Most 45-year-old men would consider squeezing into a form-fitting spandex suit and being scrutinized by millions of people their worst nightmare. This is what Tobey Maguire faced when returning for Spider-Man: No Way Home, and now he’s admitted that putting on a Spidey suit after 15 years away wasn’t exactly easy.
Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland all appeared at a round table on the official Spider-Man YouTube channel discussing how they felt about returning to these iconic characters, the production process, and their reflections on what it means to be Spider-Man.
On getting back in costume, Maguire laughed and said:
“Well, once you get through the process of peeling it onto your body… It was uncomfortable getting it on and then it’s a goof. Then it also has a sort of power because it brings me back into that character. There’s so much affinity for this character, it means so much to so many people, that once the goofiness of being in lycra or spandex goes away you’re like ‘Oh wow. This is cool. This is a responsibility but a blessing, like something that I get to do that I’m grateful for.’ Honestly being with these guys it was just a much, much richer experience than I anticipated or that I can really even express in words.”
He continued:
“I know that’s not the question about the suit, but it’s just to get to be there with these guys in their suits. Whether it was like dancing around or playing around and improvving or feeling that kind of sense of service to each other and the character being in service to humanity it really gives a certain perspective. … I just felt super safe and like we were all on the same team and all in support of each other and it just brought out this. … I don’t know how to put it other than just like this really loving, fun creative experience.
I was sitting in gratitude every day which is not always the case when you’re working on something and it wasn’t without its challenges but it all just unfolded the way it needed to. It had a sense of this kind of destiny to it as well. I guess the suit was the doorway to that.”
In a heartwarming twist, it seems three Spider-Men have bonded with one another over their shared experiences. As Maguire and Garfield couldn’t attend the No Way Home premiere without giving the game away they put on some low-key disguises and went to see it in public on opening night.
Since then they’ve spoken of a “brotherhood” of Spideys, celebrating that the three of them share a very unique cinematic experience.
But it remains to be seen whether any of them will ever wear the suit again. Holland has announced he’s taking a break from acting, though it’s generally assumed he’ll return to the MCU at some point. Fans have been demanding Garfield gets another shot, and many point to Sony’s Venomverse needing a web-slinger.
But Maguire is most likely done. No Way Home is a fine capstone to the Raimiverse trilogy and a great finale for the Maguire Spider-Man. The trio should probably now take a rest as they’ve more than earned it.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is still in theaters.