When Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange were added to the cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man 3 to signal that the web-slinging sequel was set to use the multiverse as the driving force behind the narrative, fans instantly began dreaming up every conceivable scenario in their heads, 99% of which involved the returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Yesterday brought the massive news that Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus has been confirmed for the movie, before the reveal was swiftly blown out of the water by the game-changer that Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone were also in talks to reprise their roles as Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy from the two previous Spidey franchises, with Garfield as good as signed as well.
Of course, throughout the whirlwind of Spider-Man 3 speculation, it always felt as though Marvel would find Tobey Maguire the most difficult to convince. After all, the 45 year-old has hardly been active over the last few years, and he hasn’t even appeared in a live-action film since 2014’s Pawn Sacrifice, although he’s kept busy through his production company Material Pictures.
Not including cameos or voice roles, Maguire has only been seen on the big screen five times since his own Spider-Man 3 was released thirteen years ago, so there was every chance he might not be interested in returning. However, the onslaught of new information surrounding the ensemble brought word that The Great Gatsby star is now deep in negotiations with Sony and Marvel, with the two sides looking to close a deal in the near future.
“If Sony/Marvel can close a deal with Tobey Maguire, he’ll be back too,” says Collider.
Presumably, the contract is going to involve an awful lot of money, but the investment will definitely be worth it, with Spider-Man 3‘s introduction of the Spider-Verse guaranteed to make it appointment viewing next December.
