There were tons of cool scenes that were not included in the theatrical versions of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man movies, with J.K. Simmons wearing a Spider-Man suit probably the most notable of all the deleted ones. However, the director decided to include this in the extended cut of Spider-Man 2 (2004) so it’s not completely wasted.
Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker has become the definitive version of the character as it introduced the franchise to the world, but Simmons’ portrayal of J. Jonah Jameson was truly the most unforgettable.
Spider-Man 2 Deleted Scene Was J.K. Simmons’ Most Iconic Look
Many extended and new scenes were supplemented in the 2007 edition of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, commonly called as Spider-Man 2.1, and a major addition was J.K. Simmons dressed up as Spider-Man. Fans who saw the theatrical version may get confused as this scene was completely deleted from that cut, but fret not – here’s a video clip of that scene:
Fans expressed mixed reactions as some found it hilarious and remembered how shocked they were when they saw it; others were baffled as to why the director decided to omit it from the final cut.
One commenter said, “Why would they ever take this off?? This is absolutely amazing and necessary for all of our souls,” while another quipped, “I don’t care if it’s a deleted scene. It’s canon to me.” Finally, someone stated, “People say Tobey’s the best. People say Tom. But everyone forgot it was really J.K Simmons.”
Indeed, Simmons nailed wearing the Spider-Man suit, and he made it even more interesting as he did it while smoking a cigar. The actor, who first played the newspaper editor in 2002, recalled his audition in an interview with PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing via EW:
“The producers and the people at Sony, they needed to be convinced, because obviously, there were a lot of much more high-profile actors that they had in mind that would help with the box office. It was very nerve-wracking.”
His audition scene was when the Green Goblin picked him up by the throat, and as he read the script, he had to make strangling noises as if he was actually being choked to death.
J.K. Simmons On How He Found Out His Spider-Man Role
Simmons shared a funny anecdote of how he discovered he got the role of J. Jonah Jameson. Speaking with The Ringer, the actor said someone approached and congratulated him. He was clueless that he won the part.
“I found out I got the part because of some kid who was so connected to the internet fan sites that they had that information on a Spider-Man website before my agent called me to tell me I got the job. He called me like 3 hours later and I’m like, ‘Yeah, I know.’ ”
Simmons reprised his role in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: Far From Home and No Way Home, which the actor described as wonderful yet bizarre.
Spider-Man 2 is available to stream via Disney+.
