Spider-Man Beats up Batman on the Street, But It Was John Krasinski Behind the Spidey Mask Not Tobey Maguire

The lore of classic comic heroes like Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Hulk, or Captain America has always been a source of unparalleled joy and optimism for comic book lovers. Their origin pulled the world out of the ravages of the great wars and gave them hope through acts of selfless courage and heroism during the Cold War.

Beyond reflecting the perilous ups and downs of the real world, Marvel and DC had barely anything left to offer other than escapism through the expansive, imaginative worlds in comic book stories. And yet, the lasting impact that these heroes left on popular culture continues to be celebrated today via billions of fans across the globe.

John Krasinski Puts on the Spider-Man Suit

In the world of late-night talk shows, not much escapes the hosts and their dozen different ideas for embarrassing their guest celebrities to deliver an hour of good television. The skits that have become unanimous these days are filled with fun and raucous laughter, absurd acts, and crowdwork. It was on one such skit on Jimmy Kimmel Live! where John Krasinski ended up making his TV debut as Spider-Man.

In December 2010, to fill up the guest slot after Ryan Seacrest couldn’t make it to Kimmel’s show, Krasinski took to Hollywood Boulevard dressed as the famous web-slinging superhero. However, the act did not last long as Kimmel and Krasinski’s skit was interrupted by a Batman impersonator who, unlike a comic-accurate Bruce Wayne, was ready to scrape off dimes and nickels off the pavement to fill his pockets.

The main attraction of the evening, however, remained John Krasinski behind the Spider-Man mask. While going up against Gary/Batman in the streets, Krasinski’s web-slinger had to suffer one more jab after being asked to return to “the office” instead. But the little altercation only serves to make the overall skit all the more hilarious at its core.

Tobey Maguire’s Anticipated Return to the MCU

After the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Tobey Maguire’s Marvel activity has been almost absent. The multiversal get-together serves as a labor of love for the fans who have waited for over 20 years to get Maguire recognized within the margins of Marvel.

As such, No Way Home was not only a joyous film filled with a blend of entertaining plot, heroes, and villains but also paid homage to some of the greatest Spider-Man stories in live-action over the past 20 years.

Now, the Sony-developed superhero awaits his rightful return to the MCU once again for the upcoming Secret Wars event that will witness numerous multiversal variants across the board uniting to fight on Battleworld. In staying true to the original comic lore, Marvel’s Secret Wars will definitely witness the live-action arrival of the Beyonder. However, Robert Downey Jr.’s Doctor Doom might play a bigger role than his comic-assigned role to emerge as the ultimate villain.

Despite this fact, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man remains a classically venerated wall-crawler whose live-action debut in Sam Raimi’s trilogy will forever hold a special and unimpeachable place in the fandom’s heart.

Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man trilogy and Spider-Man: No Way Home are available to stream on Disney+