Spider-Man star Tobey Maguire would be up to returning to the world of superheroes. Our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man has a long history of adaptations, the first one being an unauthorized short back in 1969, followed by a TV film in 1977, but its first truly successful cinematic run came in 2002 with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man with Maguire as the web-slinger.
Maguire reprised his role as Peter Parker/Spider-Man in two more films also directed by Raimi before the franchise was rebooted, with Marc Webb in charge of directing and Andrew Garfield as the new Spidey. Since then, Maguire has stayed away from the world of superheroes, but he doesn’t rule out a comeback at some point.
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In an interview with THR, Maguire shared he doesn’t have a “would or wouldn’t do” mindset when it comes to choosing roles, so playing a superhero one more time is not completely off the table for him – it’s just a matter of what he feels called to. Maguire said:
“I just don’t really have an ‘I would or wouldn’t do’ mindset, I’ll just do whatever… whatever it is that comes that I feel called to, that may or may not fit in any kind of box.”
He added that, although he hasn’t watched all Spider-Man films that have come after Raimi’s trilogy, he likes the actors that have taken over the role (Garfield and Tom Holland), saying they’re both “super talented” and that he appreciates them and likes the choices. Garfield played the role in two films, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Holland has played the part in three films from the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far (including one solo film, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and will do so again in Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home.
The first two Spider-Man films with Maguire as the lead were well received by critics and fans, but the third one got a mixed response (and is still a widely debated topic amongst Spider-Man fans). Maguire’s last on-screen role was Nick Carraway in Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, and he had a voice role in The Boss Baby as adult Tim/narrator, but he has been mostly working behind camera as producer with his production company Material Pictures.
Maguire’s portrayal of Spider-Man has a special place in the hearts of fans all over the world, with some even campaigning for him to come back to Spidey’s world one way or another. It seems like a long-shot having him play a role in the current Spider-Man narrative, but at least there’s a slight hope of seeing him back in a superhero suit, whether with Marvel or DC.
More: Tom Holland Wants Tobey Maguire To Play Uncle Ben In The MCU
