One of the most memorable (and memeable) aspects of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy is the recurring appearance of longtime Raimi collaborator Bruce Campbell in a series of cameos. These cameos extend past the films, though, as one of Campbell’s characters makes a hilarious reappearance in Marvel’s comic book universe as well.
In 2005’s The Amazing Spider-Man #517 by J. Michael Straczynski, Mike Deodato Jr., Mark Brooks, Joe Pimentel, Jaime Mendoza, Matt Milla, and Brian Reber, Peter Parker rushes to a play rehearsal to warn Mary Jane that Charlie Weiderman, a childhood friend from Midtown High, may come to their apartment to hurt Peter and his family. When Peter arrives at the theater, however, he is interrupted by an usher strongly resembling Bruce Campbell.
The usher tells Peter that he must wait until the red light signaling an ongoing rehearsal flashes off before he can enter the theater. It’s a hilarious cameo, and one that closely mirrors Campbell’s appearance in Raimi’s Spider-Man 2.
Bruce Campbell Claims His Doctor Strange 2 & Raimi Spider-Man Trilogy Characters Are The Same
Bruce Campbell reveals a surprising connection between the Sam Raimi Spider-Man movies and Doctor Strange sequel, teasing a future return.
Bruce Campbell’s Spider-Man 2 Character Is Marvel Comics Canon
In Spider-Man 2, Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker attempts to see a production of The Importance of Being Earnest starring Mary Jane Watson. When Peter arrives at the theater, he is met by Campbell’s character, simply credited as “Snooty Usher.” The Snooty Usher at first tells Peter to fix his appearance before humorously stopping him at the door, telling him that “No one will be seated after the doors are closed.” When Peter protests, saying MJ asked him to come to the show, the usher replies, “But not to come late.” Campbell’s character then comically shushes Maguire’s Peter several times, ultimately denying him entry to the play.
Bruce Campbell’s cameo in The Amazing Spider-Man #517 sees the actor (or, at least, his visage) return as a Snooty Usher, quite like the one portrayed by Campbell in Spider-Man 2. Rather than telling Peter that he cannot enter a show in progress, the 616 usher (drawn to look like Campbell) instead says no one is allowed to enter during an ongoing rehearsal. The point is rendered moot seconds later when the red light signals an act break (one the usher knew was forthcoming), but the usher simply responds, “Yes, it was just ten seconds, but as Michelangelo said, ‘Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle.‘”
The Amazing Spider-Man Comics Continued a Sam Raimi Tradition
By featuring Bruce Campbell in The Amazing Spider-Man #517, Marvel Comics continued a Sam Raimi tradition, as Campbell appears in many of Raimi’s films. On top of his notable starring turn as Ashley “Ash” Williams in The Evil Dead trilogy, Bruce Campbell has a cameo in each of Raimi’s Marvel movies (the Spider-Man trilogy and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness), as well as appearances in several of his other films. Campbell and Raimi have been friends and filmmaking collaborators since their time in high school, hence Bruce’s several appearances and starring roles. At one point, Raimi considered having Bruce Campbell appear as Mysterio in the planned Spider-Man 4.
The Amazing Spider-Man #517 isn’t the only time Bruce Campbell has appeared in Marvel Comics. The actor finally got his shot at playing Mysterio in Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, where a Sam Raimi Spider-Man film (starring Tobey Maguire) featured Bruce in the villain’s iconic costume during the Ultimate Spider-Man run. Another series, Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness, featured Campbell’s Ash Williams himself in a face-off involving undead heroes, Doctor Doom, and Deadites. As Peter rushes to warn MJ of incoming danger, Bruce Campbell‘s reappearance as the Snooty Usher is a hilarious cameo that once again comically stops Spider-Man at the door — this time in a far more perilous situation.
