After over a month since the successful debut of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Golden Globe nominee Tobey Maguire has finally opened up about his long-awaited Spider-Man return in his first interview together with Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield.
Speaking with Deadline, Maguire recalled his first meeting with producers Kevin Feige and Amy Pascal, revealing that their “genuine intent of celebration and love” of the franchise was what sold the project to him. Other than being a fan of Holland and Garfield, he was also intrigued with how they’re going to integrate his and Garfield’s Spider-Man versions into Holland’s Spider-Man story.
“In that conversation, the intention, the kind of love and celebration of these movies and what it meant, I think, to Amy and Kevin was apparent,” Maguire said. “And to me, when artists or, you know, people who are steering the creative process have a kind of authentic, genuine intent of celebration and love, it just was so apparent in both of them, that, I don’t know, I just wanted to join that. And I’m a big fan of Tom and those movies and Andrew. So, it was definitely intriguing, but yes, I was also going, ‘well, what are we going to do?’ and that was a bit mysterious.”
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Maguire also went on to reveal that he didn’t view Spider-Man: No Way Home as a story that would close the chapter to his version of the hero, but instead saw it as a way for fans to revisit the character as well as find some resolutions to Sam Raimi’s beloved Spider-Man trilogy.
“I did appreciate what was shared, but, it was really about getting together with these people and revisiting what was part of my history and getting a chance to come together,” Maguire explained. “There are personal things too, which are kind of resolutions or a way to revisit and – I’m not quite sure how to put it, just to get back into that and, I don’t want to say like close the chapter, but revisit and have certain resolutions and just join in this loving creative spirit.”
When asked about what it was like putting the superhero suit on after over a decade since Spider-Man 3, Maguire admitted that it was uncomfortable at first, but soon got over it once he had found the connection as it brought him back to becoming the character once again.
“It was uncomfortable getting it on and then it’s a goof, and then it also has a power, in a sense, because it brings me back into that character,” Maguire shared. “It really does. 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 really was just a much, much richer experience than I anticipated or that I could really even express in words.
Like what Garfield said in a previous interview about the brotherhood they’ve developed through filming the project, Maguire has also expressed how grateful he was to be able to build a safe, fun and loving bond with his Spider-Man successors over their unique shared experience.
“Just to get to be there with these guys in their suits and whether it was us dancing around or playing around in scenes and improvising or feeling that 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 just sitting in gratitude every day, which is not always the case when you’re working on something even just from the standpoint of trying to figure out what you’re doing 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 so I guess the suit was the doorway to that.”
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The film currently holds a worldwide gross of over $1.6 billion and has become Sony’s highest-grossing film of all time. According to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are already actively beginning to develop their next Spider-Man film together.
