FandomWire‘s latest Video Essay explains why we need a Spider-Man 4 starring Tobey Maguire.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home wrapped up the MCU wall crawler’s third solo outing, giving him a solid trilogy within the shared cinematic universe. And while that film’s ending perfectly set up a continuation for a fourth Spider-Man film, there’s a different Spider-Man 4 that fans of the web-slinging, crime-fighting, friendly neighborhood protector would like to see… Tobey Maguire’s. The original Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man trilogy was brought to a sudden and unexpected halt when Sony canceled plans for a Spider-Man 4 movie that would have pitted the hero against The Vulture, a villain that Tom Holland’s Spidey eventually faced off against in his first solo outing. Sam Raimi, who had crafted one of the greatest comic book films of all time with Spider-Man 2, was forced to cut his story short and bring the franchise to an end on a weak note with Spider-Man 3.
So… why is now the perfect time to return to Maguire and Raimi’s corner of the multiverse? And do audiences really care enough about these versions of the characters to warrant a revisit all these years later? Well, strap into your spandex and gel your hair as we explore why the world needs Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4.
There was a fifteen years gap between 2007’s Spider-Man 3 and Spider-Man: No Way Home. During that time, the character was rebooted by Sony, with Andrew Garfield’s The Amazing Spider-Man and The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Both of which received a lukewarm reaction from fans and critics. Garfield’s iteration of Spider-Man has surged in popularity following his return in No Way Home. Audiences quickly realized that Garfield’s charisma and quick wit were a near-perfect match for the character’s comic book counterpart, and his talent and skills were wasted in the lazily written and poorly paced Amazing Spider-Man films. And while there’s definitely an argument for an Amazing Spider-Man 3 with Garfield returning, Sony’s current cinematic Spider-Man Universe is a jumbled mess waiting to collapse in on itself.
Why We Need Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4
Each of the live-action Spider-Men have begun their stories in high school. Sure, Tobey Magure was a fully grown, 26-year-old man playing a high school senior, but the character of Spider-Man was 17 years old at the beginning of his trilogy. The teenage years are a pivotal part of Peter Parker’s story. In the comics, he first gains his powers as a high school student. Marvel legend Stan Lee had wanted a teenaged hero for younger readers to relate to. And Spider-Man was exactly that. He quickly became one of Marvel’s most popular heroes and his popularity has never wavered. And while Spider-Man is known for his youth and, at times, inexperience, there are interesting ideas and concepts to be explored in a story of an older and more weathered Spider-Man. 20th Century Fox’s LOGAN is a prime example of how a story like this can work.
Hugh Jackman, whose 20-year portrayal of Wolverine in the Fox X-Men films is now an iconic chapter in the world of comic book cinema, was 47 years old at the time he filmed LOGAN. Intended to be a send-off to the fan-favorite character, LOGAN was a passion project for Jackman. A chance to bring the character’s big-screen career to a meaningful and impactful conclusion in a way that fully rounded out the character and brought his two-decade-long story arc to an end. We see the effects that aging has on the hero, his powers, and his mental state. His claws extend slowly. His beard is gray. His skin is scarred, signifying a life of violence and a weakened healing factor.
No Way Home touches on these themes briefly, with Tobey’s Spider-Man stretching and complaining about back pain caused from years of swinging through New York. This also may have been an inside reference to a moment when Tobey was nearly recast in Spider-Man 2 after he complained of a back injury and requested a larger salary.
Tobey Maguire is currently 46 years old, which certainly sounds old for a Spider-Man actor. But that’s a major part of the appeal. Spider-Man 4 could give audiences the opportunity to see Spider-Man on the big screen in a way they never have before by exploring the hero at a different stage of life. Just as Logan did for Wolverine.
Spider-Man 2 explored the effect that being Spider-Man had on Peter Parker’s life. His job. His relationships. His happiness… It was in Spider-Man 2 that we see Peter make the decision to give up his heroic persona and seek to pursue life as a regular New York citizen, rather than as its protector. But as Peter goes about his new life, he sees the hurt, and the danger all around him and realizes that he can’t give up on being Spider-Man. No matter how big the sacrifice, he must use his powers for the good of others because… With great power… comes great responsibility. It’s an important turning point for the character that essentially condemns him to a life of putting others before himself. And it’s this idea that would make Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man 4 so interesting. How has that decision affected him in the long run? How has Peter Parker managed to balance the duality of Spider-Man and Peter?
Throughout Tobey’s Spider-Man trilogy, Mary Jane Watson has been his primary love interest. She’s the girl next door. His high school crush and the love of his life. Over the course of the three-film series, we see their relationship go through its ups and downs. She is the one Peter trusts more than anybody. So much so that he shares his secret identity with her. A decision that comes with incredible risk. This opens the door for another opportunity with Spider-Man 4.
Mary Jane has often been criticized for playing a role that amounts to little more than a damsel in distress. A pawn used by writers to craft a moment of peril and force Peter to save the day. The climactic ending to each film in Tobey’s trilogy finds Mary Jane captured by the villain and waiting to be rescued. Spider-Man 4 has the opportunity to correct this dated trope by putting Mary Jane in a more hands-on role and exploring how carrying the burden of Peter’s secret has affected her, as well.
The Amazing Spider-Man films brought in Gwen Stacy as Peter’s love interest and utilized her as not only Peter’s girlfriend, but Spider-Man’s ally. She played an active role in helping Spider-Man to protect New York city until… well until this happened.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, MJ plays a similar role. Helping Ned and Peter to capture the multidimensional villains and send them back to where they came from.
Spider-Man 3 is often ridiculed for its silly plot lines, emo Peter and James Franco’s ridiculously goofy acting. But the film touches on some interesting topics, primarily the darker side of Spider-Man. The anger and hatred that boils within him following the murder of Uncle Ben. While the Symbiote and Venom storylines were drastically mishandled, they opened the door for us to see Peter’s anger unleashed and how that anger affects him and those around him.
In No Way Home, Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man confesses to Tobey’s Spider-Man about how he’s struggled to find peace and balance in the years following The Amazing Spider-Man 2. How he stopped “Pulling His Punches.”
Spider-Man’s strength is so incredible, that a single punch to many of his villains could result in instant death. Especially to those villains who don’t possess superhuman abilities and strength. Like Doc Ock. This means that when Spider-Man delivers a strike, he’s holding back and refrains from putting his full force into the blow. Andrew’s confession sheds light on the darkness that can consume a hero when the burden and the weight of the responsibility become too great. And that darkness and that burden could make for an astounding continuation of Tobey’s Spider-Man.
No Way Home does a lot to continue the stories of all three Spider-Men and successfully gives Andrew a meaningful moment of redemption when he saves MJ from a fate that he failed to save Gwen from. But Tobey’s arc isn’t complete. Far from it. And maybe it never will be. Maybe that’s the curse that comes along with being Spider-Man. Forced to live a life of solitude and struggles. A thankless protector until this life comes to a violent end and death eventually catches up to you.
Well… now I’m depressed.
What Spider-Man story do you want to see next, and which version of the character do you think deserves the next solo movie? Let us know in the comments. Don’t forget to hit the like button and subscribe to get more amazing content. I’ll see ya next time.
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