10 Actors Who Could Play J. Jonah Jameson In Spider-Man: Homecoming

Now that we’ve seen Spider-Man’s MCU debut in the terrific Captain America: Civil War, it is time to look ahead to his upcoming solo movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming. In Civil War, we met a radically different take on familiar character Aunt May - so we should be prepared to meet several other supporting characters in new incarnations in Homecoming as well. One that fans are eager to see return to cinema screens – after being rested for The Amazing Spider-Man films – is J. Jonah Jameson, Peter’s Spider-Man-hating boss at The Daily Bugle. But who could take on such a fan-favourite role? Ideally, we would love to see JK Simmons reprise the part he nailed so perfectly in the Sam Raimi trilogy, but this seems unlikely given the fact the has just signed on as Commissioner Gordon in the DC Extended Universe. Still, there are plenty other potential Jamesons in the sea, and here are ten actors who could play him perfectly in Spider-Man: Homecoming. 10) Sam Elliot Back in 2010, Sam Elliot was said to be considered for the role of J. Jonah Jameson for the then-upcoming The Amazing Spider-Man. Of course, the character didn’t end up being used in that franchise (probably because of the long shadow cast by JK Simmons), but there's nothing stopping Marvel and Sony returning to the actor and hiring him here instead. Plus, Elliot's already proven himself capable of pulling off the character, as he previously played another antagonistic blowhard in a Marvel movie - 2003’s Hulk, as General Ross. 9) Robert De Niro J. Jonah Jameson has to stand out from the crowd, and one way for Spider-Man: Homecoming to ensure that he does is to cast a big name in the role. So, why not bring in Robert De Niro? He might not immediately suggest himself for the part but, if you think about it, we know he can absolutely pull off the surly side of Jameson from his classic dramatic roles. Meanwhile, he's also tried out more comedic performances in recent years – which would be good practice for JJJ’s comically uptight nature. De Niro was previously considered for both Norman Osborn and Doctor Octopus for Spider-Man and Spider-Man 2, so maybe he could make his long overdue appearance in the franchise as Jameson? 8) Kevin Kline If De Niro would be too serious for Jameson, then how about Kevin Kline - who would surely nail the comedic qualities of the character? The Oscar-winning actor has been in some questionable films over the years (The Pink Panther reboot, anyone?), but he generally acquits himself well and can be hysterically funny when he's on form. The amount of energy he could bring to the role would make him a brilliant successor to Simmons. Kline will soon be appearing as Belle’s crackpot inventor father in Disney’s upcoming live-action take on Beauty and the Beast. This could signal a return to higher-profile roles for the actor, and landing a regular part in a superhero franchise would certainly fit that bill. 7) Ron Perlman With several comic book related roles in the likes of Blade II, dozens of DC cartoons and, of course, Hellboy under his belt, the most obvious next step for Ron Perlman would be to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Perlman is a hugely dexterous actor and would make for a very formidable J. Jonah Jameson. His previous outings as the trenchcoated demon also gave him a test run at the Daily Bugle editor’s signature sarcasm. With Perlman in the role, you could really imagine Jameson as the tough, no-nonsense king of the media that he is. For those that don't know, Jameson eventually graduates to become Mayor of New York in the comics - which is a version of the character we'd love to see Perlman sink his teeth into. 6) Bryan Cranston Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston seems to crop up on just about every comic book movie fancasting list nowadays but, regardless, we think he would make a terrific J. Jonah Jameson. If you want a more antagonistic take on the character than we've previously seen, we know he can pull that off thanks to his turn as Walter White. If you want him to showcase the familiar comedic side of Jameson, just take a look at Malcolm and the Middle and you’ll find he can do that, too. Basically, we just need him in some kind of superhero film role. Cranston has actually already expressed interest in playing a Marvel villain, so perhaps they should save him for a bad guy instead? He would certainly be an awesome Norman Osborn. 5) James Woods JK Simmons was an expert at Jameson’s quick fire dialogue delivery, but one actor who could top him in that regard is the one of the fastest-talking actors on the planet - James Woods. Jameson definitely has the gift of the gab and Woods has proven in various voice roles that he could deliver on that in spades. Just think of his scene-stealing performance as Hades in Hercules. An unfortunate drawback with this suggestion is that apparently the actor is not in favour in Hollywood anymore due to his strongly conservative political views. Hopefully he could be coaxed back into Tinseltown though for an outspoken part like J. Jonah Jameson – he would surely feel right at home with the character. 4) Craig T. Nelson Yes, Mr. Incredible himself would make a, well, incredible J. Jonah Jameson. For one, wouldn’t it be brilliantly ironic if a former superhero played a character famous for hating superheroes? What makes Nelson such a strong contender for the role though is that he can act both angry and funny extremely well – two things that happen to be the tent poles of J. Jonah Jameson’s character. He would also have the required authority that Jameson must possess to constantly order his employees around the Daily Bugle office. Another thing to consider is that a big part of JJ is his voice and, while Nelson doesn’t have the gravelly quality of Simmons, his textured tones would be a strong fit for the character. Don’t tell us you can’t hear him saying: “Spider-Man is a menace!’ 3) Michael Keaton Former Batman Michael Keaton was apparently about to go over to the other team and join the Spider-Man franchise as Homecoming’s as-yet unrevealed villain, before talks broke down. However, we’re suggesting Marvel get chatting with the actor again – this time for the part of Jameson. Keaton definitely has the screen presence and personality to fill JK Simmons’ shoes and he could make the role all his own with his typical fast-talking, eccentric style. If they wanted to flesh out Jameson a bit from the comic relief character he was in the Sam Raimi films, Keaton would also pull that off with aplomb. Plus, we just really like the idea of Batman being in a Spider-Man movie. There’s an in-built reason for why Jameson hates Spidey right there – superhero rivalry. 2) Hugh Laurie You only need to watch House to see how perfect Hugh Laurie would be as J. Jonah Jameson. The grouchy doctor has all the sarcasm and cantankerous qualities that are prerequisites for Spider-Man’s number one persecutor. The same show also demonstrates that the British Laurie can pull off a pretty good American accent. He obviously has his roots in comedy, as well, so you could rely on him to steal the show in a similar way to Simmons. This one might even be on the cards. A cast list for the upcoming movie was apparently ‘leaked’ online last year, stating that Laurie was allegedly in final negotiations to play the character. It's most likely that this was just a prank, but even if it was, hopefully it gave Marvel an idea… 1) Gary Oldman Well, if the old J. Jonah Jameson is going to play Commissioner Gordon, how about they get the old Commissioner Gordon to play J. Jonah Jameson? Makes perfect sense, right? Gary Oldman is one of the most skilled actors around – he’s basically a human chameleon - so we have no doubt that he would give a great turn as Jameson, in whatever variation of him they decided to go with. The character would also allow Oldman to return to the more eccentric roles he played back in the nineties, in the likes of The Fifth Element and Leon, rather than the more muted parts of recent years, such as Harry Potter’s Sirius Black and his character in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.