allowed him to accomplish that stunt. Whenever I watch the movie moving forward, it's going to be hard for me not to envision this, that's for sure.

Per the post's caption, this Spider-Man clip came from the unseen open matte version of the movie, which gets cropped to a widescreen format for its theatrical release. Because open matte versions reveal more of the frame than originally intended, it’s not unusual to catch things that weren’t meant to be visible—like a trampoline.

When you find clips of this scene on YouTube, the trampoline is non-existent. It’s hard to know if the movie mistake is in the DVD cut, but it’s apparently seen in the TV edit, at the very least.

It's hard not to chuckle when spotting major movie mistakes, and there are plenty of notable ones. A perfect example would being the sight of a car in a wide shot from the first Lord of the Rings movie. Of course, it's also hard to forget the infamous Starbucks cup that appeared in Game of Thrones. Still, at least a Spider-Man crew member quickly took the trampoline out of the shot instead of leaving it there.

While Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy used CGI and green screens, you have to commend the comic book adaptation for its brilliant use of practical effects. For example, the scene in which Peter catches Mary Jane’s falling lunch tray with all of the food landing perfectly on it took Tobey Maguire 156 takes. As time-consuming as that shot must have been for everyone on set, the payoff was well worth it.

Just when I thought I'd seen every bit of detail within Spider-Man, it turned out there was at least one tidbit I was unaware of. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment is a reminder that underneath all of that movie magic, there are still practical elements at work, which may or may not show up in a frame.

One could argue that Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s involvement in Spider-Man: No Way Home is one of the worst kept secrets in cinematic history, if not at the top of the list. Rumors, reports and leaked set photos spoiled that the actors would reprise their versions of Spidey long after their respective film series ended. What wasn’t known ahead of time, however, was how their Peter Parkers would be introduced into the story centered on Tom Holland’s version. As it turns out, director Jon Watts had to change Maguire and Garfield’s first scenes thanks to some astute predictions on Reddit.

Along with explaining why he dropped out of directing The Fantastic Four: First Steps, Watts opened up the work that went into bringing three Spider-Man together in Spider-Man: No Way Home while attending a panel at the Mediterrane Film Festival, moderated by Collider’s Steven Weintraub. Acknowledging that Maguire and Garfield’s Spider-Man returns had already been rumored during shooting, the filmmaker started off talking about how this portion of the script was improved with the following:

At first glance, this seems like a cool scene. Just when Tom Holland’s Peter Parker was at his lowest point, his older counterparts arrived from their universes, though their entrances are obscured so that it’s not immediately clear who they are. The problem is that Jon Watts noticed during principal photography that some fans on Reddit had already envisioned such a scene, explaining:

Since so many people around the world saw Avengers: Endgame’s game-changing portals scene, I’m not surprised some of the more hardcore MCU fans imagined a similar moment being depicted in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Great minds think alike, after all. But Jon Watts wasn’t going to be predictable, so instead, he came up with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parkers coming through portals, in that order, at Ned’s grandma’s house. Tom Holland’s Peter still met them on a rooftop, they just accompanied Ned and MJ there instead.

The circumstances of how they came together may have changed, but ultimately Spider-Man: No Way Home fulfilled its mission to have the three cinematic Spideys join forces to battle a bunch of memorable foes. Whether we’ll ever see the Three Peters team up again remains to be seen, but we will reunite with Tom Holland’s version when the upcoming Spider-Man movie Brand New Day is released on July 31, 2026.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced an entire generation of superhero movie fans to some of the comic book publishing giant’s most iconic characters, such as Iron Man and Thor. However, many of the heroes and villains we know from those Marvel movies in order have found their way to the big or small screen. Let’s honor some of the actors who brought them to life before they were inducted into the MCU.

Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man)

Some Marvel Comics fans have criticized the casting of Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, considering he was far older than when Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive arachnid at the time. While Tom Holland certainly fit the bill of a teenage vigilante better years later, Maguire is still remembered today as one of the best to play the role. Not to mention, he wore, arguably, the best cinematic Spidey outfit of all time.

Jessica Alba (Invisible Woman)

Following her Golden Globe-nominated breakthrough role on Dark Angel, Jessica Alba could be seen just about everywhere in the early 2000s. Ironically, she made her comic book movie debut in Tim Story's Fantastic Four as a superhero known for being unseen: Sue "Invisible Woman" Storm, who would be inducted into the MCU with Vanessa Kirby's portrayal.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Ben Affleck would make an amusing, if not polarizing, impression when he joined a long line of live-action Batman actors for Zack Snyder's short-lived DC Extended Universe. More than a decade earlier, the Oscar winner cut his teeth in the world of superhero acting by playing the title role of 2003's Daredevil before Charlie Cox took over the role for the MCU in his own hit series.

Djimon Hounsou (Black Panther)

Djimon Hounsou has a small role in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy as Korath the Pursuer, but had voiced the Black Panther in a BET original animated series four years earlier. The Academy Award nominee would later share the screen as Korath with the MCU's T'Challa, Chadwick Boseman, for an episode of the animated anthology series, What If...?

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

Marvel's popular vampire hunter character would, technically, make his MCU debut when Mahershala Ali made a vocal cameo as Blade in the post-credit sequence of 2021's Eternals. However, the first actor to play the Daywalker in his own trilogy of Blade movies, Wesley Snipes, beat him to the punch by making a full, live MCU appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Dolph Lundgren (The Punisher)

It is hard to imagine Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren with jet black hair, but he donned it to play Frank Castle in a straight-to-video feature adaptation of The Punisher in 1989. The role of the vengeful vigilante would be passed down a couple more times before Jon Bernthal took over as the MCU's official iteration, but the Swedish actor would later return to comic book movie acting as King Nereus in the Jason Momoa-led Aquaman movies.

David Hasselhoff (Nick Fury)

Samuel L. Jackson's performance as Nick Fury has become so definitive that Marvel would use his likeness in the Ultimate universe comics. However, the eye-patched secret agent's main iteration better resembles David Hasselhoff, who would, indeed, play him in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a made-for-TV movie that was intended to be a pilot for an original series on Fox.

Jennifer Garner (Elektra Natchios)

Jennifer Garner played a lighter interpretation of Matt Murdock's assassin lover, Elektra Natchios, in 2003's Daredevil and in her own spin-off film from two years later. While the Alias star would also reprise the role in Deadpool & Wolverine, the official MCU iteration, introduced in Season 2 of the Daredevil series, is played by Élodie Yung.

Chris Evans (Human Torch)

Chris Evans is one of the few MCU actors who can say he previously played a superhero from a different corner of the Marvel Multiverse. Years before he was cast as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, he starred in the 2000s Fantastic Four movies as the Human Torch, which he referenced to hilarious effect in Deadpool & Wolverine. The MCU later introduced its own official iteration of Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn.

Lou Ferrigno (Hulk)

Before Bruce Banner's mean, green alter ego became the product of putting Mark Ruffalo in a performance capture suit, he was brought to life in live-action on the hit TV show, The Incredible Hulk, by Lou Ferrigno, standing in for David Banner actor Bill Bixby whenever he would get angry. The legendary bodybuilder also lent his voice to the role in the Incredible Hulk animated series and made a cameo as a security guard in both 2003's Hulk and the Edward Norton-led MCU debut.

J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson)

One of the few actors known for playing the same Marvel character both in and outside of the MCU is J.K. Simmons. The Academy Award winner stole the show as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies before reimagining the role as a conspiracy theorist and podcast host in the Tom Holland-led films.

Doug Jones (Silver Surfer)

The MCU would introduce a unique version of the Silver Surfer played by Emmy winner Julia Garner in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doug Jones, a master of roles requiring performance capture and heavy makeup transformations, shares credit for portraying the first "live-action" iteration of the metallic-skinned alien from 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer with Laurence Fishburne, who provided the voice.

Robert Hays (Iron Man)

It is hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Tony Stark other than Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr., but Iron Man was the star of his own animated series years earlier in the mid-1990s. Voicing the wealthy vigilante was Robert Hays, who is best known for starring in the classic spoof movie, Airplane!, as Ted Striker.

Neil Patrick Harris (Spider-Man)

In 2003, MTV aired a TV show very loosely connected to Sam Raimi's Marvel movies called Spider-Man: The New Animated Series. Instead of Tobey Maguire, the actor providing the voice of Peter Parker was none other than future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris, who later contributed to the 2010 video game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Eric Allan Kramer (Thor)

Years before Chris Hemsworth's definitive performance as Thor in the MCU made him a household name, Eric Allan Kramer of Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Good Luck Charlie fame became the first actor the play the role in live-action in the 1988 TV movie, The Incredible Hulk Returns. However, I feel obligated to mention that Vincent D'Onofrio's role in Adventures in Babysitting as Dawson, who bears a striking resemblance to the God of Thunder, predates Kramer's portrayal by a year.

Rosemary Harris (Aunt May)

With all due respect and admiration for Marisa Tomei, the Oscar winner is certainly not the first person you would picture to play Peter Parker's Aunt May, as she does in the MCU. However, Rosemary Harris is not only the spitting image of the comic book character, but also gives a moving, iconic performance as May opposite Tobey Maguire's Peter in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

Matt Salinger (Captain America)

One of the most notable screen iterations of Steve Rogers that pre-dates Chris Evans' portrayal comes from 1990's infamous straight-to-video feature, Captain America. Playing the title role is Matt Salinger, who, believe it or not, is the son of The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger, as the actor discussed with The Guardian.

James Avery (War Machine)

Most people know actor James Avery best from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as Philip Banks. Around that same time, however, the actor lent his voice to the animated Iron Man series as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, years before Tony Stark's buddy was portrayed in the MCU by Don Cheadle... and Terrence Howard, of course.

Nicholas Hammond (Spider-Man)

Before the role was brought to life by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, the first actor to play Peter Parker in live-action was Nicholas Hammond. The Sound of Music star led CBS' Spider-Man series and its two made-for-TV companion films in the late 1970s.

Jennifer Connelly (Betty Ross)

Liv Tyler appeared in 2008's The Incredible Hulk as Betty Ross, the colleague and love interest of Edward Norton's Bruce Banner. Years earlier, in 2003's Hulk, she was played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, who was also subtly inducted into the MCU as the voice of Karen, the AI built into Peter Parker's high-tech suit in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Thomas Jane (The Punisher)

Three actors were brought in to play Frank Castle before Jon Bernthal was cast in the role for the MCU. The second, after Dolph Lundgren and before Ray Stevenson, and first to bring the vigilante into the 21st Century, was Thomas Jane in 2004's The Punisher, which sees the anti-hero take on a corrupt businessman responsible for his family's tragic deaths.

Cree Summer (She-Hulk)

Cree Summer is the prolific voice actor behind many well-known animated roles, such as Susie Carmichael from Nickelodeon's Rugrats. She was also the second person to voice Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, on the animated Incredible Hulk TV show almost a couple of decades before Tatiana Maslany was cast in the lead role of Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Michael Chiklis (The Thing)

Jamie Bell and Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (who also appeared on Jon Bernthal's The Punisher series) both played CGI versions of Ben "The Thing" Grimm in their respective cinematic adaptations of the Fantastic Four comics. However, Michael Chiklis admirably went the old-fashioned route and donned a heavy amount of prosthetics to play the orange, rock-skinned superhero in Tim Story's movies from 2004 and 2007.

Sam Elliott (Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross)

Following William Hurt's passing, Harrison Ford stepped in to play Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross for the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World, in which the military general-turned-U.S. president becomes the Red Hulk. However, you could argue that the most intimidating portrayal of the character is still that of Sam Elliott in 2003's Hulk.

Peter Hooten (Dr. Strange)

With the title's otherworldly, psychedelic imagery, it is not very surprising to learn that Marvel's Doctor Strange comics were first adapted for live-action in the 1970s. CBS attempted to launch a series focused on the Sorcerer Supreme with a pilot led by actor Peter Hooten, who was, of course, succeeded decades later by Benedict Cumberbatch as the MCU's official iteration.

Lisa Rinna (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine)

While better known today as a star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Rinna also has the honor of being the first actor to portray Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in live-action in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the MCU, the Italian-American noblewoman and CIA director is played by Seinfeld cast member Julia-Louis Dreyfus.

Conan Stevens (Man-Thing)

In 2005, SyFy aired a scary "movie of the week" inspired by the Marvel comic book character Man-Thing, played by Conan Stevens, who is essentially the publisher's equivalent to DC's Swamp Thing. The humanoid plant creature was painted in a far more sympathetic light in the Disney+ original Halloween special, Werewolf by Night, in which he was portrayed in motion capture by Carey Jones.

Ed Asner (J. Jonah Jameson)

Emmy winner Ed Asner's definitive TV role for years was cantankerous journalist Lou Grant on beloved TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the character's more earnest self-titled spin-off. In other words, he was a perfect choice to voice J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 1990s.

Eric Bana (Bruce Banner)

The first live-action, theatrically released feature film adaptation of Marvel's The Incredible Hulk comics, director Ang Lee's Hulk, cast Australian actor Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. The brilliant physicist would later return to the big screen as part of the MCU, first portrayed by Edward Norton in his 2008 solo flick before Mark Ruffalo took over the role in subsequent installments.

Ed Gale (Howard The Duck)

Howard the Duck, one of the most bizarre characters in Marvel Comics' history, exists in the MCU, having first appeared in the post-credit sequence for Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by Seth Green. The fowl extraterrestrial crimefighter made his feature debut, however, in a self-titled film from producer George Lucas, in which Ed Gale, a little person also known for playing Chucky in Child's Play, wore a duck costume on set while Chip Zien provided the voice.

Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic)

Before Pedro Pascal added the MCU to his ongoing list of franchises by playing Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, English actor Ioan Gruffudd played the stretchy superhero otherwise known as Mr. Fantastic in Tim Story's Fantastic Four movies.

Sticky Fingaz (Blade)

Mahershala Ali is actually not Wesley Snipes' direct successor to the role of Blade. Rap artist Sticky Fingaz played the vampire hunter in a short-lived TV series from 2006.

Is 2007’s Spider-Man 3 the best Spider-Man movie? God, no. In fact, when ranking all of the Spider-Man movies, most people would likely put it dead last.

However, just because something is “bad” doesn’t mean it can’t be somebody’s favorite. Case in point, when I ranked the Batman movies, I put Batman & Robin at the bottom. But, do you know what? I lowkey love that movie, and I only put it last since I know that’s where other people would place it.

So, while I know that either Into/Across the Spider-Verse, No Way Home, or Spider-Man 2 would likely be considered the best Spider-Man movie, I'd honestly rather watch Spider-Man 3 any day of the week. Here’s why.

For One Thing, I Genuinely Like Harry Osborn's Story Arc In This Movie. Amnesia And All

The original Spider-Man trilogy is interesting when it comes to villains. Yes, I know everybody loves Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin, and Alfred Molina as Dr. Octopus, but pretty much nobody likes Harry Osborn as the New Goblin, and I completely understand.

One of the many complaints that people have with this film is that it just has too much going on, what with three major villains in the New Goblin, Sandman, and Venom. But, even though Norman Osborn and Dr. Otto Octavius have really strong relationships with Peter in both Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2 respectively, neither of them have as close a bond with Peter as Harry, who has been his best friend throughout all three movies.

That's why when their friendship goes south here it really hits. I especially like this since Harry's storyline throughout the trilogy has been building toward him learning that Peter killed his dad (By accident!), which causes him to go after Peter, only to get partial amnesia after they battle.

Yes, I know some of this amnesia storyline is kind of hokey, but I like how Harry feels like a central character throughout, only for him to side with Peter in the end, and ultimately give his life to help his friends.

It’s a compelling story arc that I think a lot of people just overlook once they start thinking about Tobey Maguire dancing on a piano, but I really love it. Oh, and speaking about Maguire dancing on a piano…

I Also Love Tobey Maguire's "Evil" Performance

Here’s a bombshell. My favorite live-action Spider-Man isn’t Maguire or Tom Holland. It’s Andrew Garfield. That said, even though most would probably say that the absolute worst version of Peter Parker can be found in Spider-Man 3, it's actually my all-time favorite version of the character. And yes, it’s because of the memes.

What’s often referred to as “Bully Maguire” on the internet, Spidey goes through a sort of transformation once he gets the symbiote, turning super emo in the process.

This is, of course, my favorite part of the movie, especially when he's dancing in the streets (and on a piano), which is really the ultimate legacy of this movie.

As you could imagine, I practically covered my eyes when I first saw this in the theater. All I could think was, what have they done to my beloved Spider-Man? But, over the years (and with the internet’s help), I’ve come to love this part of the film.

Plus, I personally find Peter’s personality in the first two movies to be kind of bland (especially compared to Andrew Garfield’s and Tom Holland’s performances). But “Bully Maguire” has personality in spades! Particularly when it comes to his relationship with Gwen Stacy. Oh, and speaking of her…

Gwen Stacy Is A Nice Addition To The Series

I know a lot of people don’t like The Amazing Spider-Man movies, but out of both of those admittedly flawed films, one aspect – besides Andrew Garfield – that was never a problem was Gwen Stacy.

Played by Academy Award winner Emma Stone, she made Stacy her own, and her chemistry with Peter was often smoldering in the two movies (even though they kept their distance for part of the filming…for a very deliberate reason).

So, does Bryce Dallas Howard come anywhere close to capturing the essence of Gwen Stacy like Stone did? Not even close. That said, she’s not meant to. In a lot of ways, she's supposed to represent the change in Spider-Man as he goes from loving Mary Jane Watson to being infatuated with himself. This occurs early on in the film, where he goes against character and asks Gwen to kiss him right in front of everybody (Including Mary Jane!).

In a lot of ways, her character kind of gets lost in the story, and she's really more of a catalyst to get the events moving rather than her own, fully fleshed out character. I’m well aware of this.

That said, her being in the story does keep the plot interesting, and I like how she even calls out Peter for being a womanizing jerk and apologizing to Mary Jane. That was a nice touch.

I Also Think The Sandman Fights Are My Favorite In The Trilogy

Ask anybody who’s watched this original trilogy, and they’ll almost definitely tell you that the best fight in the entire series was Spidey vs. Doc Ock on the train, and look, I’m not going to argue with you.

I remember seeing that fight for myself the first time, and thinking, yes! THIS is what Spider-Man is supposed to be. This fight is perfect! And, it is perfect. That said, it’s not my favorite fight in the entire trilogy. That would feature another train, but it would also involve Sandman rather than Doc Ock.

Because if you remember correctly, Spidey learns that Sandman, whose real name is Flint Marko, killed Uncle Ben all those years ago, and so he is PISSED. So pissed, in fact, that not only does he want to hurt Sandman…he wants to KILL him. And he tries to! In this brutal fight, Spider-Man at first stalks Sandman from the ceiling, only to kick him into the train, and then put his face up against the train!

Now, yes, one can presume that since Spider-Man fought Sandman earlier, he had an idea that this wouldn’t kill Marko. But, who knows? He was pretty angry, and this is the first time in the whole trilogy where we actually see the hero completely let loose in a fight.

I’m aware that this was partly the black suit’s fault, but it’s still a riveting battle, and there’s so much at stake with Peter wanting revenge. Plus, to top it all off, once Sandman literally goes down the drain, Spider-Man growls, “Good riddance.” And you already know how much I love my Bully Maguire.

Plus, It's My Son's Favorite Spider-Man Movie, So, By Extension, It's Mine, Too

Nowadays, my son is a rabid Minecraft fan, but many moons ago, he absolutely adored Spider-Man. It was his favorite character.

I could honestly show him anything Spider-Man-related, and he would go ga-ga for it. But, nowadays, his passion for the ‘ol webhead has cooled. Yeah, he loves Spider-Man 2 on the PlayStation (He actually 100%ed it), but he didn't even finish watching the movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Do you know what Spider-Man movie he loves, though? Spider-Man 3. It might be because it reminds him of the video game, which has a big fight with Sandman early on, and also features Venom prominently.

So, since my son loves the third film, I kind of (by extension) love it, too. It's the only Spider-Man movie that we've watched together in its entirety, and my son frequently quotes it.

For example, just the other day, I said I got water in my eye, and my son cheekily said, “I'm gonna put some dirt in your eye.”

It's for this reason, and the ones I already mentioned, that Spider-Man 3 is my favorite webhead movie. But, what do you think about the film? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Charlie Cox’s Daredevil is back in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his own show but it’s not the first time we have seen the Man Without Fear. Daredevil made several MCU cameo appearances before his own show, Daredevil: Born Again, including a memorable scene in the star-studded Spider-Man: No Way Home.

While most fans were certainly thrilled to see Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprise their roles as Spider-Man, they weren’t the only heroes on the screen. As Cox appeared in a brief scene as Peter Parker’s lawyer, in his official return to Marvel. It was a big moment for the actor and the character and he tells GQ that Marvel got him even more pumped when it happened. He explained…

To be fair, Charlie Cox’s appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home wasn’t a complete secret. There had been rumors of his appearance and an image of him on set had also leaked out. Having said that, certainly, not everybody was completely up on every rumor, so a lot of people wouldn’t have known about it.

Cox wasn’t the only one who made a point to visit a theater on opening weekend. Andrew Garfield had previously revealed that he and Tobey Maguire went to a theater together on opening weekend so they could watch the fan reaction to their appearance. Much like Cox, there had been rumors of their appearance in the film, but nothing was known for sure.

Garfield and Maguire apparently had a blast on opening night. Unfortunately, it seems things didn’t quite go according to plan for Charlie Cox. While Cox says Marvel had pumped him up that people would go crazy seeing him on screen, that apparently didn’t happen. The actor explained…

Honestly, this is depressing I feel sad for Charlie Cox, I distinctly remember Matt Murdoch getting a decent cheer in my theater when he came on screen, so maybe this was just a bad screening for some reason. Cox would go on to appear in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law and Echo before returning to his own series, Daredevil: Born Again which you can now watch with a Disney+ subscription.

As superhero stories have become one of the dominant forms of entertainment it’s little shock that Spider-Man has been a major part of that. He’s arguably Marvel’s most popular character, which means we’ve seen his story told in a multitude of ways. We've seen numerous live-action Spider-Man takes as well as animated offerings. But many of them share similar details, leading to an interesting question. Why does Peter Parker wear glasses?

Peter Parker was created as the standard nerd stereotype, so of course he wears glasses before he becomes a superhero, but being bitten by a radioactive spider traditionally improves all parts of him physically, including his eyesight. A viewer of the newest Spidey story, the animated Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man available with a Disney+ subscription, asked exactly this question on Reddit recently…

It’s an interesting question that is just one of those things that you might not even think about most of the time, though once you do, you can’t unsee it. It’s most notable in Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man movie, which is also one of the few versions of the story where Peter does stop wearing the glasses.

There are many comments in response to the post, that largely seem to believe that the reason Peter Parker continues to wear glasses is to reinforce his “nerd” stereotype as a way to deflect any attention away from himself when it comes to people suspecting that he’s actually Spider-Man. Responses include…

• It's not like they've explained it, but it always seemed weird to me that no one ever was remotely suspicious of how Pete's vision suddenly became perfect. Sure he could explain it away as getting contacts, but keeping the glasses reinforces his identity as a nerd and a weakling - to put it crassly. BatmanForever23
• I wear glasses. If I suddenly just stopped wearing them one day people would ask questions. Primus7112765
• He actually proceeded to wear them after he got his powers in the comics as he wanted people to continue to believe he's a wimpy nerd, it isn't until Flash breaks them that he stops wearing them. SoggyMaintenance1014
• Spiders have terrible eyesight. His vision improving is the most ridiculous thing about those movies. BZenMojo

This explanation certainly makes some sense, but I’m still not sure I buy it. It’s one thing if you’re Clark Kent trying to prevent people from believing you’re Superman. The glasses may not do much, but they do change the way your face looks. But Spider-Man wears a mask, so it’s not like the glasses really do that much.

Sure, maybe that nerd Peter Parker is the last person you would suspect to be Spider-Man, but I can’t imagine that anybody who might suspect him would consider whether or not he still wore glasses as evidence one way or the other.

Tom Holland never wears glasses as Peter Parker, but he's already Spider-Man when we meet him in the MCU. It's possible his version never had them. Still, now I'm curious if, when we see him in the upcoming Spider-Man 4, he might have decided to put them on as a way to try and hide himself away even more.

After rumors first surfaced in 2020 about past Peter Parkers reuniting for No Way Home, it was such a relief to know it was true. Seeing Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield fighting evil together really was one of the best moments of the Home trilogy’s conclusion. One social media user brought the Three Peter Parkers together for the upcoming Marvel movie Avengers: Secret Wars fan art and I really hope this reunion happens again.

Back when rumors and theories were circulating online about the possibility of former Peters joining Tom Holland in Spider-Man: No Way Home, you better believe fan art was made. Before anything was confirmed, @artoftimetravel united all three Peters in a fan poster that looked unbelievable. The same digital artist returns with an Instagram post of their latest artwork of Peter 1, Peter 2 and Peter 3 based on rumors circulating that the trio would return in Avengers: Secret Wars:

Based on the realistic MCU fan art, we see the Three Peter Parkers, but they’re not exactly in a warm embrace like in the bittersweet ending of No Way Home. They’re all interlocking arms with one Spider-Man ready to punch the other. This is based on rumors that @MyTimeToShineHello posted that the three Spider-Man will be “forced to face off” against each other, possibly in different factions to defend their universes. Considering the chemistry between Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire was aces to watch, I’d love to see the three of them reunite. I refuse to believe that No Way Home will be their last time together.

Instagram users were quick to comment about how they felt seeing The Three Peters battling it out in the spectacular fan art and who would win. The majority of people believe that Tobey Maguire’s Peter would be the winner which makes sense since he’s the earliest on-screen version of Spider-Man/Peter Parker. So that should mean he has more crime-fighting experience between the three as long as his back doesn’t give out.

However, othe fans theorize that Tom Holland’s Spider-Man is most likely to win so his arc will continue. There were also a lot of Instagrammers who weren’t crazy about the idea of the web-slinging trio fighting since No Way Home showed what a great team they made. If this rumor ends up being true, I doubt the Marvel Multiverse Saga will end with the three being enemies compared to finishing with a high note.

What we know so far about Avengers: Secret Wars is that it will close off the Multiverse Saga, and it's speculated the movie will be based off the 2015 Secret Wars storyline rather than the one from the '80s. Robert Downey Jr. will reprise his new MCU role as Doctor Doom with a “new age of mutants” from X-Men, as well as The Fantastic Four: First Steps cast. Preceding Secret Wars will be two MCU films: Avengers: Doomsday where Tom Holland is expected to return, and Spider-Man 4. So if Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire really are coming back, I’d like to believe they’ll turn up in Spider-Man 4 for their bond to deepen before Secret Wars.

Seeing the Avengers: Secret Wars fan art of The Three Peters reuniting needs to become real. After seeing the brotherly companionship the trio had in No Way Home, we need that bond to continue in future movies. Hopefully, though, the three will team up compared to being pitted against each other. Avengers: Secret Wars will hit theaters on May 7, 2027. Until then, you can watch the Three Peter Parkers meet and fight various villains in No Way Home on Starz.

Even though Spider-Man has seen a lot of big-screen iterations across the past two decades, Tobey Maguire's version of the character is most definitely counted among the best Spider-Man movies we've ever seen. To pay tribute to the first trilogy of movies starring the beloved Marvel Comics character, here are the best quotes from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies from the '00s.

“Remember, with great power comes great responsibility.” - Uncle Ben, Spider-Man

There's of course no quote more iconic for the Spider-Man character than this one. The phrase was first used in the Spider-Man comics in a 1962 issue written by Stan Lee as part of the last panel of the comic, initially without ties to Uncle Ben. The connection of the quote with Peter and his uncle came later. And, Michael Sheen made the quote especially unforgettable in the first 2002 movie when he imparts some wisdom about growing up to Peter just hours before his untimely death. The quote ultimately helps create Spider-Man.

"I believe there’s a hero in all of us. That keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally, allows us to die with pride. Even though sometimes we have to be steady and give up the thing we want the most – even our dreams." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 2

Rosemary Harris' Aunt May established herself as a particularly perspective figure in the first movie, but her best quote comes in the middle of Spider-Man 2. In the plot line that has Peter Parker giving up his role as Spidey, May gives the hero a pep talk, without even knowing it. The powerful moment happens when Peter's young neighbor asks Peter where Spider-Man is and if he'll come back while helping Aunt May move.

"You know, I guess one person can make a difference." - Stan Lee, Spider-Man 3

There were a lot of great Stan Lee cameos during his lifetime, but one of the most special has to be when he crosses paths with Tobey Maguire's Peter Parker during Spider-Man 3. The creator of the comic book character has had a lot of funny appearances in Marvel movies over the years, but this is one of the most earnest of them as he says, "One person can make a difference."

“You know who I am. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man!” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man

"Your friendly neighborhood Spider-man" is a famous phrase the hero says in the comic books, and in 2002's Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire's version gets to say it himself. In a scene where he saves Mary Jane Watson for the first time at the Thanksgiving Parade, she asks him who she is and this is how he responds.

“Being brilliant is not enough, young man. You have to work hard. Intelligence is not a privilege, it’s a gift. And, you use it for the good of mankind.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

Early in Spider-Man 2, the movie establishes Alfred Molina's Otto Octavius as a brilliant mind who Peter Parker looks up to. Prior to the nuclear physicist becoming the movie's villain, he meets with Parker for a college paper he is writing. During their first conversation, he imparts wisdom about how it's not enough to be a smart person, one has to use their gifts for good things.

“If he doesn’t want to be famous, I’ll make him infamous!” - J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man

In the Spider-Man universe, J. Jonah Jameson is the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle, who is content with painting Spider-Man as a villain, likely to sell more papers. In one particularly memorable quote from the first 2002 appearance of the comic book character played by J.K. Simmons, he declares he wants to make Spider-Man "infamous." The character is so beloved he returned for Tom Holland's version.

“The cunning warrior attacks neither body nor mind. The heart, Osborn! First we attack his heart.” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

In the first Spider-Man movie, the hero faces a formidable foe in Norman Osborn's Green Goblin. The fantastic Willem Dafoe plays the character almost like a rendition of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In one scene, as Norman realizes Peter Parker is Spider-Man, the Green Goblin instructs that he defeats the hero by going after his "heart" which includes terrorizing both Aunt May and Mary Jane in the third act of the movie.

“You have a knack for saving my life." - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man

The most famous scene in the first Spider-Man trilogy is when Mary Jane Watson shares a kiss with Spidey while he's hanging upside down. It happens right after the hero says she has a "knack for getting into trouble" and she responds to the above quote. She asks if she can thank him for saving her the second time and they have a romantic moment in the rain. However, Kirsten Dunst's own experience with the scene was "kind of miserable" considering the pouring rain of it all.

“No matter what I do. No matter how hard I try. The ones I love will always be the ones who pay.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

At the end of the first Spider-Man movie, Peter Parker wins the heart of Mary Jane Watson after she was previously with Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn in the transition between high school and college. Despite Peter's longing for Mary Jane and her confession of love, the first movie ends with Peter saying he can only be friends with her before a narration has the character sharing his fears as a hero.

“Love should never be a secret. If you keep something as complicated as love stored up inside, it can make you sick.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

In the Spider-Man trilogy, Peter Parker has been in love with Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane Watson since they became neighbors as kids. However, when he becomes Spider-Man he makes a decision that he cannot pursue her romantically because it would put her in danger. When Peter meets Otto early in the movie, he insinuates there's a girl he likes (MJ of course) but hasn't made it known. Otto suggests he should let her know with poetry.

“Hey kiddo, let mom and dad talk for a minute, will ya?” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man

In Spider-Man, J. Jonah Jameson's sharp tongue gets in the way of a squabble Spider-Man and Green Goblin are having at the Daily Bugle. It leads Spider-Man to hilariously use his webbing to trap Jameson's mouth shut and continue forth fighting his foe.

“I’m Spider-Man no more. No more.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

In a 1967 issue of The Amazing Spiderman. the Marvel hero decides to be "Spider-Man No More!" in an iconic comic book cover. And in Sam Raimi's 2004 movie, Peter Parker emulates the issue by deciding to hang up his heroics and be a regular guy again. When Peter Parker says this in the movie, it's an awesome tribute to the comic books. The themes of the movie particularly continue to resonate because of how relatable it is to see Spidey struggle with all the responsibilities of life.

"Uncle Ben meant the world to us, but he wouldn’t want us living one second with revenge in our hearts. It’s like a poison, it can take you over. Before you know it, turn us into something ugly." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker's personality takes a turn when an alien symbiote attaches to him. This happens as he learns the true killer behind Uncle Ben's death is alive and on the loose in New York City. After Peter thinks he has killed Flint Marko / Sandman, he tells Aunt May proudly that Spider-Man has done so. However, Aunt May preaches how she would never want revenge on her late husband, much to Peter's initial dismay.

“So here I am standing in your doorway. I’ve always been standing in your doorway. Isn’t it about time somebody saved your life?” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man 2

The end of Spider-Man 2 almost acts as our favorite romantic comedy. During the finale, Mary Jane, who has recently learned that Peter Parker is Spider-Man decides to walk out on her own wedding and show up at his door in her wedding dress to tell him that she doesn't care about the risk of being Spider-Man's girlfriend, because she wants to be there for him. It's the sweetest moment.

“But the one thing they love more than a hero is to see a hero fail, fall. Die trying. In spite of everything you’ve done for them, eventually they will hate you. Why bother?” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

While the Sam Raimi movies have some powerful superhero quotes, there's also a good amount of great ones from villains that describe their side of things. Such as when Green Goblin tries to convince Spider-Man to join him in his evil plots by sharing how the people he fights for will turn against him. This is certainly true for Goblin's alter ego Norman Osborn, who was recently ousted from his company amidst his villainous turn. As the trilogy shows time and time again, Spider-Man always has kind strangers who stand up for him.

"The truth is, you don’t know what you feel, except you know what kind of man you want to be. It’s as if you’ve reached the unreachable, and you weren’t ready for it.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

When Aunt May gets hospitalized by the Green Goblin in Spider-Man, Mary Jane visits her and Peter Parker. During a memorable scene for the pair, Peter Parker shares his feelings for his longtime next-door neighbor by sharing how looking in her eyes makes him feel. It feels like the moment MJ really sees and falls for Peter.

“Did Edison sleep before he turned on the light? Did Marconi sleep before he turned on the radio? Did Beethoven sleep before he wrote the Fifth?" - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

Prior to Otto Octavius becoming Doc Ock, the nuclear physicist shows his excitement for his fusion reactor experiment by comparing his presentation of his turning on his invention to Thomas Edison turning on the lightbulb and so forth. Little does he know it will fail and turn him into Spider-Man's latest adversary.

“I have a father. His name was Ben Parker.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

At the end of Spider-Man, Peter Parker / Spider-Man learns that Green Goblin has been Norman Osborn the whole time. in a last-ditch effort to exterminate Spidey, Norman acts like he needs help from him because he's like a father to him. However, it becomes a sweet moment instead when Peter declares the late Uncle Ben was his father. It's a great callback moment because right before he died, Peter suggested he shouldn't act like his father when he is not.

"You start by doing the hardest thing. You forgive yourself." - Aunt May, Spider-Man 3

Peter Parker goes in a dark place over the course of Spider-Man 3 that leads him to really treat Mary Jane in particular poorly. In one scene he even tries to make her jealous by taking Gwen Stacy to the jazz club she is working at and showing off in front of her. The scene leads to Peter accidentally slapping his ex-girlfriend. When he opens up to Aunt May about feeling bad about his actions, she suggests he must forgive himself before he can do anything else. Aunt May always knows what to say!

“Planning is not a major at this university.” - Dr. Connor, Spider-Man 2

Early in Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker is having a hard time juggling being a superhero and a regular guy. His professor, Dr. Connor, gives him a reality check when he throws back his words of "planning" to do something as something that will not help him succeed. The words hit deep for Peter, and ultimately he tries to not be Spider-Man in order to get back on track.

“He's just a kid.” - Random New Yorker, Spider-Man 2

In one of the best scenes in the Spider-Man trilogy, Spider-Man saves a train full of citizens from Doc Ock, but in the meantime exposes his identity to them. As they all gaze on his face, one New Yorker comments about how the hero is "just a kid." It's an emotional quote because it shows that the city probably doesn't imagine that Spider-Man is basically a teenager.

“There’s only one man who’s always been there for me, who makes me feel like I’m more than I ever thought I could be. That I’m just me… and that’s OK. The truth is I love you. Oh, I love you so much Peter.” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man

At the end of Spider-Man, while Peter and friends are attending the funeral of Norman Osborn, Mary Jane confesses her love for him with these romantic words. However, she's met with deep disappointment and rejection when Peter suggests he can only be her friend.

“Follow the cold shiver running down your spine.” - Green Goblin, Spider-Man

During Spider-Man, Willem Dafoe's Norman Osborn does an incredible job of going between playing Osborn and the Goblin. One great quote from the character is when his bad side tells Norman to follow the "cold shiver" running down his spine to find him.

“Listen to me now.” - Otto Octavius, Spider-Man 2

At the end of Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man / Peter Parker successfully gets Otto to snap out of his villainous tendencies by knocking some sense into him. It leads to a powerful sequence where Otto asks his robotic tentacle arms to listen to him instead, and therein Otto stops his own plot from likely destroying the city, declaring he will not become a "monster".

"You don’t understand, I’m not an empty seat anymore. I’m different. Punch me, I bleed." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

In the middle of Spider-Man 2, Peter Parker hangs up being Spider-Man and tries to be there for MJ by going to her play and making time for her. While the mutual feelings are certainly there, one can't blame MJ for feeling burned after he rejected her love. However, Peter makes a case that he's "different" and wants to try with her now.

“Do you love me or not?” - Mary Jane Watson, Spider-Man 2

The Spider-Man trilogy takes great pleasure in the frustrating push and pull of Peter Parker and MJ, mostly at the cost of MJ due to her being in the dark about why he keeps shutting her out of her life. In one famous scene in the movie when they get coffee, MJ boils it down by blunting asking if he loves her or not. She was tired of the mixed signals, and rightfully so.

"Call Deborah. Tell her not to open the caviar." - J. Jonah Jameson, Spider-Man 2

J. Jonah Jameson almost becomes Mary Jane's father-in-law in Spider-Man 2 until she runs out on her own wedding to be with Peter Parker. In a funny moment, Jameson turns to her wife to make sure the caterer knows not to open the expensive caviar he shelled out for the reception. The editor-in-chief is known to be a penny pincher, so it's so on-brand.

Where do all these guys come from?” - Spider-Man, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Spidey comes head-to-head with Sandman for the first time early in the movie. When he finds himself emptying out his suit with sand, he questions where all the random villains he fights come from, and it's so hilarious! Spider-Man has defeated some wild villains in his heyday.

"There are bigger things happening here than me and you." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 2

After the events of Spider-Man, the hero finds an enemy in Harry Osborn, who believes he killed his father and makes his mission to avenge him. He is almost successful with the help of Doc Ock until he finds out that Spider-Man is Peter Parker. While Harry becomes caught up with the matters of his late father, the reveal comes as Otto has MJ and is about to set off his powerful and dangerous experiment, and stops Harry from saying these words.

“I’m gonna put some dirt in your eye.“ - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 3

In Spider-Man 3, Peter Parker starts acting nasty thanks to the Venom symbiote that attaches to him. This manifests itself through Peter's competition with another photographer, Eddie Brock. When Eddie publishes a fake photograph of Spider-Man in a black suit, he says this.

"It’s the choices that make us who we are, and we can always choose to do what’s right." - Peter Parker, Spider-Man 3

While the end of the Spider-Man movies didn't end in a way we like (though we still have hope for Spider-Man 4 with Tobey Maguire/Sam Raimi), it did end with a solid quote about how we, no matter who we are, have the power to choose to do what's right rather than go the way of the villain. In the context of the movie, Peter Parker's journey ends with the funeral of his best friend, Harry, who worked alongside him as a fellow hero right before his death, after previously letting vengeance into his heart.

“No thanks, I had a bite.” - Peter Parker, Spider-Man

The Spider-Man script goes the punny route when Peter Parker is initially bitten by a radioactive spider, which turns him into a hero. After the field trip occurs that changes his life, he's not feeling so hot. When he returns home, his Aunt and Uncle ask if he wants some dinner, but under his breath, he says he's already "had a bite."

For the last several weeks when celebrities and parties have come up in the same sentence, it’s been a discussion of the parties thrown by Sean “Diddy” Combs that are the subject of a federal indictment against the rapper and mogul. Considering all of that, it's extra sweet to hear about Leonardo DiCaprio’s 50th birthday party, which looks to have been quite the shindig. And it apparently had a guest list that would make the Governor’s Ball at the Academy Awards blush, as it truly featured a murderer's row of celebrities.

Leonardo DiCaprio turns 50 years old today, November 11, but he held his party over the weekend. The guest list was shared by deuxmoi on Instagram, and it's absolutely staggering. From DiCaprio’s fellow stars from his generation to some of the great directors that he's has worked with (and those he almost collaborated with), the guest list included:

• Brad Pitt & Ines de Ramon
• Mark Ruffalo
• Benicio del Toro
• Soleil Moon Frye
• Todd Phillips
• Kevin Connolly & Zulay Henao
• Chris Rock
• Jamie Foxx
• Guillermo del Toro
• Paris Hilton
• Lukas Haas
• Steven Spielberg
• Bill Maher
• Casey Affleck
• Emile Hirsch
• Katy Perry & Orlando Bloom
• Cara Delevingne
• Tobey Maguire
• Robin Thicke & April Love Geary
• Odell Beckham Jr.
• Teyana Taylor
• Edward Norton
• Chuck Lidell
• Dr. Dre

There may have been even more stars in attendance, but this list alone is truly a who’s who of Hollywood. Being there had to be an incredible experience. Leonardo DiCaprio's father and stepmother were the only non-celebrities reported to be in attendance. It must have been a pretty amazing night for them, I'd think.

A few of these names are potentially surprising, but it’s very interesting to see who the Wolf of Wall Street star decided to invite to the event. He and Edward Norton have been friends for a long time. The same goes for DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire, who were part of the same real-life poker game that inspired the movie Molly’s Game.

It's also great that Leonardo DiCaprio invited his Catch Me If You Can director Steven Spielberg. The same goes for Guillermo del Toro, who almost directed DiCaprio, as he was originally attached to star in Nightmare Alley before he had to drop out and was replaced by Bradley Cooper. I would have loved to have seen those two meet up at the party. If there’s a chance they could work together down the road that’s a very exciting prospect that they probably talked about.

DiCaprio’s One Upon A Time…In Hollywood co-star Brad Pitt -- along with his serious girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, -- was there, as was his Shutter Island co-star Mark Ruffalo. The Revenant star also invited a couple of people who it looks like he may have gotten to know in his role as a producer. DiCaprio produced Out of the Furnace, which included Casey Affleck in its cast. He also produced Kid 90, the documentary film directed by former Punky Brewster star Soleil Moon Frye.

Needless to say, certainly looks like Leonardo DiCaprio’s birthday party was the hottest ticket in town. Now I just need to figure out how to become his friend before next year.

Your favorite movie and TV star had to start somewhere and, sometimes, that somewhere is appearing in commercials. There have also been some cases in which an actor has already made it to the top but decided to lend their star power to a TV ad. You can find both kinds in the following collection of TV commercials featuring some huge celebrities.

Ben Affleck (Burger King)

An early blip in Ben Affleck's acting career was a commercial for the popular fast food chain, Burger King. The future live-action Batman actor and Academy Award-winning filmmaker plays a teen who accidentally invents Door Dash when his car phone intercepts a car from a girl who wants to order a whopper.

Cameron Diaz (Coca-Cola)

When Cameron Diaz was still a model primarily, one of her first experiences with acting – before making her feature debut in The Mask – was in a TV ad. The future Shrek movie star shines in an early '90s Coca-Cola commercial that feels a lot more like a perfume ad from the era in its alluring direction.

Paul Rudd (Super Nintendo)

All of Paul Rudd's versatile talents – from making us laugh in movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin to thrilling us as Ant-Man in the Marvel movies – can be traced back to a Super Nintendo commercial he did in the early '90s. He plays a very enthusiastic video gamer who attracts a crowd when he, somehow, hooks up his console to a drive-in theater projector for the ultimate experience of playing The Legend of Zelda and other favorites.

Jennifer Lawrence (My Super Sweet 16)

Jennifer Lawrence got to be the original My Super Sweet 16 girl without appearing on the actual reality TV series that documented wealthy young women's extravagant birthday celebrations. MTV ran dramatized promos for the then-new show starring the future Academy Award winner and Hunger Games movie star as the birthday girl who encounters a few mishaps during her festivities.

Brad Pitt (Pringles)

Years before he starred in Super Bowl Heineken ad helmed by his Fight Club director, David Fincher, the then-up-and-coming Brad Pitt got a taste of commercial acting by starring in a 1988 Pringles spot. He plays one of three surfer dudes who become stranded on the side of a California road when a trio of lovely women approach them for an impromptu Pringles party.

Amy Adams (Commercial Federal Bank)

Mainstream audiences first became aware of Amy Adams' impeccable singing talent in 2007's Enchanted but customers at Commercial Federal Bank were really the first to discover her. In 1997, the multi-Oscar nominee starred as an Olvia Newton-John lookalike in a parody of 1978's Grease for the bank.

Steve Carell (Brown's Chicken)

Steve Carell's channeled his inner Michael Scott long before leading NBC's The Office cast when he was just starting out acting in commercials. In the early 1990s, he played a Brown's Chicken employee whose clumsy mistake while setting up a marquee advertising "cholesterol-free cooking" accidentally convinces customers the food will cost them nothing.

Drew Barrymore (Pillsbury)

It must have been clear to anyone who spotted Drew Barrymore in her early Pillsbury commercial that she was destined to capture our hearts in E.T. the Extra-terrestrial just a few years later. The 1979 ad stars the then-four-year-old as a little girl whose mother cheers her up on a rainy day by making chocolate chip cookies.

Leonardo DiCaprio (Bubble Yum)

Before breaking out with his supporting role in Growing Pains and really hitting big leading the Titanic cast, the up-and-coming Leonardo DiCaprio did a few commercials. One sees the future Oscar winner demonstrate his natural charisma while demonstrating the powerful flavor of Bubble Yum bubble gum.

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Alinamin V)

You may never be able to look at Arnold Schwarzenegger the same way again after witnessing the series of gobsmackingly bizarre ads the Terminator star filmed in Japan long after his big break. As the spokesperson for an energy drink called Alinamin V, the future California governor puts on a maniacally large smile and is sometimes seen riding the beverage's bottle into space or popping out of it like a genie.

Mila Kunis (Telephone Tammy)

Had Mila Kunis' Jackie Burkhart been a child of the '90s, Telephone Tammy – a doll who responds to your call with an included play phone – sounds like the kind of toy she would have grown up with. Not to mention the fact that the future That '70s Show cast member appeared in a commercial for Mattel when she was just starting out.

Morgan Freeman (Polaroid)

Future Academy Award winner and voice-over extraordinaire Morgan Freeman starred in a number of TV commercials early on in his career. One such ad was a 1970s spot for Polaroid, not as the man holding the camera that instantly prints out photos but the man telling the amateur photographer to cool it with the reshoots.

Britney Spears (Maull's)

Die-hard fans of pop superstar Britney Spears know that she started out as a child actor who worked with Ryan Gosling on The Mickey Mouse Club, among other rising stars. One of her earlier roles was a young girl who was apparently very excited to eat a home-cooked hamburger in a commercial for Maull's Barbecue Sauce, a local St. Louis brand.

Mark Hamill (Kodak)

Before playing Luke in the Star Wars movies made him familiar with technology from a galaxy far, far away, Mark Hamill represented what must have felt like a futuristic innovation at the time. He starred in a 1975 commercial for a Kodak camera that takes high-resolution photos from far away, allowing him to snap a shot of his girlfriend (and her mother) on a balcony while he stays on the ground.

Anne Hathaway (Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate)

Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway first showed her talent for performing in romantic dramas like One Day and The Idea of You in a 1996 commercial for Better Homes and Gardens. She plays a young woman who believes she and her boyfriend will still have time to spend before his family moves away until they learn the real estate agency has already sold the house.

J.K. Simmons (Farmers Insurance)

From his memorable roles in HBO's Oz and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies, J.K. Simmons was pretty well known by the time he was cast as Professor Nathaniel Burke of the University of Farmers for a long-running Farmers Insurance ad campaign. When he won his Oscar for Whiplash, host Neil Patrick Harris sang an impromptu parody of the company's commercial jingle.

Harrison Ford (Kirin)

Playing Han Solo in Star Wars and the title hero of the Indiana Jones movies made Harrison Ford an international star and one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He would also increase his notoriety in Japan by starring in a series of commercials for a regional brand of lager called Kirin.

Keanu Reeves (Corn Flakes)

Before playing a master of kung fu in The Matrix, a master of gun-fu in the John Wick movies, and a master of excellency in the Bill & Ted movies, Keanu Reeves played a master of sneaking a bowl of cereal for himself. The role of a waiter who enjoys some of the breakfast food he has been hired to serve comes from an '80s-era ad for Kellogg's Corn Flakes.

Betty White (Snickers)

Snickers had a funny ad campaign starring well-known actors as metaphorical representations of the out-of-character behavior of hungry people. One of the earliest, and funniest, stars the legendary Betty White as a dude who needs a bite of the protein-loaded candy bar when his performance in a casual football game is off.

Bruce Willis (Seagram's Coolers)

When he was best known for Moonlighting and before starring in one of the all-time greatest action movies, Die Hard, Bruce Willis had another claim to fame: Seagram's Golden. He served as the adult beverage's spokesperson in a series of ads, some of which utilized his musical talents.

Jeff Goldblum (Apartments.com)

It's a little strange how a performer as widely recognized and beloved as Academy Award nominee Jeff Goldblum would be hired to star in an ongoing ad campaign as an original character and not just as himself. Nevertheless, the star of Jurassic Park and The Fly is dazzling and dazzling in the Apartments.com commercials as Brad Bellflower.

Sharon Stone (Finesse)

In the 1990s, films like Basic Instinct and her Academy Award-nominated role in director Martin Scorsese's Casino made Sharon Stone one of the most esteemed, and desirable, actors of her time. In the 1980s, her looks helped sell Finesse shampoo as one of the most desirable brands in the hair care market.

Jack Black (Pitfall)

It appears that Jack Black's charismatic, high-energy sense of humor was something he possessed from a young age. Exhibit A: his appearance in a 1982 commercial for Atari's Pitfall, as a wide-eyed child in a safari hat enthusiastically recalling his experience in the jungle-set video game, years before he played a jungle-set video game character in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Burger King)

No one would have believed, in 1983, that an adorable six-year-old girl who became a recurring spokesperson for Burger King would grow up to become one of the fiercest horror Scream Queens in the genre's history. Yet, that would become Sarah Michelle Gellar's destiny after leading the Buffy the Vampire Slayer cast as the titular defender against evil.

Tobey Maguire (Tropicana Twister)

In 1991, when he was still a teen, Tobey Maguire did an ad for a blended juice drink from Tropicana called Tropicana Twister. The future Spider-Man actor only briefly appears as a kid who breaks the fourth wall, suggesting that broccoli be added to the next unique flavor combination.

Courteney Cox (Tampax)

Before starring in the Friends cast as Monica Gellar, Courteney Cox was best known in the 1980s for dancing with Bruce Springsteen in the "Dancing in the Dark" video. However, did you catch the future Scream movies star's appearance in a Tampax ad as a gym patron?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Pop-Tarts)

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is one of the most acclaimed former child stars who still act, with film and TV credits that back to the late '80s and early '90s like Angels in the Outfield and, of course, 3rd Rock from the Sun. If you go back even earlier than those classics, you can see the future Looper and Inception star in a 1991 ad for Kellogg's Pop-Tarts as a child who child urging his father to have breakfast before he leaves for work and offers him the toaster pastry.

Bryan Cranston (Preparation H)

Four-time Emmy winner and one-time Academy Award nominee Bryan Cranston has worn many faces throughout his career, from a hapless suburban dad in the Malcolm in the Middle cast to a ruthless drug lord as the lead of the Breaking Bad cast. Years before then, he wore the face of a spokesperson for Preparation H in a commercial from the early 1980s.

Willem Dafoe (Mercedes Benz)

With roles like one of the best Spider-Man movie villains, Green Goblin, and others, Willem Dafoe has proven time and time again that he plays an exceptional bad guy. Thus, he was the perfect choice to star in a Super Bowl ad for Mercedes Benz as the Devil, who almost convinces a young man to trade his soul for the car until he learns how affordable it is.

Geena Davis (WMET)

With an eclectic career that includes her Academy Award-winning role in The Accidental Tourist, the horror-comedy movie favorite Beetlejuice, and plenty more, it is clear Geena Davis can be anything. So, we imagine early '80s TV viewers who lived in the region where WMET broadcasted had no trouble accepting her as the voice of the local rock radio station when she starred in its enchanting commercial.

Jeremy Renner (Duracell)

Before he was defending the Marvel Cinematic Universe with the Avengers, Jeremy Renner made a living as a commercial actor. One of his greatest hits was a 90s-era Duracell ad in which he plays a tourist in Mexico whose stereo battery harnesses the power of a herd bulls.

John Travolta (U.S. Army)

Years before he played Santa in a Capital One ad and sent up his role in Grease for T-Mobile, John Travolta starred in an Army recruitment promo in 1973. Just four years later, his Academy Award-nominated lead role in Saturday Night Fever made him one of the biggest stars on the planet.

Spider-Man: No Way Home delivered when it came to paying off the three-film journey of Tom Holland’s Peter Parker. It also dazzled audiences by bringing back former Spidey actors Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire. Even now, it’s honestly still hard to believe fans witnessed the three Peter actors share the screen. Garfield recently reflected on the threequel’s big returns and revealed the big reason he believed it all wouldn’t come together. Additionally, the Oscar nominee explained why the situation ended up being “the best.”

A number of fans may remember that ahead of No Way Home’s release, Andrew Garfield was forced to lie about his involvement. Some may have believed him, while others were surely skeptical. Based on comments the Social Network alum has since shared, it sounds like it wasn’t hard for him to sign on for the flick. However, he revealed to Esquire (as shared on YouTube) that he wasn’t fully confident that Sony and Marvel Studios could pull off the three-Spidey tale, given how Tobey Maguire has operated in recent years:

The Babylon star was, of course, ultimately game to reprise his role from Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, though. While a lot of attention was on the Hacksaw Ridge star ahead of the third installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe-set series, not so much was seemingly on Tobey Maguire, ironically. Yet a video that surfaced on Twitter back in 2021 proved that Maguire’s approach to spoilers was much different than his co-star’s. That’s because when a fan asked Maguire if he’d appear in the film, the actor simply winked and smiled.

Ultimately, it was a thrill to see all three of the actors together in No Way Home. It was also a treat for Andrew Garfield, as he was able to web it up with his web-shooting brethren. One of the reasons that he truly found the experience to be “the best” has to do with the minimal amount of pressure that was on him and the Pawn Sacrifice star:

It’s true that Tom Holland had to carry the bulk of the weight, since the production was the third solo film in his superhero franchise. Still, if rumors are to be believed, both Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire could find themselves back in the fire, so to speak. Maguire and Garfield are allegedly being pursued for future Marvel projects, in which they’d theoretically reprise their roles. That’s all hearsay, of course, but Garfield recently provided a wholesome, Peter-esque take on his desire to reprise his role. So his return certainly isn’t impossible.

More immediately, though, plenty of fans are surely most excited to see what lies ahead for Tom Holland’s Peter Parker following the ending of No Way Home. That fourth installment is reportedly in the works, though a release date has yet to be announced. As for right now, I’m just grateful that Holland was able to team up with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire at least once and that the OGs seemed to enjoy themselves.

Be sure to read up on upcoming Marvel movies, and learn about all kinds of big-screen fare headed to cinemas soon by checking out the 2024 movie schedule.

Every rumor that we hear about upcoming Spider-Man movies needs to be taken with a grain of salt. As Spider-Man fans, we too often get treated to waves of speculation about what might happen in potential Spidey films, be it a Tom Holland-led Spider-Man 4, or the presence of Spider-Man in a Sony spinoff movie such as Madame Web or Venom: The Last Dance. We’ve heard so many, however, it’s nearly impossible for us to know what’s true. The most recent rumor involves former Spidey actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield, who returned to the big screen for Spider-Man: No Way Home and might have more going on in the future… which, to me, is the only way forward for Sony. 

The new scoops come to us via industry “insider” DanielRPK (via FandomWire), who claims that Sony wants Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire to return as Spider-Man in the series of films the studio is creating in its live-action Spider-Man universe. This means that Maguire and Garfield would appear opposite Morbius (Jared Leto), Vulture (Michael Keaton), Venom (Tom Hardy), Kraven the Hunter (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and more. 

The reason why Sony allegedly wants Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield for its multiversal adventures is because Kevin Feige reportedly wants Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 to help flesh out the street-level storytelling that has been teased in recent Marvel Studios efforts such as Echo and the upcoming Daredevil: Born Again. 

In the closing moments of Echo, Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) announces his plans to run for Mayor of New York City, a popular comic book storyline known as “Mayor Kingpin.” This powerful move could lead to narrative ramifications for Daredevil (Charlie Cox), Spider-Man (Holland), Moon Knight (Oscar Isaac), the Punisher (Jon Bernthal) and several other NY-based Marvel characters. If Marvel Studios truly wants to build out this corner of the universe, you can see why Feige doesn’t want Holland caught up in the Sony universe – especially after he read the Madame Web reviews.

Using Tom Holland’s Spider-Man for this street-level story is another reason why I don’t want Spider-Man 4 to use the small dollop of symbiote that was left behind by Eddie Brock in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Listen to me rant about that right here.

The trick, however, probably lies in convincing Garfield and/or Maguire to return in something that isn’t being shepherded by Marvel. Sony’s track record in the Spider-Man spinoff universe has been suspect. The studio canceled by Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4, and Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man 3. The actors reportedly are wanted for Avengers: Secret Wars, though that’s years from now. And I’ve long argued that Sony using one of the existing Spider-Men – specifically Garfield – is the best way forward for this currently disconnected universe. Because all of these movies need a Spider-Man if Sony wants the audience to care. So why not use one of the ones who has been re-introduced in Spider-Man: No Way Home? 

We’ll continue to track the progress of all the Spider-Man developments, from Tom Holland’s Spider-Man 4 to the future of Sony’s Spider universe. 

After so much speculation on whether or not Spider-Man alumni Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire would be in No Way Home, our prayers were answered when both revealed themselves in the MCU trilogy-concluding film. All Jacob Batalon’s Ned had to do was open a portal to find Tom Holland’s Peter Parker, but he ended up summoning the two web-slinging characters who previously dominated the Spider-Man movies. If that No Way Home scene was a big deal to us, Batalon revealed his initial reaction to being part of that moment working with Garfield and Maguire.

When Ned was trying to bring back his Peter Parker to him and MJ through Doctor Strange’s sling ring, Peter Parker returned. Only it wasn't the Peter Parker we expected. First came Andrew Garfield’s Peter, who we hadn't seen since 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Ned’s second attempt to find Peter revealed Tobey Maguire’s Peter, whose last appearance was in 2007’s Spider-Man 3. Jacob Batalon spoke to ComicBook about knowing what a big deal that scene would be to work on.

It truly was a special moment to see Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire share the screen as their Peters for the first time. After possible multiverse leaks led to a juicy too-good-to-be-true rumor about our favorite Spider-Man actors returning, the answer was finally unveiled during No Way Home when both Peters entered a portal leading to Ned's living room. Fans loved their big reveal scene, not only for seeing Garfield and Maguire returning to their Spidey roots, but for the use of Tagalog spoken by Ned’s Lola throughout the scene. It was a No Way Home moment that made many rejoice with cheers.

No matter how many No Way Home rumors and leaks made their way online, no one could have anticipated the return of the two Peters would occur in Ned’s living room until you saw the movie. Jacob Batalon continued to talk about what it was like working with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire in that pivotal scene.

The cast of No Way Home all had a great rapport together, whether it was seeing all of the Peters show off their powers to Ned and MJ or the trio pointing fingers at each other. With how much fun Jacob Batalon had in the scene of the Peters coming together on the big screen, it makes you want to imagine how funny it would be to see Ned in Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s franchises. If Jacob Batalon were somehow to return for a fourth Spider-Man movie, he would still be a great “guy in the chair” for all three of the suited heroes.

Jacob Batalon described his initial reaction to being in the scene of Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire making their debuts No Way Home as a “special” moment. Not only was he part of a moment that's never been done before with two Spideys sharing screen time, but he said working with the two actors was a great experience for him too. Make sure to glance at our upcoming Marvel films so you’re in the know about Spider-Man 4 news.

Which Spider-Man 4 do you want to see? You might think this is a trick question. It is not. Currently, there appears to be the possibility of two versions of a “fourth Spider-Man movie” in co-existing franchises. One would involve Tom Holland, and be set in the MCU as it continues to explore where Peter Parker is following the events of the blockbuster sequel Spider-Man: No Way Home. The other, however, follows original Spider-Man director Sam Raimi, as he ventures back to the franchise to make a fourth Spider-Man movie with Tobey Maguire in the lead. Maguire played Peter Parker in No Way Home. He beamed back to his multiverse at the end of that movie. And fans have been lobbying for Raimi to make Spider-Man 4 ever since. 

The director has acknowledged those calls. He’s even expressed interest in doing it, or maybe taking on Avengers: Secret Wars (which might include Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man in a massive Marvel team up). But during a conversation with The Wrap, Raimi went one step further, breaking down what his approach to the story of Spider-Man 4 might be. And I, for one, started to get really excited about this possibility. Raimi told the trade:

This is wild. This isn’t a director politely giving an answer about how they might “love” to do a project, and telling fans to wait and see. This is Raimi applying real thought on how he’d ease back into the Spider-Man franchise given the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, and even how Raimi would like to have Peter’s journey impact the choice of the villain in that sequel. Sony, are you listening to this? 

This isn’t the first time that Sam Raimi contemplated a fourth Spider-Man. As I documented in my official book about Spider-Man’s Hollywood history, Raimi worked very hard on Spider-Man 4 in the months and years after Spider-Man 3, which wasn’t well received (despite the fact that it made boatloads of money). The director didn’t want his time on the series to be represented by that movie, and went so far as to map out a plot that pit Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man against The Vulture (played by John Malkovich). There’s concept art showing this. There are models of what Vulture might have looked like… and it was far more comic-book accurate than the version that Michael Keaton played in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

So, will this happen? Here’s the thing: Sony’s Spider-Man universe is lost at the moment. They have the Venom series, though it’s coming to a close. They have Kraven the Hunter coming up, but they’re also suffocated by the failure of Madame Web. One way to save this is to FINALLY implement a Spider-Man into that side of the universe, without affecting Tom Holland’s MCU arc, and bringing purpose to the Sony Spider-Verse movies. It would instantly lend urgency to Sony’s universe. It basically needs to happen. 

We’ll continue to track news and updates on upcoming Spider-Man projects, of which there are many. Basically, we just want ANY Spider-Man 4. Two of them would be even better.

Thousands of Spider-Man fans have been flocking back to theaters recently to experience something they haven’t been able to see before … some of them, for the first time in their lives. Sony Pictures has declared April, May and June to be Spider Mondays, bringing all of the live-action Spider-Man movies back to theaters and screening them in order. And social media has been bursting with reactions from fans who grew up on these movies, but never got the chance to see the films – specifically the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies – on the big screen. Many Spidey fans consider Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 to be the best Spider-Man movie ever made. Which is ironic, because the creative team behind the legendary sequel will tell you they had no idea how to follow up Raimi’s initial film, and it created some panic and tension. 

I was lucky enough to interview most of the creative team on Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy for a deep-dive book I wrote regarding Spider-Man’s Hollywood history titled With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood During the Golden Age of Comic Book Blockbusters. The book chronologically walks through the different phases of Spider-Man on screen – from Sam Raimi to Marc Webb and Jon Watts – and explores the problems each filmmaker faced in bringing Spider-Man to life in the movies. Coming up with a live-action Spider-Man for Raimi’s 2002 origin story was one thing. As I discovered, following up the success with a hit sequel presented all new obstacles. 

As Matt Tolmach, producer of the Raimi Spider-Man movies, told me for my book:

Sam Raimi was a pioneer in the realm of live-action Spider-Man movies. He, along with his team, came up with the right costume, figured out how to use VFX to replicate Spidey’s movements, and cast Tobey Maguire as the first on-screen Peter Parker in a studio-driven blockbuster. Superhero movies weren’t the slam-dunk hits that they became over time. Sony wasn’t sure how well Spider-Man would do. Once it hit, that meant moving forward quickly, with the cast in tow. 

Maguire, at the time, expressed real trepidation about leaping into a Spider-Man sequel right away. He was a serious dramatic actor at the time, and admitted in a behind-the-scene featurette for Spider-Man 2: 

That level of attention, and expectation, would only increase during the production of Spider-Man 2. Raimi, Maguire, and Matt Tolmach were correct in understanding that audience anticipation would only grow with each new film. They needed to understand what worked about the movies, and what didn’t. And they needed an action set piece that would top anything that had been done in the original film. 

Which leads us to the creation of the Spider-Man and Doctor Octopus fight in the train, largely considered to be the best action set piece in any Spider-Man movie to date. Still, to this day, the sequence holds up magnificently:

When I shared this opinion with Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor John Dykstra, and he seemed genuinely shocked, because when it came down to constructing the train fight, he told me: 

According to Dykstra, work began on the train fight almost immediately, because Spider-Man 2 instantly was facing a deadline from the moment it was greenlit. Sony had a hit franchise, so they wanted a sequel in theaters as soon as possible! Prep for the train fight took Dykstra and his team to Chicago in the dead of winter, where they went about filming interior and exterior shots of the train and tracks, so visual effects could be added in later. The process sounded torturous, as Dykstra shared: 

But so worth it. 

Spider-Man fans can continue watching the rest of the Spider-Man movies in theaters every Monday. It can help get us excited for upcoming Spider-Man movies, including the slow-to-develop Spider-Man 4 with Tom Holland. Let’s hope it’s easier to make than Spider-Man 2, which came with a lot of obstacles. 

No matter how many heroes and how many comic-book movies come and go, few characters will reach the same heights as The Amazing Spider-Man. A joint creation by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spidey has been entertaining readers and audiences since 1962, when he first appeared in issue number 15 of the Amazing Fantasy comic. Lately, it has been Spider-Man’s movies that have packed theaters, dating back to Sam Raimi’s initial stab at a Sony origin story in 2002. Recently, I published a book entitled With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood During the Golden Age of Comic Book Blockbusters. And as part of the research for that novel (which you can order right here), I uncovered a number of amazing behind-the-scenes stories, which I’d like to share in celebration of the live-action Spider-Man movies returning to theaters, starting today.

My book traces Spider-Man’s Hollywood history back to the television drama The Amazing Spider-Man, starring Nicholas Hammond. In addition to teaching Hollywood types how the wallcrawler could look and move in live-action, Hammond’s show gave fans one of their first looks at Spider-Man’s signature costume in live action. Needless to say, it left a few things to be desired. As I charted the history of Spider-Man for my book, I noted lessons that previous production companies had learned and then applied to their movie. Because by the time it came to Sam Raimi making Spider-Man for Sony, there were a lot of problems he had to solve, and none of the answers came easily. 

‘Spider-Man hasn’t got a mouth.’

One key takeaway from the most recent animated movies set in the Spider-Verse has been that “anyone can wear the mask.” Miles Morales assumes the mantle of Spider-Man after his universe’s Peter Parker dies, but Miles also meets multiple Spider-People from wild new universes, and they all share traits that link them together. 

Anyone can wear the Spider-Man mask, though, because unlike a hero such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Hulk, or Doctor Strange, you can’t see Spider-Man’s face. It protects his secret identity… and makes it VERY hard for an actor to give a performance. 

Oscar-winning costume designer James Acheson ran into this issue when he started to design the original Spider-Man suit that would be worn by Tobey Maguire in 2002’s Spider-Man. As Acheson told me for the benefit of the book With Great Power:

Because of the amount of work that went into designing and creating the Spider-Man costume, Acheson and his team had to get to work before Sam Raimi finalized casting on the lead role. The costume designer – who had already won three Oscars for his work on The Last Emperor, Dangerous Liaisons, and Restoration – pored over sketches from legendary Marvel artists, including Alex Ross. At the same time, Acheson and his team were fielding offers from corporate brands who wanted to contribute to (and be featured on) the Spider-Man suit. Nike wanted to contribute material for the hero’s boots. Noted sunglass brand Oakley hoped that their lenses could be used for Spider-Man’s mask. 

With all of this corporate attention, you might assume that Acheson’s team had immeasurable resources at their fingertips. As it turns out, it was far less glamorous than that. Acheson told me:

Ah, Hollywood. The dream factory. As Acheson labored on the suit, Raimi struggled with casting. Eventually, the two departments had to align. But that, too, created issues. 

‘I’ve never seen such an embarrassed director.’

Any costume designer working on a superhero movie needs to know the body type of the actor cast in the role. As James Acheson toiled away on Sam Raimi’s first Spider-Man suit, the director was struggling to cast the lead part. Picking Sony’s first Spider-Man came with a lot of pressure, and Acheson had to make a few educated guesses until Raimi finally committed. 

Given the fact that Acheson was looking at comic-accurate sketches of Spider-Man, he was envisioning a muscly actor stepping into the role. As Acheson told me: 

That is reflected beautifully in the following transformation scene, when Maguire’s Peter Parker wakes up after receiving the spider bite, and suddenly sports a build.

But Acheson was guessing during the early stages of the costume design. He didn’t have a leading man to work off of, so he predicted body types. Finally, it got to be too much. And as he told me, he resorted to drastic measures. One afternoon, Acheson filled a conference room with 20 men of all shapes and sizes, wearing nothing but things and Speedos. He invited Sam Raimi to the costume department and demanded that he choose, so that Acheson’s work on the Spider-Man suit could continue! 

As Acheson recalled: 

It all worked out. Tobey Maguire remains the favorite Spider-Man of many Spidey fans, and they got to see their beloved icon return to the suit in Spider-Man: No Way Home opposite Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. It was fun to see the Spider-Man suit evolve over the years, leading to some major wins for Garfield (in The Amazing Spider-Man 2) and Holland (at the very end of No Way Home). Where does Spider-Man rank on the list of all-time Spider-Man movies? And do you plan to see the live-action Spider-Man movies on the big screen again? Act now, before they go away. And when you get back, grab a copy of my Spider-Man book, With Great Power. It has hundreds of other behind the scenes stories like this. 

It's no secret that superhero projects are everywhere, with various studios creating their own cinematic universe. But before fans spent years watching the Marvel movies in order, there was Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. After all three Spider-Men united for No Way Home, fans have been wanting to see new sequels from the previous two franchises. But would Kirsten Dunst be down for Spider-Man 3 with Tobey Maguire? Here's the latest from the acclaimed actress.

Kirsten Dunst played Mary Jane Watson in all three of Raimi's movies (which can be streamed with a Disney+ subscription), and had killer chemistry with Tobey Maguire... even during their gross upside down kiss. Fans want to see one of the upcoming Marvel movies end up being a new sequel for the Raimi-verse. While Dunst would have returned for Spider-Man: No Way Home, does she want Spider-Man 4 to happen? She recently spoke to IndieWire about this concept, offering: 

Well, there you have it. While Kirsten Dunst would do another superhero movie for the money, she's not sure that a fourth Spider-Man movie is the move. After all, the trilogy ended back in 2007, so it's been well over a decade since she portrayed Mary Jane Watson. And now audiences are used to seeing Tom Holland and Zendaya as Peter and MJ. 

Despite Dunst's comments, there are still plenty of moviegoer who would like to see Sam Raimi's cancelled Spider-Man 4 finally arrive in theaters... especially after the ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. 

For his part, Raimi has also heard the rumors about Spider-Man 4 happening at Marvel. He denied any talks happening for him to return in this capacity, despite recently returning to the genre with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Still, smart money says fans are going to keep crossing their fingers to see the OG live-action Peter Parker and MJ Watson back on the big screen for another web swinging adventure.

Of course, fans don't only want to see another Sam Raimi Spider-Man movie. After Andrew Garfield's acclaimed performance in No Way Home, moviegoers also want to see another Amazing Spider-Man flick come to fruition. We'll just have to wait and see what the studio has up their sleeve, and if/when Tom Holland will return to the role.

The next Marvel movie hitting theaters is Deadpool & Wolverine on July 26th. In the meantime, check the 2024 movie release dates. 

In Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire performed an unforgettable movie lip-lock that took place after the titular hero saved Mary Jane Watson in a band of thugs in an alleyway. While Maguire's Spidey is hanging upside down, MJ removed his mask halfway to give him a “thank you” kiss in the pouring rain. I love to watch romantic kisses in the rain as much as the next person, and this scene is great. Interestingly though, Dunst just got real about what filming that scene was really like, and yikes!

Kirsten Dunst has had some notable on-screen kisses throughout her career. For instance, she had to lock lips with Brad Pitt in Interview with a Vampire as an 11-year-old, and Dunst found that to be “gross.” Filming the infamous Spider-Man kiss much later was uncomfortable for her as well, it seems.That scene in one of the highest-grossing ‘00s movies, which is still referenced today, was apparently challenging for a few reasons. The Civil War actress shared on The Jonathan Ross Show (via The Independent) that partaking in the memorable scene was a “miserable” experience due to the rain, and she mentioned what it was like for her co-star as well:

Needless to say, that doesn't sound fun, and I can certainly understand why the Oscar nominee didn't have the best time shooting that. I can't even imagine wearing a costume like hers in the cold and being drenched by precipitation. As for Tobey Maguire not being able to breathe well in that scene, I can understand that, as the film’s lead had to perform some lip action while hanging upside down with rain pouring down. I guess, considering all of that, it was a good thing his co-star was there to "resuscitate" him.

On a side note, with that behind-the-scenes Spider-Man fact regarding the “book of famous kisses,” I’m really curious about which ones the actress looked over. It's not all that surprising that director Sam Raimi would want such care taking with that kiss. We've also learned that Raimi helped Kirsten Dunst prepare by reminding her to put some of her “Kirsten Dunst magic,” as he calls it, into his movie to help make that kiss a memorable moment. I believe one of the most beautiful elements of the upside-down smooch is that it feels earned and is not superfluous. It also sums up the feelings the two characters have for each other at that point. Considering people still talk about it positively, I'd say that Dunst, Raimi and co. pulled it off well.

So, even if we don’t see Kirsten Dunst do any more upside kisses with Tobey Maguire, could we ever see them share the screen again as Spider-Man and Mary Jane? A few years ago, the Bring It On actress said she could see herself playing MJ again. While sharing a funny take on joining the MCU, Dunst joked that she’d love to join the franchise, because it would pay for her house and kids. Considering Marvel has made $1 billion-earning flicks, I’d say a huge paycheck could certainly be a possibility if she were to sign on. Also, Maguire’s Peter did say in No Way Home that he and his MJ are still together, so I'm hopeful these two will appear on screen again.

It does stink that the romantic on-screen kiss Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire shared in the 2002 blockbuster was "miserable" to film. And, quite frankly, I wouldn't wish that experience on any actors. However, I suppose if it's any consolation, the two stars can take heart knowing that their efforts weren't in vain.

Feel free to relive that romantic moment, as Spider-Man is available to stream with a Disney+ subscription. The flick, along with other Spidey films, will also be re-released in theaters amid the 2024 movie schedule.

Trending events. They have become fairly popular on social media channels, with fan bases rallying to voice collective support for anything from the Joel Schumacher cut of Batman Forever to the most successful trending event of our generation, the Release The Snyder Cut campaign. At the very least, they can remind X users of the popularity of a lost project. But every once in a while, the amount of support being shown online catches the eye of the right studio executive, who greenlights a creative decision despite its risky financial stakes, thereby giving the fans what they think they want. And Spider-Man fans hope to do just that, leading to a sequel for one of the best Spider-Man movies ever made. 

Sam Raimi and Spider-Man fans are embarking on a new trending event in January of 2024. Well, new in the sense that it’ll be revived on that day, though this group has been pushing for this movie for some time. It’s the Raimi version of Spider-Man 4, a sequel that the Evil Dead director seriously considered as a means to reclaim his franchise following the uneven Spider-Man 3, and potentially swing out of the Spidey series on a high note. I detailed all of this in With Great Power, my nonfiction book on Spider-Man’s Hollywood history. But the story might not be over just yet.

On January 5, 2024 at 10 am EST, fans of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man franchise plan to do a trending event using the hashtag #MakeRaimiSpiderMan4. These supporters have been around for a while, and have made concerted efforts to raise awareness for Raimi’s planned fourth Spider-Man movie. Heading into 2024, they’d like to keep their feet on the gas and keep beating the drum for Raimi. And you know what? I think their goal is actually possible. 

Here’s a snapshot synopsis on the Sam Raimi Spider-Man 4 situation. Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 was compromised. Executive producer Avi Arad pushed Raimi to include Venom (Topher Grace), a villain the director didn’t understand or like, and the sequel became one of the first examples of an overstuffed franchise exercise that lacked the heart and humanity of Raimi’s initial two Spider-Man movies. But Raimi had a plan! He’d make one last Spider-Man movie with Tobey Maguire. He’d focus on The Vulture – another Silver Age Spidey villain, the likes of which he preferred – and close out his portion of the franchise on his own terms. 

Alas, the sequel stalled in development, and Sony eventually rebooted the franchise with Andrew Garfield in the lead role. 

Should Sam Raimi make Spider-Man 4? Under normal circumstances, I’d call this a pipe dream, trying to resuscitate a sequel that died back in 2009-10. Too much time has passed. Too much water under the bridge…

Except. 

Sam Raimi recently returned to the Marvel universe as the director of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. And Tobey Maguire reprised his role of Peter Parker in the acclaimed (and ridiculously successful) Spider-Man: No Way Home. Several people have been talking about a Raimi-led Spider-Man 4, from Anne Hathaway’s recent comments about reading the script audition sides for Black Cat, and Thomas Haden Church suggesting he’d heard rumors that it might happen. Raimi’s name has even been bandied about for the director’s chair on Avengers: Secret Wars, which might be a multiversal team up movie that features such past Marvel heroes as Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Maguire’s Spider-Man. Maybe fans get Raimi and Tobey for that, instead of Spider-Man 4?

All I’m saying is, the feasibility of Spider-Man 4 isn’t nearly as impossible as one might have thought a few years ago, given both Raimi and Maguire’s willingness to continue to play in the Marvel sandbox. Also, as Sony continues to build out it’s Spider-Man adjacent world of Marvel characters with movies like the upcoming 2024 film Madame Web, or Kraven the Hunter, that world will need a Spider-Man. Why not make it Maguire, and let Tom Holland continue to play a variation of Peter Parker in the MCU? There are options, if the studios want to consider them. And if you want to make your voice heard, be ready on January 5, at 10 EST.

Considering just how hard it is to make in show business, it's remarkable how many celebrities have been good friends with other successful celebrities since before either was famous. Some going back to childhood. Here's our list of celebrities that have been friends for longer than they've been famous. 

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck

It’s probably the most famous friendship in Hollywood. Ben Affleck and Matt Damon grew up together in Cambridge, MA, and they’ve pretty much been besties ever since. They were even uncredited extras together in Field Of Dreams and both found early roles in School Ties together. Of course, in 1997 when they wrote and starred in Good Will Hunting together, their collective fame blew up. 

Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones

Another set of long-time friends are former Vice President Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones. They were roommates when they attended Harvard together. At the 2000 Democratic National Convention when the party nominated Gore to be its candidate for President, Jones said in a speech,

Christopher Reeve and Robin Williams were both taken from the world when they were too young. The two have more in common than tragedy though. Reeve and Williams forged a lifelong friendship after meeting as graduate students at Juilliard and rooming together while in school. Reeve even credited Williams with showing him that life would go on after a horse riding accident left him paralyzed. 

Madonna and Debi Mazar

Entourage star Debi Mazar and global superstar Madonna have been friends since the early ‘80s when they met in the hipster scene of the East Village and the dance clubs of New York City. They stayed friends since that time and Mazar has had Madonna’s back when internet trolls take shots at the pop music legend. Mazar also appeared in a number of Madonna’s early videos, like “Papa Don’t Preach.”

Ving Rhames and Stanley Tucci

Stanley Tucci and Ving Rhames were roommates as undergrads at SUNY Purchase. Tucci even gave Rhames his nickname, Ving, which is short for Erving. Rhames let the world in on that tidbit when he presented Tucci with a Golden Globe in 1998 for Tucci’s role in Winchell. The two have only worked on the same project together once though, 1995’s Kiss of Death. 

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler and Tiny Fey first met at the improv school Improv Olympic (now known as iO Theater) in the early ‘90s when they were both just starting out. In the years since, they’ve stayed friends and worked together a lot, including on SNL and hosting the Golden Globe Awards together. 

Brad Pitt and Sheryl Crow

Brad Pitt and Sheryl Crow have known each other since college. Pitt was a year behind Crow at the University of Missouri and according to Crow, they didn’t know each other well, but they did cross paths a lot, She worked with his fraternity during Greek Week and she was friends with his college girlfriend. She also jokes on the podcast that she dreamed she would marry Brad Pitt. 

Rick Moranis and Geddy Lee

Geddy Lee was the bass player and lead singer of Rush, one of the most popular bands of the last 50 years. Weirdly, his biggest hit wasn’t with Rush but was a song called “Take Off” that appeared on a Doug and Bob McKenzie album. He sang on the track because he’s been lifelong friends with Rick Moranis, who played Doug McKenzie. The two went to grade school together. 

Lauryn Hill and Zach Braff

Lauryn Hill attended Zach Braff’s bar mitzvah. You read that right. Braff told a story to Seth Meyers (whom Braff has known since college) about his bar mitzvah being “musical theater themed” and his partner in the games the kids played was none other than Ms. Lauryn Hill, who went to high school with Braff. 

Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand

Holly Hunter and Frances McDormand first met years before they both found success in Hollywood. They even roomed together in the Bronx. While they were roommates, McDormand met Joel Coen, of the Coen Brothers, and they started dating. Eventually, they would marry and Joel and Ethan Coen would cast both McDormand and Hunter in Raising Arizona, one of many roles the Coens have cast McDormand in. 

B.J. Novak and John Krasinski

B.J. Novak and John Krasinski were in the same class in high school at Newtown South High outside Boston. They were friends long before they both starred in The Office, though in high school, according to Novak, Krasinski was more of a jock, while Novak was a theater kid. Obviously, both ended up wildly successful as actors. 

Gwyneth Paltrow and Maya Rudolph

Maya Rudolph and Gwyneth Paltrow have been friends for years. Rudolph’s father, Richard, was best friends with Paltrow’s father, Bruce, and Maya and Gwyneth attended the same school, St. Augustine by the Sea School in Santa Monica.

Adam Sandler and director Judd Apatow famously shared an apartment in Los Angeles when they were both just starting out in the industry. When Sandler landed his gig with SNL and moved to New York, he continued to pay rent on the place because he was worried he’d immediately get fired from the show. He didn’t and the rest is history. 

Lisa Kudrow and Conan O'Brien

Conan O’Brien met Lisa Kudrow in 1985 when he moved to LA out of college and decided to take an improv class. According to O’Brien, he walked into the class on his first day and immediately identified Kudrow as someone that was going somewhere. 

Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson 

Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson first met in their sophomore year at the University of Texas. Both were in a playwriting seminar and Anderson immediately was intrigued by Wilson. They have stayed close over the years and Wilson is a regular player in Anderson’s films, starring in eight of them. 

Danny DeVito and Micheal Douglas

Starting way back in 1975 Danny DeVito and Micheal Douglas have been working together. Douglas produced One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest which DeVito had a supporting role in. The two have been friends for much longer, going all the way back to 1967 when they met on beach and immediately bonded. 

Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg

This might be the most surprising on the list. Cameron Diaz and Snoop Dogg went to Long Beach High School together. They've known each other since they were teenagers and, according to Diaz.

Brad Pitt and Jason Priestley

Before they were stars, Brad Pitt and Jason Priestley, as roommates, apparently would have contests to see who could go the longest without showering or shaving. Somehow, they were both still really, really good looking despite this. 

Laura Linney and Brooke Shields

Star of The Blue Lagoon, Brooke Shields, and star of You Can Count on Me, Laura Linney, have been counting on each other since they were children. Brooke Shields celebrated Laura Linney's 56th birthday in 2020 by posting a throwback of the two when they were just kids. 

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance

Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett got married in 1997, which was well after both had become successful. Their friendship, however, goes much further back. They met at Yale Drama School in the '80s, though both were dating other people at the time. They would reconnect years later and they've been together ever since. 

Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton

Way before they found fame together on The Simple Life, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton were friends. According to Hilton on the show, they've been best friends since they were two years old. In September 2023, Hilton celebrated Richie's birthday by posting a bunch of photos of them through the years, from childhood to the present. 

The Great Gatsby was not the first time Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire worked together. They appeared together in This Boy's Life back in 1993. Their friendship, however, goes back even further having met early on when they were both struggling to land their first roles and auditioning for the same parts. They are still close friends. 

Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts

Technically Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts were already working actors when they met on the set of Flirting back in 1991. Neither were famous yet, and the fellow Aussies became fast friends, and have stayed very close ever since. 

Adam Levine and Jonah Hill

Adam Levine and Jonah Hill have been friends since childhood. They've often joked about each other in interviews and really seem to have a close bond. They are so close that Jonah Hill even officiated Levine's wedding in 2016. 

Kate Hudson and Liv Tyler

Liv Tyler and Kate Hudson have a lot in common, starting with all of their parents being famous themselves. They also both grew up in Los Angeles and attended the same high school together, Crossroads School for Arts & Science, where they first became buddies. They starred in Dr. T & the Women together in 2000 and are still very close friends

Jamie Dornan And Andrew Garfield

Jamie Dornan And Andrew Garfield have been mates for almost 20 years. The two were roommates in the early days of their careers, running in a pack with the likes of Charlie Cox, Robert Pattinson, and Eddie Redmayne as they struggled to land auditions. It's safe to say they've all done pretty well since then. 

Timothée Chalamet and Ansel Elgort

Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City is one of the most prestigious arts high schools in the country. It's no surprise that it has its fair share of famous former students. Two of those are Timothée Chalamet and Ansel Elgort, who were in the same class and have been best friends since attending. 

Scarlett Johansson and Jack Antonoff

Like so many others on this list, actor Scarlett Johansson and musician Jack Antonoff attended high school together. What makes them different is that they even briefly dated and went to the prom together at New York City's Professional Children’s School. They broke up after graduation, but they'll always have prom! 

Mel Gibson and Geoffrey Rush

The country of Australia is not all Mel Gibson and Geoffrey Rush have in common, When both were starving artists trying to make it early on, they shared an apartment that, according to Gibson, didn't have any furniture. A few decades later it's safe to assume both have plenty of places to sleep and sit down after all their success. 

Kristen Bell and Matthew Morrison

Kristen Bell attended the prestigious New York University's Tisch School of the Arts alongside Glee star Matthew Morrison. They were friends in college, and as Bell told Us Weekly in 2010, the two briefly dated. She told the magazine, 

David Lynch and Peter Wolf

In what might be the oddest pairing on this list, director David Lynch and musician Peter Wolf were once roommates at School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in the 1960s. Wolf, who is famous for being the lead singer of the great J. Geils Band told The New York Times that the living situation didn't last long, as he was way too messy for Lynch. 

Kirsten Gillibrand and Connie Britton

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of Massachusetts and actor Connie Britton first met on a study-abroad trip to China while both were in college at Dartmouth. The pair have remained friends in the decades since and often post about each other on social media and of course, Britton endorsed Gillibrand when she first ran for the senate.

Actors, musicians, politicians, roommates, childhood friends, and starving artists. Each pair on this list have unique stories, that are somehow also very similar. They say birds of a feather flock together and this list of celebrities who were friends before they were famous seems to prove that point over and over.  

It is not unusual for an actor just starting out in the business to film scenes for a movie that, ultimately, never see the light of the day. In fact, it's not out of the ordinary for that same thing to happen to an established A-lister either. See for yourself by taking a look at some of the biggest stars you did not realize were almost in some of your favorite film, if not for the magic of editing.

Ana De Armas (Yesterday)

Yesterday is a universe-altering movie that takes place in a reality in which the Beatles never existed. Coincidentally, there exists an alternate cut of the film featuring Ana de Armas as a Late Late Show guest Himesh Patel’s Jack Malik romantically sings “Something” to. Per writer, Richard Curtis explained that the character was cut to avoid making Jack’s relationship with Ellie (Lily James) any more complicated. Though De Armas did appear in the trailer, and fans pursued legal action against Universal over the marketing.

Kevin Costner (The Big Chill) 

In one of the best movies of the ‘80s, The Big Chill, a group of friends reunite for the funeral of their friend, Alex, who was supposed to be played by the future Oscar-winning star and director of Dances with Wolves (pictured), Kevin Costner. Star Jeff Goldblum told Yahoo! that the Yellowstone cast member was “wonderful” in a flashback scene that was ultimately cut from the 1983 ensemble dramedy, in which his character finds himself reluctant to carve a Thanksgiving turkey and ruin its perfection.

Christopher Lee (The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King)

One of the most important characters from the Lord of the Rings movies, Saruman, is not in the third installment, The Return of the King. Per Ain’t It Cool News, Peter Jackson felt his scene — which was originally shot for The Two Towers — served as more of a wrap-up to the previous film than a suitable beginning for this one. While appearing at University College Dublin, Saruman actor Christopher Lee shared how shocked he was to learn his scene from the Best Picture Oscar winner — in which he stands off against the Fellowship — was cut before recommending the crowd “buy the extended DVDs.”

Harrison Ford (E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial)

Steven Spielberg told EW that, as a favor to him and writer Melissa Mathison (also his then-girlfriend), Harrison Ford shot a scene for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial as Elliot’s (Henry Thomas) school principal that can be found on YouTube today. It never made the final cut of the 1982 box office smash, but know that had it been included, the star of the Indiana Jones movies (pictured) still would have gone mostly unseen as the camera never shows his face.

Andy García (Dangerous Minds)

Andy García told BlogTalkRadio (via Express) that when he was approached to star in 1995’s Dangerous Minds as a love interest for Michelle Pfeiffer’s inner city teacher, Louanne Johnson, he openly expressed that he found the role unnecessary. Still, the star of Father of the Bride (pictured) shot the scenes that were written for him (but not included in the initial script). But they were indeed removed from the final cut.

James Gandolfini (Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close)

The late James Gandolfini shot scenes for 2011’s Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close as a man Sandra Bullock’s widowed character meets at a 9/11 victims support group meeting. The Sopranos cast member (pictured) was even credited on the Oscar-nominated drama’s poster. According to the LA Times — his role was removed following a poor test audience reception.

Eric Stoltz (Back to the Future)

One of the most infamous examples of an actor cut from a movie — save one frame — is Eric Stoltz, who led the Back to the Future cast for about a month before director Robert Zemeckis and others realized his “intense” approach to the role was not working. As Collider recalls, Zemeckis got approval to reshoot most of the movie and replace Stoltz with their initial choice, Michael J. Fox, whose performance in the time travel movie classic as Marty McFly is iconic.

Ashley Judd (Natural Born Killers)

In a sequence cut from Natural Born Killers (which can be found on YouTube), Ashley Judd plays Grace Mulberry — the sole survivor of Mickey (Woody Harrelson) and Mallory Knox’s (Juliette Lewis) mass teenager murder. She appears in court to be personally cross-examined by Mickey, who then stabs her to death with a pencil on the stand. In an interview for Metrograph, director Oliver Stone recalls removing it for its “length, and violence,” but now believes the “touching” scene belongs in the controversial 1994 satire.

Tobey Maguire (Life Of Pi)

In 2012’s adaptation of the novel, Life of Pi, the title character (portrayed as an older man by Irrfan Khan) recalls his unbelievable story of survival to a writer, played by English actor, Rafe Spall. However, according to USA Today, the role was originally played by Tobey Maguire until director Ang Lee decided the sSpider-Man star (pictured) was too distractingly recognizable and opted for reshoots. 

Chris Cooper (The Ring)

Anyone who ever wondered who Naomi Watts’ Rachel passes the curse tape along to at the end of The Ring should know it was Chris Cooper. The Oscar-winning star of Adaptation. (pictured) told Sci-Fi Wire (via MovieHole) that he shot bookend scenes for the 2002 horror movie classic. One establishes his character as a serial killer and the other shows him receiving the tape. Both were cut for disrupting the flow.

Shailene Woodley (The Amazing Spider-Man 2)

The Amazing Spider-Man franchise was meant to introduce of Shailene Woodley as Mary-Jane Watson to Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker. Per MovieWeb, the Divergent star did shoot a cameo for TASM 2, which was later cut so she could officially debut in the next film — a plan ruined when the franchise was cancelled completely.

Robert Pattinson (Vanity Fair)

Before Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson played lovers in Water for Elephants, they played mother and son in the 2004 period drama, Vanity Fair. But the then-teenage actor — who went on to hit it big in Twilight (pictured) — was cut from the move, which he discovered while attending the premiere, according to his 2017 W Magazine interview.

Skeet Ulrich (Cursed)

The 2005 werewolf movie, Cursed, marked a reunion for director Wes Craven, writer Kevin Williamson, and original Scream cast member Skeet Ulrich that audiences never saw. According to MovieHole (via Killer Movies), Ulrich — also known for Riverdale (pictured) — was removed in lieu of studio-optioned rewrites and reshoots. But in 2022, the Scream fan site, Hello Sidney, revealed his role via stills from an unreleased director's cut.

Michael Biehn (Terminator 2: Judgment Day)

Despite Kyle Reese' death in 1984’s The Terminator, Michael Biehn reprised the role in the 1991 sequel, which is now regarded one of the greatest action movies of all time. However, according to ScreenRant, the sequence — in which he comes to Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) in a dream — was cut from Terminator 2: Judgment Day to maintain a tighter pace, but was later restored for an extended special edition. 

Angela Bassett (Mr. & Mrs. Smith)

Technically, Angela Bassett is in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, but her part as Brad Pitt’s boss was originally meant to be more than an uncredited voice role. On YouTube, you can find deleted scenes from Doug Liman’s 2004 romantic action-comedy with the two-time Oscar nominee appearing in person alongside Keith David as Father.

Adrien Brody (The Thin Red Line)

Several major actors had their roles were either severely trimmed or completely removed from Terrence Malick’s 1998 war epic, The Thin Red Line, like including Mickey Rourke and George Clooney, as ScreenRant recalls. However, Academy Award-winner Adrien Brody’s character, Cpl. Fife, was the central lead of James Jones' original novel and had even done press for the film when he discovered right before the premiere that he was barely in it, per The Independent (via Eskimo).

Mick Jagger (Fitzcarraldo)

Mick Jagger’s underrated acting skills were praised by Werner Herzog (per Playboy, via The Local), who cast the rock star in his 1982 adventure film, Fitzcarraldo. Unfortunately, according to Far Out, multiple problems facing the production — including star Jason Robards’ dysyntery, as the New York Times reported — caused a delay that interfered with The Rolling Stone's touring schedule. Thus, Herzog was forced to recast Robards’ title role with Klaus Kinski and write Jagger’s character out entirely.

Matt Damon (Ocean's 8)

Ocean’s 8 had some fun cameos from members of Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven cast — namely Elliott Gould’s Rueben and Shaobo Qin as Yen — but we almost saw more. In addition to the late Carl Reiner telling Vanity Fair he filmed a scene with Sandra Bullock, THR reports that Matt Damon's cameo as Linus Caldwell from the 2001 heist favorite (pictured) was taken out due to “editorial and storytelling reasons,” as director Gary Ross claimed. The article does, however, mention a petition to remove Damon following comments he made about the #MeToo movement and Harvey Weinstein scandal.

Michelle Monaghan (Constantine, Syriana)

When Michelle Monaghan spoke to MovieHole to promote Mission: Impossible III, it was mentioned that she was removed from two different movies released in 2005: Constantine and Syriana. The fantasy comic book movie did preserve one of her scenes, but she's nowhere to be found in Steven Soderbergh’s Oscar-winning political drama, which already had many storylines to juggle, as Monaghan herself mentioned.

Tim Roth (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood)

Tim Roth is in many of Quentin Tarantino’s best movies — including Pulp Fiction (pictured) — and came very close to joining 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But Tarantino was orced to remove Roth's part to avoid a five-hour runtime. Roth did share in an interview with Uproxx that he appreciated, at least, being mentioned in the credits as “cut.”

Ellen Pompeo (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) 

As a video essay by Film Radar demonstrates, if Ellen Pompeo role’s in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind had not been removed, we would have seen Michel Gondry’s trippy romantic sci-fi dramedy in a whole different light. In deleted scenes, the Grey’s Anatomy star plays Naomi — the woman Jim Carrey’s Joel left for Clementine (Kate Winslet) and whom he reconciles with after his memory wipe. Though he leaves her again when he meets Clementine on the train, unaware he has done this before.

Paul Rudd (Bridesmaids)

The Bridesmaids cast included plenty of funny people, but did you know Paul Rudd was also part of it for a moment? Director Paul Feig told EW he “felt bad” cutting the Ant-Man actor’s darkly funny cameo as Annie’s (co-writer Kristen Wiig) deranged blind date, but did so to shave down the runtime and avoid distracting from Annie’s love triangle with Ted (Jon Hamm) and Rhodes (Chris O’Dowd).

Katherine Langford (Avengers: Endgame)

In a deleted scene from Avengers: Endgame, immediately after Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) “snaps” Thanos (Josh Brolin) away, he is given the chance to say one final goodbye to an older version of his daughter, Morgan (Katherine Langford), in the Soulworld. At least the sequence’s omission gives Langford a chance to play a different Marvel character at some point, hopefully.

Uma Thurman (Savages) 

The 2012 crime drama Savages could have been touted as a reunion between John Travolta and Uma Thurman, who first worked together on Pulp Fiction (pictured), had the latter’s role as Ophelia’s (Blake Lively) mother not been removed. Director Oliver Stone revealed to Huff Post that Paqu was actually one of several character from Don Winslow’s novel did not make it into the movie due to time constraints.

Amy Poehler (Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy)

When mentioning her axed cameo as a bank teller in 2004’s Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy with Vulture, Amy Poehler admits she correctly predicted the movie was already too long to keep her scene, which also featured fellow SNL star Maya Rudolph as a gang leader. Thankfully, the Parks and Rec cast member did appear in the 2013 sequel alongside her buddy, Tina Fey.

Rachel Weisz (To The Wonder)

In 2012, Rachel Weisz spoke to La Stampa (via EW) about how she had the pleasure of working with Terrence Malick on To the Wonder, but would “not have the pleasure of seeing [her] work.” For unknown reasons, the Oscar-winning star of The Constant Gardener (pictured) was removed from the romantic drama starring Ben Affleck and Olga Kurylenko. And she wasn't alone, as IndieWire later reported that Barry Pepper, Michael Sheen and Amanda Peet were also missing from the final cut.

Viggo Mortenson (The Purple Rose Of Cairo)

One of the first movies Academy Award nominee Viggo Mortenson worked on was Woody Allen’s 1985 fantasy rom-com, The Purple Rose of Cairo. The star of the Lord of the Rings movies (pictured) spoke to ABC News' Peter Travers about how his frustrating experience shooting the film turned out to be meaningless since he was edited out the movie after it was released.

Matthew Fox (World War Z)

The 2013 adaptation of Max Brooks’ World War Z was plagued by rewrites and reshoots that resulted in an entirely new third act from what was intended. As a result, Lost cast member Matthew Fox’s role as a paratrooper was scaled down to just one line of dialogue, which may have been disappointing for the self-proclaimed fan of the OG book, per Huff Post.

Jack Whitehall (Frozen)

In a clip shared to Jack Whitehall’s official YouTube channel, the British comedian shares with an audience how his one-line role as a troll in Disney’s Oscar-winning animated film, Frozen, was reduced to a non-speaking part. The Jungle Cruise cast member and star of Clifford the Big Red Dog (pictured) goes on to say that, after discovering his line was removed when he first saw the movie, a friend of his found a photo of him at a Frozen press junket and meme-ified it. 

James Van Der Beek (Storytelling)

Tom Solondz’s 2002 anthology dramedy, Storytelling, consists of two segments dealing with various challenging topics, but there were original three. As EW reported, the omitted third chapter starred James Van Der Beek — known for being part of the Dawson’s Creek cast and Varsity Blues (pictured) — as a high school football player discovering he's gay.

Sienna Miller (Black Mass)

Before the 2015 crime thriller released, it was already confirmed tha Sienna Miller had been cut from Black Mass. She was cast as Catherine Greig, who had a relationship infamous gangster, Whitey Bulger (played by Johnny Depp in the film). Director Scott Cooper admitted to The Boston Globe that it was a difficult decision to remove the English actor -- then best known for American Sniper (pictured) -- but it ultimately “came down to narrative choices.”

Jena Malone (Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice)

Following previous rumors that she would play Robin, Jena Malone’s comic book movie debut in Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice actually never made it to the big screen. Luckily, her role as head S.T.A.R. Labs scientist Jenet Klyburn — first revealed in leaked footage —  would be included in the 2016 DC movie’s three-hour “Ultimate Cut."

So if your friends ever quiz you about has or hasn't starred in major movies, this list should provide you with some interesting loopholes.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth presence in the entertainment industry, spanning movies, TV shows, and even theme parks. There are a number of upcoming Marvel movies that fans are eager for information for, including the next two Avengers flicks. Since the shared universe is leaning into the concept of the multiverse, it seems like just about anything could happen in those crossover events. And bringing Tobey Maguire, Hugh Jackman and other OG Marvel heroes into this fan made Avengers 6 posters is the pick me up I needed today.

While the next big team-up movie is Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, that will be followed up with the equally mysterious Avengers: Secret Wars. If the latter film follows the comic book plot of the same name, it would seemingly open the door for a wild crossover that puts heroes and villains alike into combat. Now we can imagine what that might look like thanks to fan art on Instagram, which includes countless surprising choices from past Marvel movies. Check it out below:

Honestly, my head is spinning. This is a bigger and more insane crossover than Marvel fans could ever dream, full of returning faces who stepped away from their roles before the inception of the MCU. So seeing them not only return to their roles but also presumably fight each other would be mind blowing. Hey, a fandom can dream, can’t it?

The above image comes to us from the Instagram of an artist called Arifinity. They’ve got thousands of followers on instagram, largely thanks to epic fan art surrounding Marvel lore. And as moviegoers wait for more information about what’s coming in the next two Avengers movies, fan theories and art is likely going to keep on coming.

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man is front and center in this fan poster for Avengers 6, and his return actually doesn’t seem totally out of the question. After all, he and Andrew Garfield suited back up as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Hugh Jackman is making his return as Wolverine in Deadpool 3, so he seems like a choice that’s actually possible. Jennifer Garner is also rumored to return as Elektra in that Ryan Reynolds movie, and she’s on this fan poster too.

Some heroes in this image that are sure to turn heads are the OG Fantastic Four cast, including Chris Evans as the Human Torch. Ben Affleck’s Daredevil is also featured, despite Charlie Cox being the MCU’s official version of the hero. We also see Wesley Snipes' Blade, two different variations of the Hulk, and Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider. There’s really too many heroes to name, many of which would break the internet if they actually showed up in the MCU.

Avengers: Secret Wars is currently expected to arrive in theaters on May 7th, 2027. In the meantime, check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Look, I know Spider-Man: No Way Home is right there in all its glory to give me three helpings of Peter Parker/Spider-Man, but with nearly two years having passed since the last live-action Spidey film, I really do wish we knew when the next one was on the way. As development for Spider-Man 4 is currently delayed due to the writers strike, it could be a while before more updates come. But in the meantime, Tom Holland’s latest vacation post totally reminds me of Tobey Maguire’s first stint as Spider-Man back in 2002!

Tom Holland took to Instagram on Thursday to share an ominous photo of himself jumping off what looks to be a massive yacht into the ocean. Check it: 

The British actor has proved once again he’s got the spirit of a superhero with this daring social media post. It takes some major guts to straight up plummet into the ocean from that height and it’s a major serve that he shared the awesome photograph to his followers. Where is he? I have no idea, but it’s giving “Go, web, go!” vibes, you know? 

I’m of course thinking of a key sequence in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, which was the first time Peter Parker was ever the star of a motion picture. It’s such a euphoric moment to see the teen learn he can scale the walls of New York buildings and leap across them. It’s such a fun scene, even though I really appreciated the MCU not telling Peter Parker’s tragic origin story for the third time after Uncle Ben broke our hearts in both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s first movies. That being said, it would have been really fun to have Tom Holland’s Peter Parker have moments to discover his powers for the first time. 

The Spider-Man scene I’m talking about is perfectly paired with Danny Elfman’s playful score. Obviously the movie scene is at much higher heights than Tom Holland’s daring boat plunge, but the image got my Spidey senses tingling to compare the two either way. Here’s the scene I’m referencing:

Following Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield coming together for 2021’s incredible Spider-Man team-up movie, the path forward is not clear for the future of live-action Spidey movies. Holland shared earlier this year that another Spider-Man movie was in the “very early stages,” but the WGA strike has suspended any future work on this production and so many others. With Hollywood at a standstill, it’s no wonder Holland is taking some more vacation time to do things like jump off boats. 

While we wait for more Spider-Man news, you can check out our ranking of every Spider-Man movie so far, with the latest one, Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, now available to own on digital and the Blu-Ray/DVD copies hitting shelves on September 5.  

Before Spider-Man joined the MCU, we only saw this web-slinging hero on the big screen through Sam Raimi’s films. In 2007, Spider-Man 3 was not meant to be the conclusion of Spider-Man films. A fourth film was in the development stages with its release date set for May 6, 2011, only for those plans to be scrapped. Thomas Haden Church, who played Spider-Man 3 villain Sandman, touches up on the rumors on whether or not a fourth Spider-Man starring Tobey Maguire is in the works.

With the success the Sam Raimi films had critically and financially, it was a shame we had to say goodbye to them after the third movie. Fortunately, Tobey Maguire put back on the Spider-Man suit after 15 years with Spider-Man: No Way Home which gave us some closure as to how his Peter Parker was doing. Spider-Man 3’s Sandman actor Thomas Haden Church gave us some hope when speaking to ComicBook about the possibility of a fourth movie based on some rumors he heard.

This makes my nostalgic self so happy if this ends up being true of seeing Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker/Spider-Man arc continue. It doesn’t come as too much of a surprise that Thomas Haden Church would like to return to the Spider-Man world. He was one of the era villains that made their way into Spider-Man: No Way Home and reunited with Tobey Maguire’s Peter. 

A few years ago when the Easy A actor looked back on his role of Flint Marco in Spider-Man 3, he said he was very proud of the movie, his character, and all of the people he worked with. But even if a Spider-Man 4 doesn’t come to fruition, it doesn’t mean we won’t possibly see the last of Flint Marco. Church has teased Sandman’s possible return while speaking with MCU director Jon Watts, but that he’d be in human form instead of sand. Maybe that means we’d get the chance to see how he turned his life around after being cured in No Way Home.

Since Stan Lee’s Spider-Man has so many villains and storylines, it was a challenge for Sam Raimi to determine what would be featured in his next Spider-Man movie. There were talks of The Lizard to be Spider-Man 4’s main and only villain only for the Vulture and Vultress to be added to the mix. After battles with Sony Studios on the failure to find a satisfactory script Raimi could be proud of, Spider-Man 4 was canceled altogether. 

The letdown of Spider-Man 3 came from overstuffing the movie with too many villains. It’s one thing to bring back the signature villains we loved from the previous movies as it invokes nostalgia in its audience. But the introduction of too many villains in one movie could provide us with too many storylines that could make us scratch our heads. It appeared that a fourth web-slinging movie made by Sam Raimi could have been headed in that same direction which the Drag Me to Hell director didn’t want in the first place for the third film. But as Raimi still thinks about his “unborn” Spider-Man movie all the time and No Way Home reminded audiences why we love Tobey Maguire’s Peter, news of a Spider-Man 4 would thrill audiences.

I’m crossing my fingers that what Thomas Haden Church heard about the chances of a Spider-Man 4 movie is true. After all, fans have been reaching out to Sony about these rumors so they're well aware of their wishes. And Sam Raimi told ComicBook last year he'd love to come back to the Spider-Man franchise or have another chance to work with the Seabiscuit actor again. Until then, you can watch all three of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies on your Netflix subscription and Disney+ subscription.

It’s been over five years since the Avengers: Infinity War ending sent us into an absolute frenzy, and no other MCU villain has yet to top Josh Brolin’s menacing, and very purple Thanos. With that said, have you ever wondered what the actor did to pass the time while on the set of one of the highest-grossing movies of all time? As it turns out, he initiated some star-studded prank calls with one young co-star, Ariana Greenblatt. 

Fifteen-year-old Ariana Greenblatt has been making waves in Hollywood by being part of the cast of Barbie, which is one of the weekend’s biggest releases. She was also in 65 alongside Adam Driver earlier on the 2023 movie schedule, and she is set to play Tiny Tina in the upcoming Borderlands movie. However, before all that, she played a young Gamora in Avengers: Infinity War. Her scenes in the film were primarily with Josh Brolin, and she told THR about her experience working with him and the shenanigans they instigated, saying: 

I don’t know about you, but the idea of Josh Brolin entertaining child actors on set with prank calls to some major celebrities is just too good! It sounds like Ariana Greenblatt had a ton of fun working with the Thanos actor, and if she really did get to prank call Tobey Maguire of all people, I’m honestly jealous. While at the time, the actor had hung up his Spider-Man suit for over a decade, he has since returned to the MCU for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and he said he would be open to returning to the hero in a future project. Now we just need to figure out how to get him, Greenblatt and Brolin together for a scene...

Greenblatt and Brolin’s Infinity War scenes were very important to the audience understanding Thanos’ motivations for choosing to sacrifice Gamora for the Soul Stone. The death was really messed up and twisted, but getting to see where Thanos and Gamora’s journey began when she was a young child really elevated the blockbuster to an even more emotional level. Of course, now that we know the two actors were prank-calling big performers in between shooting, we have a whole new perspective on the situation. 

Considering Thanos was defeated and the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy ended earlier this year, we don’t expect to see either of them reprise their roles in upcoming MCU projects, but hopefully, they can work together again. Greenblatt’s early role, at the age of 9, couldn’t have been more massive and as she grows up, it looks like she’s really finding success in Hollywood. After you see Greenblatt in Barbie, you can look forward to seeing her in Borderlands, which hits theaters on August 9, 2024. 

Spider-Man has been a major pop culture figure for most of his existence, but things kicked up a few notches in 2002 with the release of the first Spider-Man movie. Tobey Maguire was selected to play Peter Parker in the character’s cinematic debut, and his origin story saw him battling Willem Dafoe’s Norman Osborn, a.k.a. The Green Goblin. It’s been more than two decades since Spider-Man’s release, and now there’s a fact that’s emerged concerning those two actors which will ruin your day.

Spider-Man filmed from January to June of 2001; Maguire turned 26 on June 26 of that year, around the time principal photography concluded, while Dafoe turned 46 on the following July 22. Cut to present day, the former just turned 48 years old, and the latter is a month away from turning 68. Now obviously the passage of time by itself isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s been pointed out how w that Maguire is now two years older than Dafoe was when they were working on Spider-Man together.

Still, it’s not like this piece of trivia is coming entirely out of nowhere. Two years ago, a tweet made the rounds pointing out that Tobey Maguire was, at the time, the same age that Willem Dafoe was when Spider-Man was shooting, and it included an appropriate Saving Private Ryan gif, as you’ll see below.

21 years is a long time on paper, but I imagine for many of us, it doesn’t feel like that more than two decades have passed has passed since Spider-Man swung into theaters and was met with critical and commercial success. The movie spawned two sequels, respectively released in 2004 and 2007, and while Norman Osborn died in that first movie, Dafoe cameoed in the sequels as the Norman hallucination James Franco’s Harry Osborn kept seeing after learning Peter Parker was Spider-Man, whom he believed had murdered his father. There had been plans for Sam Raimi to make Spider-Man 4, but the project was ultimately shelved, and the film series was rebooted in 2012 with The Amazing Spider-Man.

Fortunately, Spider-Man 3 wasn’t Maguire and Dafoe’s last web-slinging outing, as they both returned for 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, which starred Tom Holland as the MCU’s Peter Parker. Dafoe’s Norman Osborn was pulled into that universe moments before his death during the events of Spider-Man alongside villains like Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus and Jamie Foxx’s Electro, while both Maguire’s Peter and Andrew Garfield’s version of the character were pulled from their realities in the present day. Dafoe has since said he wasn’t pleased with No Way Home’s de-aging effects, but overall, both men appear to have had a positive experience on the latest live-action Spidey movie.

If you’re interested in revisiting 2002’s Spider-Man, it can be streamed with either a Disney+ subscription or a Hulu subscription. The animated Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is currently playing in theaters, and fans continue to wait for updates on what’s happening with Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie.

Spoilers for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

If we’ve learned anything about the spider-centric multiverse on the big-screen over the years, it’s that anything can happen – and “anyone can wear the mask,” of course. And following Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse's release earlier this month, fans are starting to speculate about the possibilities for Miles Morales in Beyond The Spider-Verse and well, beyond. We’ve already heard that a live-action Morales project is in the cards for the future, but who would the character’s voice actor Shameik Moore like to see him crossover with? Well, he has an idea, and he thinks it could make for the "best" movie involving the character.

Recent conversations revolving around Shameik Moore playing Miles Morales in live-action spurred discourse about whether he’d be too old to play the character outside of animation. At this point, we don’t know what the specific plans for Miles on the big screen are, but Moore did recently speak about his favorite actors who have played Peter Parker while he was at Dallas Fan Expo over the weekend. CinemaBlend’s Nick Venable was present at Moore’s Q&A panel, where the voice actor first spoke to which version of the web-slinger he pictures first when the hero’s name is mentioned. In his words: 

Of course, Tobey Maguire's version is the one that the Dope alum grew up with and the live-action version of Peter Parker that so many of us likely think of first. That's because Maguire dazzled so many of us through Sam Raimi's films during the 2000s. But Shameik Moore also lovingly mentioned Drake Bell -- a fellow Spidey voice actor who portrayed Peter Parker in the Ultimate Spider-Man series. Moore was then asked of the three live-action actors to take up the mantle, which one he’d most like to work with. Here’s how he responded: 

It’s so difficult to pick one and, honestly, Shameik Moore went for a smart answer by sharing some reasoning why his Miles Morales could fit in with any and all of them. While the Sam Raimi-created iteration is his favorite Peter Parker of all time, Moore is really hoping to share the screen with our current star behind the live-action role, Tom Holland. When considering a collaboration with the actor, he imagines it could be the “best” Spider-Man movie we’ve ever seen. That's a big claim, but he may be onto something

For the record, Tobey Maguire hasn’t been shy about sharing his interest in returning to play Parker after starring in No Way Home. And Tom Holland is in early talks for a fourth movie in his series, which he recently said has been affected by the writers strike.

Across The Spider-Verse didn’t feature any major live-action crossovers. Though one character does mention Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of Peter Parker appear via archive footage. One does have to wonder if the final installment of the trilogy will include more of the live-action Peter Parkers and if it will set up Miles Morales in the MCU. Time will tell if it's Shameik Moore who ends up being the one to bring him to life outside of the animated. And if he does, I'm sure he'll be eager to make that "best" movie ever a reality.

We’ll have to wait and see what’s next for Miles Morales in Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse, currently set for release on March 29, 2024. And of course, ahead of that, check out Across the Spider-Verse in theaters now and is on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.

The Spider-Man hype has resurfaced ever since Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse made its way into the theaters at the beginning of the month. Since its first 15 minutes premiered at CinemaCon last year, audiences couldn’t wait to see the return of Miles Morales and Spider-Gwen take on evil again. And speaking of Spider-Gwen, the first actress to play Gwen Stacy in live-action, Bryce Dallas Howard, has heard everyone’s Spider-Man talk during the week which led her to throw back her Spider-Man 3 blonde look.

Back when the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy was all we had towards seeing the web-slinging hero on the big screen, Bryce Dallas Howard was in Spider-Man 3 as another leading lady of Spider-Man’s life, Gwen Stacy. With all of this chatter going on about Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, this red-haired actress shared her blonde look when she was doing a photo shoot for Elle back in 2006. Take a look at this beautiful throwback on Howard's Instagram below.

While Bryce Dallas Howard’s natural red hair has been a glowing quality to her, her blonde hair that she dyed to play Gwen Stacy was on point. Compared to sticking with Stan Lee’s version of having Gwen be Peter Parker’s ill-fated girlfriend, Sam Raimi had other plans for Spider-Man 3. This new character in Peter Parker’s life was portrayed as his science class colleague whose life he saved from an out-of-control crane. However, it seems that the daughter of Captain Stacy was there more to create tension between Peter and Mary Jane with not too much room to explore Howard’s character.

When Marc Webb decided to create his own superhero journey of the web-slinger, his version of Gwen Stacy was very accurate to Stan Lee’s depiction. Played by Emma Stone in the reboot, this version of Gwen in The Amazing Spider-Man series illustrated her as the best science student of Midtown High who helped Peter fight against the Lizard and Electro using her brain power. Unfortunately, the story followed too closely to the graphic novel series when her character was killed off at the end of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. While we knew it was going to be a decision Webb was going to take when behind-the-scenes photos showed Stone wearing the same outfit the superhero’s blonde-haired girlfriend wore in the comics when she died, audiences were still hoping to see Gwen Stacy on screen just a little bit longer.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 was about to bring back Emma Stone’s character until the third movie was scrapped. But luckily, we have the Spider-Verse movies to thank for resurrecting Gwen Stacy. Voiced by Hailee Steinfeld, she’s one of the major spider-heroes to know in the animated film series. This counterpart living in the alternate universe of Earth-65 was the one who gets bitten by the radioactive spider developing spider-like abilities. Unlike the story we know of Peter losing Gwen, Gwen is actually the one who tragically loses Peter. 

As the story continues in Across the Spider-Verse, Spider-Gwen teams up with her partner and love interest Miles Morales and other Spider-People to go against supervillain The Spot. Seeing this version of Gwen Stacy up on the big screen shows that every version of Spider-Man’s iconic love interest becomes more and more developed.

The character of Gwen Stacy may have taken on many forms over the years, but let’s use Spider-Man Week to remember Bryce Dallas Howard’s performance as the first actress to take on this well-known Marvel role which you can watch on your Netflix subscription. Make sure you get your tickets to see the 2023 movie release of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse in theaters now. 

The distinguished Cannes Film Festival continues this weekend with more high-profile movie premieres, including Martin Scorsese’s latest movie, Killers Of the Flower Moon. And among the attendees at the glamorous red carpet event on Saturday were the leads of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst. Let me tell you, seeing the OG Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson pose for the same event had me in my feels about Spider-Man 3. 

Kirsten Dunst walked the carpet in the France city as a date to husband Jesse Plemons, who is among the stars in Killers of the Flower Moon alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraser. Variety shared a video of the married couple happily posing in formal wear at the event along with sharing another post of Tobey Maguire in attendance. Maguire is a longtime friend of DiCaprio, and he apparently went to the premiere in support of his pal whom he's been friends with since their early days in Hollywood in the '90s. 

While the coverage of the premiere didn’t see Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire crossing paths, I'll be honest, I wistfully imagined that the Spider-Man actors interacted with each other at some point during the star-studded affair. Look I know the Spider-Man trilogy is fiction and very much separate from the lives of the two Hollywood stars, but seeing them attend the same event does remind this fan of the melancholic ending of Spider-Man 3. Remember how it had the ill-fated lovers slow-dancing without much closure about where their characters would go next? I'm not over it. 

It’s no secret Spider-Man 3 is a bit of a hot mess, but more than anything it was heartbreaking to see the relationship that was built across the trilogy fall apart. Thank goodness we got Spider-Man: No Way Home back in 2021, which finally gave Tobey Maguire a chance to step into the Spidey suit again and leave a sweeter taste in the mouths of fans regarding the fate of his character. Though Kirsten Dunst’s Mary Jane Watson did not appear, the actress has shared that she thinks that reprising her iconic Marvel role “could happen.” 

Dunst and Maguire were both at Cannes in support of Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese’s upcoming book adaptation of the true-crime novel of the same name about the Osage Murders at a time when the FBI had been newly formed. Check out the Killers of the Flower Moon trailer that has us expecting thinking the movie is about to get all the Oscars:

While I’m bummed we didn’t see a face-to-face reunion between the Spider-Man stars, their appearance at the Cannes premiere does come as Sam Raimi’s trilogy recently arrived on Disney+. All three Tobey Maguire Spider-Man movies are currently streaming along with The Amazing Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Venom. Although Maguire and Dunst got to see the first showing of Scorsese’s movie Saturday, the rest of us will have to wait for Killers of the Flower Moon, which arrives in theaters on October 20. 

When it comes to Apple TV+, they’ve been coming out with hit after hit, whether it be the famous Ted Lasso, or the award-winning Severance, there’s plenty on the streaming service to love. And now, they’re back with the latest ensemble series, Extrapolations. 

The TV show is an anthology drama series that shows the effects of climate change across the world, from different characters that are somehow all connected. In any show like this, there are many stars that you have probably seen somewhere before. Here is where you might have spotted the Extrapolations cast. 

Kit Harington (Nicholas Bilton)

First up on the list is Kit Harington, who plays Nicholas Bilton in Extrapolations. Harington is primarily known for his role as Jon Snow in the Game of Thrones cast, but he’s also had roles in shows such as Gunpowder, and was in movies like Pompeii as well as Eternals. 

Daveed Diggs (Rabbi Marshall Zucker)

Daveed Diggs portrays Rabbi Marshall Zucker in Extrapolations, and the actor has been on a grind recently with his shows and movies. While Diggs is primarily known for his role in the Hamilton cast, he’s the star of Snowpiercer, and was also in big movies such as Soul and Blindspotting. 

Sienna Miller (Rebecca) 

Next up is Sienna Miller, who plays Rebecca. Miller has been in films such as The Lost City of Z, Foxcatcher, American Woman, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. She was also in the TV film, The Girl. 

Meryl Streep (Eve)

Portraying Eve in Extrapolations is Meryl Streep, a name that I’m sure we are all very familiar with. Streep has been in so many movies that it’s hard to even keep track sometimes. I’m sure that somehow, someway, you have heard of her, so let’s go over some of her best roles and where you’ve seen her before.  

Streep got started back in the 1970s on the stage, but later on moved into movies and TV with films such as Julia, Kramer vs. Kramer, Sophie’s Choice, Out of Africa, Death Becomes Her, The Bridges of Madison Country, The Post, Little Women, The Devil Wears Prada, Into the Woods, The Hours, and more. If you want to hear something crazy, she holds the record for the most nominations by an actress for the Academy Awards – 21. 

Besides movies, Streep has done a lot in television, as well. She had a lead role in the miniseries, Holocaust, as well as a starring part in the second season of Big Little Lies. She was also a part of the miniseries, Angels in America, which won her a Primetime Emmy award. 

Michael Gandolfini (Rowan)

The son of James Gandolfini, Michael Gandolfini portrays Rowan in the series. He’s been in films such as Ocean’s 8, and portrayed the younger version of Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark on HBO Max. He is also going to be in Beau is Afraid, coming out later in 2023.

Heather Graham (Hannah)

Moving on, we take a look at Heather Graham, who plays Hannah. She’s been in many films that you might recognize her from, such as Six Degrees of Separation, Boogie Nights, Bowfinger, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Horns and more. She also had a supporting role in Twin Peaks, and was in the shows Scrubs and Californication. 

Tahar Rahim (Omar) 

Tahar Rahim portrays Omar in Extrapolations, and this actor has already been all over in movies and television. Rahim is mainly known for his role as Judas in the film Mary Magdalene, as well as his big part in The Looming Tower, but he’s also been in movies such as The French Prophet, and the miniseries, The Serpent.

Matthew Rhys (Junior) 

Moving on, we take a look at Matthew Rhys, who plays Junior. Rhys is primarily known for his starring role in the famed drama, The Americans, but he’s also been in films such as The Edge of Love, The Post, A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, and more. He’s also the titular character in Perry Mason, and has done voice work in the underrated animated show, The Owl House. 

David Schwimmer (Harris Goldblatt) 

Harris Goldblatt is played by David Schwimmer, and I’m pretty sure most of us are aware of Schwimmer from his time as part of the Friends cast. However, he has plenty of movie work under his belt, including the Madagascar series, Nothing But the Truth, The Pallbearer and more. He was also a part of Band of Brothers, and was one of the stars of The People vs. O.J. Simpson. 

Diane Lane (Martha)

Next up is Diane Lane, who plays Martha and has been in many, many movies. Some of her biggest hits have been Man of Steel, The Cotton Club, Streets of Fire, The Lady Beware, and Hollywoodland. 

Edward Norton (Jonathan) 

Edward Norton plays Jonathan, and he has been around in the film industry for some time. Recently, he was a part of the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery cast, and was also the lead in The Incredible Hulk, but has starred in many other movies, like Fight Club, Bourne Legacy, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, among others. 

Mia Maestro (Mariama)

Moving on, we have Mia Maestro, who plays Mariama in Extrapolations. Maestro is primarily known for her role in shows such as The Strain and Alias, as well as her parts in The Twilight Saga, and her role in Frida.

Indira Varma (Gita) 

Indira Varma plays Gita and was also a part of the Game of Thrones cast, but has been in other television roles such as on Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Amazon original, Carnival Row, Luther, Human Target and more. She was also in movies like Silent Hours and the Disney+ original movie, The One and Only Ivan. 

Adarsh Gourav (Guarav)

Next up on the list is Adarsh Gourav, who plays Guarav in Extrapolations. The actor is primarily known for his work in Bollywood, as he’s appeared in many Hindi films, but he was also in the American film, The White Tiger in 2020. He was also a part of the online web series, Hostel Daze. 

Keri Russell (Olivia Drew)

Another big name here is Keri Russell, who plays Olivia Drew. Russell is also known from her starring role in The Americans (alongside her real-life partner, Matthew Rhys), as well as her breakout starring role on the college show, Felicity, but has since appeared in many other shows and movies. Most recently, she starred in Cocaine Bear, but has also appeared in films such as Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, We Were Soldiers, and more. 

Gemma Chan (Natasha)

Moving on, we take a look at Gemma Chan, who plays Natasha. Chan was also a part of the Eternals cast, but has appeared in many other movies, such as Don’t Worry Darling, Crazy Rich Asians, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit and more. She was also a part of the Humans television series. 

Marion Cotillard (Sylvie)

Marion Cotillard is a French actress who plays Sylvie on Extrapolations. Cotillard is primarily known for her Academy Award-winning role in La Vie en Rose, but has been in many other movies such as Taxi, Inception, The Immigrant, Midnight in Paris, The Dark Knight Rises and others. 

Eiza Gonzalez (Elodie)

Next up on the list is Eiza Gonzalez, who plays Elodie in Extrapolations. The young actress was primarily known for her role in Spanish telenovelas for many years, but has since started to break into Hollywood with many roles in movies such as Baby Driver, I Care A Lot, Godzilla vs. Kong, and 2022’s Ambulance. 

Tobey Maguire (Nicolas) 

You’d really have to be living under a rock to not know who Tobey Maguire is, and thankfully, he’s back in action in Extrapolations, where he plays Nicolas. Maguire is primarily known for his years as Spider-Man, where he played Peter Parker for three films and reprised the role in Spider-Man: No Way Home, but he’s done plenty in the acting industry besides that. 

His biggest roles besides Spider-Man include those in The Great Gatsby, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Pleasantville, The Cider House Rules, Brothers, and many more. He was also recently in 2022’s Babylon, which was nominated for an Academy Award. 

Forest Whitaker (Augustin)

Last but not least, we take a look at Forest Whitaker, who has been in the industry for some time and appeared in many, many big-time movies. He plays Augustin in Extrapolations. Some of Whitaker’s biggest roles thus far have included parts in movies like Platoon, The Great Debaters, The Butler, Respect, The Crying Game, Good Morning Vietnam, and The Last King of Scotland. 

Whitaker has also appeared in such big films like Rogue One: A Star Wars Series, and was also in Black Panther. Currently, he stars in the series, Godfather of Harlem. 

Keep in mind that this isn’t even the complete cast, so if you’re at all interested in seeing anyone else that might not be on this list, be sure to check it out at Apple TV+. Either way, Extrapolations is looking to be an intense show – and with an even more intense cast list. It’ll still be fun, that’s for sure.  

Like so many Spider-Man fans on opening night, I’ll never ever forget the moment when Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire appeared on the screen during 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. Nothing has matched the absolute eruption from the theater on opening night when all three live-action Peter Parkers came together, and I think it’s going to be a while until a Marvel moment as electric as that happens again. I still have to remind myself it actually happened, so these recent comments from Tom Holland about finding out about the whole thing are really taking me back. 

Holland reflected on getting to star with Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man: No Way Home The Official Movie Special Book (via Marvel). Here’s how he responded when asked where his mind went when he learned of the concept: 

My thoughts exactly. Even with all the rumors and leaks, I just felt like there was no way all three Spider-Man actors would come together for the ultimate crossover that will now go down in history among the best Marvel moments. When Tom Holland first heard the idea, he didn’t think it was possible, but it very much did happen and the idea is way up there in our Spider-Man movies ranked list. 

Holland’s recent interview about No Way Home is from a special in-depth behind-the-scenes book about the 2021 release, hitting shelves on February 28. The keepsake comes as we await developments on the fourth Spider-Man movie. Holland is currently taking a break from acting, but last week, Marvel boss Kevin Feige shared that “big ideas” are being cooked up for Holland’s next appearance as the writers are “just putting pen to paper now.” 

Spider-Man: No Way Home not only beautifully rounded out Tom Holland’s trilogy, but helped offer some closure for Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the characters after both of their franchises ended more abruptly. As Garfield has since opened up about the movie, he had this “undone feeling” about the role since his third Amazing Spider-Man movie was scrapped. While we don’t know what the future now holds for Spider-Man in the MCU, Maguire said he would absolutely say yes to reprising the role again after the recent experience. 

As we all collectively continue to geek out about the fact that No Way Home did in fact happen and await what’s next for Holland’s Peter Parker, the next Spidey fix will be in the form of the 2023 new movie release Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which swings into theaters on June 2. 

Many of us will never forget the glorious moment when Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker returned to the big screen in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. It sent theaters around the world in explosive cheers at the surprise, even for many of us closely following the rumors. And it helped No Way Home make it near the top of our Spider-Man movie rankings. Seeing all three Spider-Man actors together fighting off villains is an all-time great moment in Marvel movie history, but could it happen again? 

The Spider-Man: No Way Home ending left things unclear for all the Spider-Man actors we love across the multiverse. When it comes to Tobey Maguire’s thoughts on possibly returning to don the suit for a fifth appearance as his version of Peter Parker, following the 20-year anniversary of Spider-Man recently coming to pass, here’s what the actor said: 

In an interview for Marvel’s upcoming book Spider-Man: No Way Home: The Official Movie Special, which releases on February 28, Tobey Maguire revealed that he’s totally game to keep returning as our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man in the future. Now that Tom Holland has presumably hung up the suit (at least until he signs another deal with Marvel), wouldn’t it be incredible to see Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man continue his journey as a seasoned version of the Web-Slinger?

As incredible as No Way Home was, it never really spoke to offering complete closure on what's happened with Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker (or Andrew Garfield for that matter, who’s planned threequel was scrapped). What’s the situation with him and Kirsten Dunst’s MJ? His trilogy memorably ended in heartbreak as he and Mary Jane slowly danced in a moment that seemed to signal the couple’s last hoorah. 

Sam Raimi, who directed the original Spider-Man trilogy, recently returned to Marvel by helming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. When the director was asked about whether he’d be interested in getting back to another Spidey project alongside Maguire, he shared his interest too, stating “all things are possible,” while also admitting he had no “story or plan” in the works at that time. 

For the time being, there is so much going on in terms of upcoming Marvel movies, but when it comes to the future of Spider-Man, we really don’t know wha's in store. Still, I think I speak for a lot of fans of the character when I say we’d absolutely love to see all three Spider-Man actors back in the suit for another movie, and it’s great to hear Maguire is up for it if the opportunity presents itself. 

Warning: SPOILERS for Babylon are in play. If you haven’t taken this winding journey through Hollywood history yourself, you’ve been warned. 

A sprawling tale of Hollywood's Golden Age, Damien Chazelle’s Babylon goes places some people would definitely not expect. Even with the madcap insanity shown in the film’s wildly NSFW trailer, there are pieces of this movie that nothing can prepare you for. As such, it’s time for those of us who have indulged in this new movie release to talk about something important: that wild Tobey Maguire plotline that comes into play towards the end of Babylon. 

One last call for spoilers ahead, as this is a segment that takes place pretty late in the game. If you want to get a feel for whether this picture is right for you, read our official review of Babylon to get some spoiler free details. Otherwise, let’s get reacquainted with Tobey Maguire’s role in the madness, and how it makes for those wild developments.

How Tobey Maguire Fits Into Babylon’s Story

Deemed “the wild child” since the start of her career, Nellie La Roy (Margot Robbie) yet again finds herself into trouble due to gambling. On one fateful night in 1936, she calls upon old friend Manny Torres (Diego Calva) to get out of this particular jam, which is to the tune of $8,500. Thinking fast, Manny enlists the help of The Count (Rory Scovel), who says he can get that money quick.

The person that Nellie owes the money to is good-time charlie/mobster James MacKay (Tobey Maguire), and it’s a character who even Damian Chazelle understood needed some special treatment. Set up earlier in the film through Nellie’s burgeoning gambling habit, MacKay’s casting was as crucial as his presence in the movie. Appearing on the ReelBlend podcast, Chazelle explained why this was so important:  

Acting as a third act nemesis of sorts, his presence kicks off the final leg of Babylon’s plot, and does so in style. What starts as a handoff turns into something much more sinister, and plunges the film back into the debauchery it indulged in through the earlier acts. Only this time, things take a much tenser air, especially thanks to The Count’s revelation that the money used to pay off MacKay is totally fake.

What Happens During This Babylon Subplot

Like any good entrepreneur, criminal or not, James MacKay has an interest in getting into the moving picture industry. Pitching a couple of ideas to Manny Torres, one such dream project involves a man that’s rather huge, and there’s only one place to see him: at a joint that MacKay calls “the asshole of Los Angeles.” 

Leading his would-be partners several floors underground, Babylon shows us what James considered the last true party spot that harkens back to those days you see in the first act. Throwing it all back to a time where massive creatures could roam among cocaine and sex acts, and alcohol was like oxygen, the journey ends with a gigantic man eating a rat in front of a crowd.

Unfortunately, Chekov’s prop money is discovered as phony by MacKay. Displeased with this betrayal, he tries to have Manny and The Count killed. The two barely escape, making their way back to the surface and releasing an alligator in the process to aid their escape. Sounds pretty wild for a movie about old Hollywood, doesn’t it? 

Why The Tobey Maguire Section Of Babylon Is So Wild

If you look at the marketing for Babylon, you’d expect things to get pretty wild. However, nothing indicates the horror show that Damian Chazelle gives his audience through what feels like a short film built into a larger overall movie. When you think about it, the man basically gave us Tobey Maguire’s Barbarian.

The James MacKay section of the third act is a short subterranean horror movie mixed into all of this old Hollywood excess. Expertly paced, the descent into this den of brutality culminates in bloodletting, alligators, and gunshots, which is on top of the sex, drugs, and bloody violence that occupy the upper floors of Babylon’s hideaway. Hitting this patch of the film may have confused some viewers, but the Tobey Maguire section of Babylon ties into things rather perfectly when you look at it in the right light.

The Reason Babylon’s Short Horror Film Isn’t As Wild As You’d Think

On the surface, Babylon’s Nellie LaRoy is the direct connection that makes this sequence valid. As her actions led to these horrific events, which also catalyze the final act escape plotted by Manny to escape James MacKay’s wrath, this piece of the puzzle doesn’t come out of nowhere.

Manny Torres’ involvement in particular puts a finer point on why this short horror film isn’t as wild as you think. We see the man go through hell and back in order to protect the woman he’s always loved, and he comes out of the other side ready to give up Hollywood. Putting into motion the path to Babylon’s ending, the switch in tone and genre also helps keep the three hours and change running time from feeling stale. 

Most importantly, Tobey Maguire’s character fits into the overall arc of Damien Chazelle’s story. The man is another lost soul duped into the magic of the movies, much like Nellie, Manny or even Jack Conrad (Brad Pitt). The magic of the movies can weave its spell on anyone, and once that spell is broken, we go back to being who we are. In James MacKay’s case, that’d be a vicious thug.

Tobey Maguire Nails Every Second Of Screen Time He Has

Before we put this subject to rest, I need to heap praise upon Tobey Maguire’s performance in Babylon. Through his creepy, yet playful persona as James MacKay, he’s the wild card who we’re not sure we should be laughing with or running from. Playing both sides of that knife to the hilt, it’s only fitting that he landed this role that is similar to one that his Spider-Man 2 mentor Alfred Molina played in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights. 

While knowing full well this man is a powerful mover and shaker in organized crime, the impish glee of Maguire’s portrayal keeps things perfectly off balance. Even in his saddened realization of The Count’s betrayal, there’s a pain in how he says, "We were gonna make movies together." But make no mistake, this man is a killer, and his deeds are felt throughout the remainder of Babylon. 

This casting coup only happened because of Damien Chazelle landing Tobey Maguire as an executive producer before Babylon’s amazing cast was assembled. Through various read throughs with producers, actors and close friends, Maguire read through several roles in this sprawling epic. Once again citing Chazelle’s recent ReelBlend interview, here’s how that casting eventually stuck the landing: 

With Tobey Maguire handing out booze during one of last night’s first public screenings of Babylon, the man’s dedication to the project cannot be overstated. Turning on the charm and menace during his third act appearance, everything comes together through James MacKay’s guided tour into darkness. So when you go back to watch the film again, keep these thoughts in mind and see if it helps decode any new thoughts on what’s going on in those depths of depravity. 

Paramount's Babylon is looking for some party people to usher in its box office opening, as the movie is currently playing at a theater near you. And if you haven’t seen the flick, but wanted to read ahead, there’s still plenty more to discuss after you’ve taken it all in for yourself. 

If you’ve already seen it all and want to talk out Babylon’s ending a bit more, we have somewhere you can head to do just that. Just don’t take that left turn back into James MacKay’s surprise rabbit hole of horrors. You may not make it out so safely this time.

Tobey Maguire hasn’t acted a ton over the last decade, outside of No Way Home, but given his popularity as a young actor, his filmography is still stacked with tons of popular titles. From four live action Spider-Man movies to thoughtful and daring films like Pleasantville, Cider House Rules and Brothers, everyone outside of the absolute A+ list would gladly trade resumes with him. But what’s the one film that should be reserved for posterity? Well, that depends on who you ask.

Maguire stopped by Reddit to participate in an Ask Me Anything yesterday, and one user asked him which film he’d want remembered forever. Instead of answering directly, he told a story about Kate Winslet. Apparently the two were hanging out, and she called Tropic Thunder his “crowning achievement.” At first it seemed like a compliment, but the more he thought about it, the less he was sure. Check out his answer…

First of all, if you haven’t seen Tropic Thunder, you should get on that immediately. It’s one of the most insane, no holds barred comedies released in the last 20 years. There is no line it is unwilling to cross, and Tobey Maguire puts in a delightful cameo as part of a fake trailer opposite Robert Downey Jr where they play clergymen engaged in an illicit romance. It’s one of several characters played by the character RDJ plays in the movie, and while it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the other, the one he does with Maguire is a perfect opening for the film.

Taking a step back though, I think the larger question at the heart of Maguire’s confusion with whether to be offended is an interesting one. If I said, for example, that someone else’s crowning achievement was a bit role in a fantastic movie, would that be offensive? Tom Cruise also has an insane and absolutely terrific role in Tropic Thunder. If Kate Winslet called that his crowning achievement, would he be offended? Probably not since he’s still reportedly “fixated” on the role and wants to do more with him. But maybe he wouldn’t be happy. Tropic Thunder certainly isn’t the best example of what either man has done during his career.

Regardless, Tobey Maguire is back in front of and behind the camera for Damien Chazelle’s new film Babylon. The Whiplash director’s three hour debaucherous epic about the rise of Hollywood is probably the most insane movie ride you can take this year. I absolutely, positively loved it, but it takes some really strange and bold chances that aren’t playing with everyone to the point where it could end up as the only Best Picture nominee that also generated a high number of negative reviews. Maguire serves as executive producer (which is why he was handing out booze at a recent screening) and shows up for one of the most insane sequences I’ve ever seen in a mainstream movie.

Maguire’s role is every bit as outrageous as his Tropic Thunder performance. I actually like it better, but if I told him it was his crowning achievement, it’s unclear whether he would consider that a compliment.

It was exciting news when we learned Tobey Maguire had signed on for his first film in years. It was doubly exciting to hear the film the Spider-Man actor joined was Damien Chazelle’s latest movie, Babylon, which features many other high-profile actors. It seems the actor is enjoying himself while promoting the upcoming film, because of a new video making the social media rounds. This video features Maguire beaming from ear to ear as he passes out Champagne to audience members at an early screening of Babylon.

In a TikTok users video, Maguire is smiling and cracking a joke about ensuring everyone is at least 21 as he started handing out mini-bottles of Champagne before the movie started. If you have seen Babylon’s wild and NSFW trailer, then you already know this is apropos of the film’s themes of Hollywood debauchery and excess. The film’s director Damien Chazelle previously told a crowd of fans gathered for an In Conversation panel at the Toronto International Film Festival that his upcoming film was going to be “big, boisterous, and loud.” You can check out the video of Maguire bringing a similar energy to the screening below:

It seems like The Great Gatsby star is having a good time trying to ensure moviegoers can do the same with a refreshing bubbly, as long as they’re of legal drinking age, of course. 

Tobey Maguire is an iconic actor who has been in great movies (I mean just look at his best 11 films), but he hasn't done much since 2014. The actor did make his big screen comeback by reprising his role as Sam Raimi’s version of Spider-Man, along with the two other Spider-Men (Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland), in Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, it is nice to see the actor back in celebratory mode alongside an ensemble cast that includes the likes of Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Diego Calva, Samara Weaving, P.J. Byrne, the always incredible Jean Smart, and others. 

While the filmmakers behind Babylon were able to keep the plot under wraps for the duration of its long development, what we do know about the film is that it will transport audiences back to the Hollywood of the 1920s. The movie tells the story of the transition from silent to talking films when Los Angeles began to shape itself into the capital of entertainment. As for Maguire’s character, he is playing a mob boss, loan shark, and adrenaline addict named James McKay. The character is also rumored to be a take on a real-life Reano gambling kingpin of the same name.

Babylon parties its way into theaters today, December 23. However, early reactions to Damien Chazelle’s movie have been somewhat mixed, though I would argue being able to see the Tobey Maguire Babylon plotline is enough reason to purchase a ticket. To learn more about Maguire's latest film be sure to check out our thoughts on Babylon, and feel free to check out our 2023 release schedule while you're on the site.

It’s been a while since Damien Chazelle last released a movie, but now in 2022, he’s come back with his latest release, Babylon. Featuring a star-studded cast with several big names like Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and more, I’m sure there are plenty of places that you’ve seen them before. 

If you’re trying to figure out why that one person looks so familiar, here is where the Babylon cast has been and what they have done. 

Brad Pitt

Starting off with the leading man, we have Brad Pitt as part of the Babylon cast. Pitt has been in an astounding amount of movies over the years, so you might have seen him in many before. 

Most recently, he was in 2022’s Bullet Train, but has appeared in several other films including Thelma & Louise, 12 Monkeys, Fight Club, Seven, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, Moneyball, The Big Short, Ocean’s Eleven, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, and so many more. 

Margot Robbie

Next up, we have Margot Robbie, the leading lady of the Babylon cast. She’s been in movies such as the DC films that feature Harley Quinn, like Birds of Prey and The Suicide Squad. However, she’s also been in movies like The Wolf of Wall Street, The Legend of Tarzan, Bombshell, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Mary, Queen of Scots. 

She was also a part of the cast of the TV show, Pan-Am. 

Diego Calva

Diego Calva of the Babylon cast has appeared in several Spanish-language films, but has also appeared in the movie I Promise You Anarchy. Calva is more primarily known for his role in the Netflix original series, Narcos, as well as roles in shows such as The Inmate and Unstoppable. 

Jean Smart

Jean Smart is a part of the Babylon cast and has been around for many years in both television and movies. In terms of TV, some of her biggest roles have been in the HBO Max original series, Hacks, Mare of Easttown, Frasier, Designing Women, Fargo, Legion, Watchmen, and more. 

With movies, she was in the Reese Witherspoon-led, Sweet Home Alabama, and in other movies such as A Simple Favor, The Accountant, The Brady Bunch Movie, and others.

Jovan Adepo

Next up is Joven Adepo, who has starred in TV shows such as Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime, Sorry For Your Loss, When They See Us, Watchmen and The Stand. With films, he’s appeared in many movies, including the Viola Davis-led Fences, Mother!, The Violent Heart and Overlord.

Li Jun Li

Li Jun Li is next and she’s appeared in a few films, including Song One, The Humbling, and Ricki and the Flash. She’s also appeared in television shows, including Netflix’ Wu Assassins, the Paramount+ original series, Evil, Sex/Life, Minority Report, and Why Women Kill. 

P.J. Byrne

Moving on, we take a look at P.J. Byrne. The actor has appeared in several films, including Loveless in Los Angeles, Kissing Cousins, The Campaign, The Wolf of Wall Street, The Gift, Rampage, and more. He was also a part of the Bombshell cast, and was in Spirited on Apple TV+. 

He was also in shows such as The Game, the fantastic series, The Legend of Korra, Vinyl, Black Lighting, the Netflix series, Never Have I Ever, and other titles. 

Lukas Haas

Next up, we take a look at Lukas Haas. The actor has been in a variety of movies, where he's had a variety of large and small roles. These include, but aren’t limited to Witness, Brick, Leap of Faith, Red Riding Hood, Lincoln, First Man, The Revenant, and The Violent Heart. 

He’s also done plenty in television as well, having roles in shows like Criminal Minds, Touch, War of the Worlds, 24, and Entourage. 

Olivia Hamilton

Olivia Hamilton is actually married to Damien Chazelle, so that’s a fun fact for you to think about. But, she’s also a very talented actress who has appeared in several movies. She has appeared in the two Chazelle flicks, First Man and La La Land, but has also appeared in other movies such as Justine, The Truth About Santa Claus, Surrogate, and more. 

Tobey Maguire

If you don’t know who Tobey Maguire is, you’re living under a rock – and Babylon is actually going to be his big return to acting in live-action (if you don’t count his appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home). Maguire is mainly known for his role as Spider-Man in the original Spider-Man trilogy, but has appeared in several other films. 

Some of his most known are Brothers, The Great Gatsby (alongside Leonardo DiCaprio), Pleasantville, Pawn Sacrifice, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, among other roles. 

Max Minghella

Moving on, we take a look at Max Minghella, who is a part of the Babylon cast. He’s appeared in several other movies, including the latest Saw film, Spiral, as well as The Social Network, The Internship, and the Daniel Radcliffe-led movie, Horns. He also is a part of the very popular original Hulu series, The Handmaid’s Tale.

Rory Scovel

Next up on the list, we have Rory Scoval, who is mainly a comedian and does some hilarious stand-up, but he is also an actor and a part of the Babylon cast, and has done plenty before. He’s been in television shows such as Those Who Can’t, The Eric Andre Show, Ground Floor, and most recently, has a role in the Apple TV+ original series, Physical.

He’s also been in films such as The House, I Feel Pretty, and Distancing Socially. 

Katherine Waterston

Moving on, we take a look at Katherine Waterson, who has been in movies such as Michael Clayton, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, the Fantastic Beasts films, Logan Lucky, Alien: Covenant, The World To Come, and The Current War. She was also a part of the Boardwalk Empire cast, as well as being on the television show, The Third Day. 

Flea

Flea is someone that you might recognize very easily, because he’s one of the members of the world-famous band, The Red Hot Chili Peppers. However, Flea has also been a part of the movies for a long time and has appeared in so many, it’s not a surprise that he’s a part of the Babylon cast. 

Some of his most famous roles have included playing Douglas J. Needles in both Back to the Future Part II and Part III, Boy Erased, Queen & Slim, and more. He also had a voice role in both Toy Story 4 and Inside Out. In television, he’s appeared as a guest in several shows, but some of his biggest roles include his voice role on The Wild Thornberrys, Punk, and 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Jeff Garlin

Next up, we have Jeff Garlin of the Babylon cast. Garlin is primarily known for his role on the popular ABC sitcom, The Goldbergs, which he starred in until 2022. Some of his other big roles in television include Arrested Development, Curb Your Enthusiasm and Mad About You.

Garlin has also appeared in several movies as well, with some of his biggest being Laggies, After the Sunset, and Handsome. He also voiced Buttercup in both Toy Story 3 and Toy Story 4, and did some voice-work for WALL-E. 

Eric Roberts 

Moving on, we take a look at Eric Roberts, who has been in so many movies and television shows. Like, I mean that with my whole heart. You could have seen this man anywhere. So, for the sake of keeping this list nice and short, we’re going to go over some of his most known movie roles, which includes big names like The Dark Knight, The Expendables, Runaway Train, Star 80, King of Gypsies, The Specialist, and more. 

He’s also appeared in several television shows such as The Finder, Saved by the Light, Suits, The Young and the Restless, Heroes, and Less Than Perfect. 

Ethan Suplee

Next up is Ethan Suplee from the Babylon cast, who has appeared in movies such as the sports film, Remember the Titans, American History X, The Hunt, 2022’s Dog and more. He also appeared in shows such as the underrated Netflix series, Santa Clarita Diet, The Ranch, Jennifer Falls, Boy Meets World, and Good Girls.

Samara Weaving

Samara Weaving is also in the Babylon cast, and has appeared in so many great roles in movies. She starred in the funny horror comedy Ready or Not, but also appeared in films such as Mayhem, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, Guns Akimbo, Snake Eyes, and The Valet. Weaving also had several main roles in shows such as SMILF, Nine Perfect Strangers, and Out Of The Blue. 

Olivia Wilde

Last but not least is Olivia Wilde, who has appeared in many movies and television shows. She rose to fame in the medical series, House, but has since moved a lot more into the world of movies with films such as Meadowland, Tron: Legacy, Rush, Alpha Dog, Love The Coopers, Cowboys & Aliens and more. She also directed both the coming-of-age movie Booksmart, and 2022’s Don’t Worry Darling. 

In television, she also starred in shows such as The O.C., Skins, The Black Donnellys, and Vinyl. 

With so many stars to pick from, you may have just found a new actor's filmography to look into. Whatever it is you watch after Babylon, I’m sure it’ll be a great time.  

Jennifer Aniston loves the holiday season and loves her friends (pun intended). She regularly hosts dinners and parties with some of her A-list pals, and even starred in Office Christmas Party to celebrate Christmastime in 2016. This year, she celebrated the holidays by sharing some of her festive Christmas decorations, including a massive tree. Additionally, Aniston hosted a big holiday bash with some of her very best friends, including stars like Sandra Bullock and Courteney Cox. 

This past week, Aniston posted some adorable photos of her festive decor for the holidays. She picked out her tree and an adorable reindeer made out of tree bark. She also shared some cute photos of the reindeer with her dogs, who also seem to be celebrating. You can see her sweet Instagram post below:

In addition, the Morning Show star hosted a star-studded Christmas blast to honor the season. It took place at her Bel-Air home and welcomed several of her best Hollywood friends. Along with Cox and Bullock, Jason Bateman, Tobey Maguire, David Spade, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bradley Cooper were also in attendance. There was also allegedly a no-cell-phone policy, so you are unlikely to see many social media posts honoring the event (via Page Six). I think this is a great idea at any party, and allows friends to catch up and live in the moment.

While there may be no pics from the party, the holiday decor gives fans insight into what the gathering may have looked like. The Christmas tree is essential for setting the holiday vibe at such a soiree, and I hope the dogs were able to participate in all of the merry entertainment as well, as they look perfectly party ready. 

I’m sure Jennifer Aniston received some help planning such an event, as the actress has been plenty busy with a slew of many upcoming projects down the pike. While we are still patiently waiting for Season 3 of the hit Apple TV+ series The Morning Show, Aniston has been working on two movies. The Friends alum recently wrapped filming Murder Mystery 2 for Netflix alongside longtime collaborator Adam Sandler. She is also attached to star in Hail Mary, which is about a former beauty queen who becomes a sports manager. Aniston clearly has a lot going on, but I’m glad she took the time to celebrate the year with her friends. 

You can catch Jennifer Aniston in the latest season of The Morning Show streaming now with an Apple TV+ subscription. For those looking for some raunchy holiday cheer, you can also see Aniston in Office Christmas Party, which is available to rent on Amazon Instant Video. For more information on where to watch Christmas favorites, make sure to check out our 2022 Christmas movie schedule.

Social media campaigns can be an effective way to raise awareness for a cause. In the entertainment industry alone, we saw members of Zack Snyder’s fan base lobby for – and successfully obtain – the four-hour Snyder Cut of the director’s Justice League feature. That fight was waged online for three years, and radically divided people who supported the movement, and others who deemed them trolls who were doing more harm than good. (If you are interested, I wrote a book about the whole affair. It’s a wild story.) That doesn’t mean these campaigns are slam dunks. For every Snyder Cut, there are pushes for The Ayer Cut of Suicide Squad (which one fan claims to have seen), which so far has gone unheeded. But that’s not stopping Spider-Man fans from launching their own hashtag and planning a trending event.

Die-hard hans of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy would love to see the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness director come back to the franchise and complete his fourth film with Tobey Maguire back in the lead role. Some of this likely stems from Maguire’s return to the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he teamed with Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. And some of it might be because Spider-Man 3 usually ranks at the bottom of any list of every Spider-Man movie, ranked. 

So, the fans have created a hashtag, #MakeRaimiSpiderMan4, and on November 24, they are going to do everything in their power to make it trend. 

Trending events like this serve a distinct purpose. They’re meant to clue a studio, in this case Sony, into drawing power of a fandom and alert the executives to the fact that there’s interest in a movie that isn’t about to get made. In the case of the Snyder Cut, the Justice League fans were campaigning for a movie that basically was completed and needed some post-production work to finish it off. 

When it comes to Spider-Man 4, though, you’d be asking a studio to fully commit to what’d likely be a $200 million movie, and one that doesn’t really fit into either the MCU narrative (working around Tom Holland) or the Sony-verse stories… which include Venom, Morbius, and the upcoming Kraven the Hunter and Madame Webb movies. Granted, that universe could use a Spider-Man. Why not make it Tobey?

The concept of Spider-Man 4 has been discussed by both Sony and Sam Raimi, though all parties involved are playing it diplomatically and saying, “You never know!” And we know why Spider-Man 4 didn’t happen back in the day, but things are very different now. And there’s a groundswell of support for Tobey Maguire as the Peter Parker that started it all. And a trending event on November 24 can only help keep the conversation going, especially if it succeeds.

It’s one of the most popular, and therefore most heartbreaking, “What if?” projects in superhero movie history. Having helmed three hugely successful Spider-Man movies for Sony Pictures, Sam Raimi wanted to exit the franchise on top. Maybe he would have topped the list of the greatest Spider-Man movies? The director notoriously regretted having to use Venom (Topher Grace) as a villain in the blockbuster Spider-Man 3. So he started noodling away on a possible Spider-Man 4 that would return to the tone and texture of Raimi’s first two Spider-Man movies… considered by many to be two of the best comic-book movies ever made.

The anticipated Spider-Man sequel never came to pass, for numerous reasons. The studio admitted that it was difficult to maintain the momentum of the first three films. The script wasn’t coming together. And the act of keeping the creative core together got more expensive – from a contractual perspective – with each passing film. Eventually, Raimi stepped away from Spider-Man 4, and Sony rebooted the franchise with Andrew Garfield in the lead role. But that meant, for years, fans wondered what might have been if Raimi actually got the chance to make his Spider-Man 4, and continue the series that helped put Spider-Man on Hollywood’s map.

Storyboard artist Jeffrey Henderson worked on Sam Raimi’s team for Spider-Man 4 for weeks before the studio pulled the plug. As such, he has tremendous insight into the director’s plans for this never-made sequel. Henderson sat down for an exclusive interview for my new book With Great Power: How Spider-Man Conquered Hollywood During The Golden Age of Blockbusters (available to order now), and shared several of the tantalizing details he picked up while sketching scenes for Raimi. 

For starters, Henderson confirmed that The Vulture would have been the main villain of the story, and that John Malkovich was the actor Sam Raimi planned to cast as Adrian Toomes. Henderson said:

Henderson’s concept art for The Vulture splits very evenly between the feathery Toomes that we know from the comic books, and the mechanized, tech-heavy suit that Michael Keaton ended up wearing in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Some of the earliest story beats that Jeffrey Henderson worked on were action set pieces, because of the amount of time they require to plan out and stage. The movie was going to include one long set piece where mercenaries tried to get the jump on Toomes, finally learning how powerful he really was. Henderson and his colleagues also helped Raimi mock up a battle between The Vulture and Spider-Man that would have started in the subways before exploding out of the street and into the skies above Manhattan. 

Henderson said:

There were rumors that the second half of the movie would have shifted gears to Toomes’s daughter. She’d have become the Vultress, and Raimi and the studio eyed Angelina Jolie for the part. The movie never got that far so as to realize any of that, but Henderson does confirm, in the book, the idea that would have launched Spider-Man 4, and it sounds incredibly cool. He told me:

And yes, Bruce Campbell probably would have played Mysterio in this montage sequence. 

As mentioned, none of this came to pass. Spider-Man 4 dried up. Sam Raimi moved back to horror for Drag Me to Hell. And Spidey’s journey continued until he eventually ended up in the MCU. I’d say it mostly worked out for everyone. 

The next Spider-Man 4 we speak about likely will be Tom Holland’s fourth Spider-Man movie which could kick off a fresh trilogy of films shared between Sony, Disney, and Marvel. Or, Holland’s Spider-Man could swing back to Sony’s growing universe of Spidey characters, including Venom (Tom Hardy), Kraven the Hunter (Aaron Taylor Johnson), and Madame Web (Dakota Johnson).

But for more stories like the one above, from the rich history of Spider-Man in Hollywood, pick up a copy of With Great Power, on bookshelves as we speak.

Everyone has an opinion of which iteration of Peter Parker’s crimefighting alter ego is the best to ever swing onto the big screen. It's why we worked up a list of every Spider-Man movie, ranked. However, the first depiction to really bring one of Marvel Comics’ most iconic superheroes into the cinematic mainstream is Tobey Maguire’s portrayal in 2002’s wildly successful Spider-Man and its two sequels.

The action-packed trilogy — which some might consider to be among the all-time greatest superhero movies — genuinely marked a major turning point in how comic book movies were perceived and also saw director Sam Raimi take a big step from indie horror auteur to the big budget Hollywood filmmaker many know him as today. The story of how this trilogy came to be is just as fascinating as what unfolds on screen. Learn all about it with these behind-the-scenes facts about the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies — starting with one of the more infamous trivia bits about the first film.  

A Spider-Man Teaser Poster Featuring The World Trade Center Was Recalled After 9/11

Months before was it released in May 2002, Sony put out a teaser poster for Spider-Man that featured the reflection of New York City’s World Trade Center in the titular hero’s eye and a trailer in which Spidey foils a bank heist by trapping the thieves’ helicopter in a web between the Twin Towers. According to a report by IGN, just two days after the tragic events of September 11, 2022, the teaser was recalled from all theaters and the one-sheet was also pulled from circulation. The trailer can be found today on YouTube and the poster is now considered a rare collector’s item that can be bought online for a small fortune.

Four Spider-Man Costumes Were Stolen From The Set Of The First Movie

Speaking of rare collector’s items, I imagine that is how the original, authentic costumes that disappeared from the set of the first Spider-Man movie would have been described had they not been found and properly returned. 

Indeed, as SlashFilm recalls, a collection of four outfits that were made for Tobey Maguire to wear in the film were stolen and an investigation lasting 18 months eventually led authorities in the direction of former Sony and Warner Bros. security guard, Jeffrey Gustafson, and his conspirator, Robert Hughes. According to an additional report on the subject by LA Times, the pair were apparently also linked to a missing copy of Val Kilmer’s suit from 1995’s Batman Forever that was valued at $150,000.

Peter’s Impressive Catch And Balance Of Mary Jane’s Lunch Tray Was Filmed Practically

While locating those missing suits sounds like a tiresome and agonizing process, it sounds like nothing compared to what Tobey Maguire had to endure filming one of Spider-Man’s most iconic scenes. 

Some might be quick to assume that the sequence in which Peter Parker manages to stop a slipping Mary-Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) from falling and subsequently catch the entire contents of her lunch tray in a perfect balancing act was achieved with CGI, but that was not the case. According to VFX artist John Dykstra’s comments on the DVD commentary (via Independent), which are backed up by Dunst herself, Maguire actually pulled off this stunt with the aid of a special adhesive attaching the tray to his hand and the advantage of having a total of 156 takes to nail it.

Sam Raimi Gave Kirsten Dunst A Scrapbook Of Famous Movie Kisses To Inspire Her Kiss Scene Performance 

Perhaps, arguably, the absolute most iconic scene from Spider-Man is when an upside down Spidey shares a kiss with a recently rescued Mary-Jane as a heavy rainfall fills a New York alley way. The steamy sequence was another one that was important for director Sam Raimi to get right, according to an interview with Rolling Stone in which writer Brian Hiatt mentions how Dunst once said that the filmmaker gave her a “scrapbook” of some of cinema’s most iconic lip-locks. Raimi said he wanted to give the actor something that would help her prepare for what was going to be a particularly special moment in the film and, in his opinion, it paid off.

J.K. Simmons Learned About His J. Jonah Jameson Casting From A Random Fan

As far as who deserves credit as the most iconic performer in any of the Spider-Man movies, I think it has to go to J.K. Simmons, who appears in the films as a dead ringer for how Daily Bugle Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson was originally drawn in the comics. The future Academy Award winner recalled to Kyle Brandt on The Ringer’s 10 Questions (via Twitter) podcast the following unusual story about how he learned that he landed the role when auditioning for a voiceover job at Grey’s Advertising:

Simmons’ portrayal of Jameson was so beloved that he later played a modernized variation of the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — first in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home and later, alongside some of his original Spider-Man trilogy co-stars in the universe-splicing hit, Spider-Man: No Way Home, in 2021.

Hugh Jackman Almost Cameoed In Spider-Man As Wolverine

Speaking of alternate universes, we could have seen Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man crossing paths with another Marvel character outside his main “web” in the first film had things gone differently. While speaking to the Huffington Post to promote the release of 2013’s Prisoners, Hugh Jackman revealed that there were plans to see him show up for a brief moment as his X-Men role, Wolverine, but the idea was scrapped because his suit was unobtainable at the time. It sounds like the original Spider-Man was plagued by a strange amount of on-set mishaps related to costuming.

A Back Injury Almost Prevented Tobey Maguire From Starring In Spider-Man 2

Jake Gyllenhaal joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe by playing the villain of Spider-Man: Far From Home, Mysterio, but, apparently, he almost made his Spider-Man movie debut as Tobey Maguire’s replacement for Sam Raimi’s 2004 follow-up. 

The future Oscar nominee was considered to play the superhero when Maguire’s chances of reprising the role in Spider-Man 2 were threatened by a back injury he suffered on the set of Seabiscuit, which (according to Mirror) had medical experts fearing he might end up paralyzed. Luckily, Maguire healed up well enough to star in the acclaimed sequel which, coincidentally, contains a scene in which Peter Parker injures his back.

The Shot Of Doc Ock Drowning In Spider-Man 2 Was Entirely CGI 

One of the key reasons why Spider-Man 2 was so well-received at the time and is still admired today is its Oscar-winning visual effects that are so convincing you often cannot tell what is real or what is CGI. One of the more stunning examples of this is Dr. Otto “Doctor Octopus” Octavius’s death scene — the creation of which VFX artist Anthony LaMolinara explains in a DVD featurette involved taking a scan of Alfred Molina’s body and entirely recreating it digitally for the shot of the lifeless villain slowly drifting in the water, which was fully CGI. It’s good to know that the actor did not actually have to be submerged for that climactic moment, but they easily could have fooled me.

A Camera Rig Called The Spydercam Was Used For Practical Aerial Shots In All Three Movies

Spider-Man 2 was also lauded for its astonishing practical shots that make it feel like you are swinging through the air above the Manhattan skyline right next to ol’ Spidey. According to another featurette included on the sequel's 2004 DVD release, those shots were achieved with a special camera rig known as the Spydercam, which is designed to achieve high-concept shots at all different angles and at various speeds, and was actually used in the making of each installment from Sam Raimi’s trilogy. 

With a name like that, you might think it was created specifically for the Spider-Man movies, but according to its official website, the Spydercam has been used since the early ‘90s on feature-length projects like Cliffhanger, as well as for commercial ads and at sporting events.

Topher Grace Initially Thought He Was The Wrong Choice To Play Eddie Brock

The least beloved installment of the Spider-Man trilogy is the third film from 2007 — one reason being fans’ belief that Topher Grace was miscast as Eddie Brock, who becomes Venom. Well, the former That ‘70s Show cast member apparently agreed at first, having revealed on MovieFone’s Unscripted that, as a fan of the comics himself, he found it strange that he was being cast as a character who was middle-aged and far more physically imposing that he was. What convinced him otherwise was Sam Raimi’s vision of making Brock an evil doppelgänger to Peter.

Sam Raimi Was Disappointed By How Spider-Man 3 Turned Out  

Speaking of Sam Raimi, the harshest critic of Spider-Man 3 is, probably, the director himself. As a guest on the Nerdist Podcast (via Collider) in 2015, the filmmaker went as far as calling it “awful,” but elaborated on his feelings about the infamous threequel with the following:

One of the characters that Raimi didn’t really believe in, in particular, was supposedly Venom, which is, apparently, why he opted to make Vulture — a personal favorite Spider-Man villain of his — one of the main antagonists of his next installment and cast John Malkovich in the part. Unfortunately, that would never happen.

Plans For A Fourth Spider-Man Movie Were Cancelled

Sony was in the process of developing, not just a Spider-Man 4, but also a fifth and sixth installment, before the third film had even come out in 2007, and Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire had both signed on for it in 2008 with Sony announcing a 2011 release date the following year. However, plans for the sequel were cancelled in 2010, following multiple delays in production caused, mainly, by the issues involving the script. It was also announced then that the franchise would be restarted from scratch, which became the Andrew Garfield-led Amazing Spider-Man movies.

J.K. Simmons later revealed that he was heartbroken over Spider-Man 4’s cancellation, but at least he was able to return to the world of web-slingers as J. Jonah Jameson later on. In fact, I think most fans can agree that we have returned to this world in wonderful ways ever since, especially with Tom Holland’s portrayal in the MCU. However, the Tobey Maguire years will always have a special place in our hearts, which is why his return in Spider-Man: No Way Home was such a monumental occasion. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home has become one of the highest grossing movies of all-time, in large part due to the fact that it brings together actors from three different Spider-Man franchises in one epic movie. While rumors of the epic No Way Home team up did leak, everybody who knew the truth in the lead up to the film stayed quiet, which includes Jacob Batalon’s girlfriend.

The man who plays Peter Parker’s best friend Ned appeared recently on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and revealed that he inadvertently let his girlfriend in on the secret during filming when she visited the set, and he introduced her to Tobey Maguire. Batalon explains…

Whether the rumors of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home had started at this point or not is unclear. It sounds like the woman may not have been aware of them either way, as Jacob Batalon makes it sound like she’s not necessarily a big MCU fan (has Batalon really not made her watch all the Marvel movies in order by this point?). Still, she was able to put it all together when the evidence was literally standing right in front of her. 

While Batalon asked her to not say anything, she did, apparently, almost spill the beans to one person, and while it’s unlikely that the person she was going to tell was going to let the news out, the actor did stop her. Batalon continues…

Jacob Batalon’s girlfriend and her dad knowing the big secrets of Spider-Man: No Way Home probably was going to set off too many alarms at Marvel Studios. However, in the same way that the woman nearly told her dad, dad could have easily mentioned it to one other person, and if that chain continues, eventually that sort of news is going to get out. 

Overall, everybody did a pretty solid job keeping the secret, including, shockingly, Tom Holland. While there were rumors, nobody was truly sure what we would get in Spider-Man: No Way Home until the moment we saw Andrew Garfield appear. Just like, despite more rumors, nobody is quite sure if we’ll see him or Tobey Maguire in the MCU again in any upcoming Marvel movies.