In Marvel’s history, there have been a plethora of actors and actresses who nailed their parts as world-saving superheroes. Recently, we’ve had another chance to admire Hugh Jackman as Logan in Deadpool & Wolverine. However, exactly 24 years ago, another specific actor reshaped the Marvel landscape forever.
Now you’re probably thinking, “Who was cast in an iconic role in 2000?” Well, Hugh Jackman was already playing the role of Wolverine, and Wesley Snipes had already done his first Blade movie and was preparing for a sequel. Was it 2003 Ben Affleck’s Daredevil? No, it wasn’t. It was another New York-based hero, who could shoot webs from his wrists and would make audiences scream when he appeared in 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home.
By now you should have solved it. Exactly 24 years ago, on July 31, 2000, Columbia Pictures announced the casting of Tobey Maguire in the leading role in Spider-Man, which was released two years later. Little did we know, it was a decision that would have a greater impact on the comic book movies’ history than Thanos or Tony Stark’s Infinity Gauntlet finger snaps had in the two latest Avengers films.
Maguire was 25 at that time, and went on to play the role for additional three films, Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3, which were released in 2004 and 2007, respectively. For many of us, Sam Raimi’s trilogy got us hooked on comic book superhero films, as did another terrific Marvel franchise around the same time, Fox’s X-Men.
You don’t have to take my word for it, though. Just take a look at the comments on social media. “Greatest Peter Parker of all time,” one of the top comments reads. “Best casting of all time,” another one adds.
One of the comments that resonated with me the most, and I believe will also tug your heartstrings, is the one coming from a user named Mystic Voltsy. “Thank you Tobey for making our childhoods great,” they wrote. And they’re right. I still remember seeing Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3 for the first time in cinemas, which were two of the first entertainment pieces that made me fall in love with comic books and Peter Parker, and one of the first films my parents bought me on DVD.
Since then, two other spectacular actors have portrayed Peter Parker — Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland — with the latter primed to continue his Marvel Cinematic Universe status for years. However, judging by the sole reception of the latest Spider-Man movie, No Way Home, Maguire is the most sentimental web-slinger. Holland is doing a terrific job in his movies, perfectly balancing in a world filled with other Marvel heroes; Garfield has cemented himself in history as well and possibly had the most (bitter)sweet romantic storyline of all three with Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy. However, it was Maguire who received the biggest applause when he entered the cinema screens in 2021.
If we’re lucky, Maguire’s job’s not done. There are dozens of rumors surrounding the upcoming two Avengers movies — Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars — that are said to have the biggest multiversal cast in Marvel’s history. According to some, Maguire could be one of them. I don’t know if that’s the best idea, but if Disney wants to continue playing the nostalgia card, it would certainly be a great ace up its sleeve.