How long can one keep their role as a Marvel character before aging out of it? Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart held the previous record for playing Wolverine and Professor X for almost 17 years. If the two returned this year, they would break the record again, which might be the case at some point down the line. But for now, let the Green Goblin and the original big-screen Spider-Man bask in the glory.
This year, after Spider-Man: No Way Home’s epic release, there is a new champion. Two, actually. Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe have now been Marvel characters in live-action adaptations for over 19 years.
This isn’t the only record that Spider-Man: No Way Home broke. The film’s trailer became the most-viewed movie trailer in a 24-hour timespan, racking up 355.5 million global views.
“The Spider-Man movies are the most successful comic book films ever,” Guinness World Record states, “grossing a total of $8.05 billion (£5.99 billion), ahead of the Avengers films which have accumulated $7.75 billion (£5.77 billion). This also makes Spider-Man the highest-grossing movie superhero, followed by Batman with $6.04 billion (£4.49 billion).”
The 2002 Spider-Man adaptation is where the webslinger made his big-screen debut. But in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Spidey and the Green Goblin made a surprise return. While Andrew Garfield and the rest of the cast tried their best to keep the surprise under wraps, it is now public knowledge.
All three Spider-Man actors have now appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and collectively made Spider-Man: No Way Home as much of a visual feast as it was the ultimate form of fan service. The film’s ability to connect dots spanning three Spidey universes and nearly 20 years of cinematic storytelling makes it one for the history books in addition to the records it continues to set.
