Before Starring as Spider-Man Villains Jake Gyllenhaal and James Franco Almost Played Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s Iconic Role
Academy Award-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal has been a part of multiple critically and commercially hit projects. The blue-eyed heartthrob of Hollywood is quite well-known for his romantic drama projects like Love & Other Drugs, Brokeback Mountain, October Sky, and Accidental Love.
The 42-year-old actor became a significant part of the 2019 release Spiderman: Far From Home. He played the character of the supervillain Mysterio in the Tom Holland-led project. Not many people know that the American actor had almost replaced Tobey Maguire in the Spider-Man franchise.
When Tobey Maguire Was Almost Replaced By Jake Gyllenhaal In The Spider-Man Franchise
Tobey Maguire became an overnight star with the mammoth success of Spider-Man back in the early 2000s. According to the media outlet Variety in 2003, the actor was reportedly paid $4 million for the project. On learning that the web crawler franchise is supposed to get a sequel, Tobey Maguire sent his doctor for a meeting with producer Laura Ziskin and filmmaker Sam Raimi to inform them that he had injured himself during the filming of Seabiscuit and would not be able to perform stunts in the Spider-Man sequel
Tobey Maguire’s publicist had also issued a public statement that mentioned-
“After doing two physically demanding films in a row, Tobey has experienced mild discomfort in his back which is in the final stages of healing. With an April 12 start date around the corner, everyone involved wants to be certain he is able to do the intense stunts.”
According to the report by Variety, the entire matter went out of proportion when the production team decided to go ahead with another for the sequel. Reportedly Jake Gyllenhaal was offered the role of Peter Parker in the sequel. The actor was dating Kirsten Dunst back then.
Before Playing Harry, James Franco Had Auditioned For The Role Of Spider-Man
James Franco is known for his performance as Harry in the Spider-Man franchise. A great friend and someone who always stood by Peter Parker, people still remember Harry because of James Franco’s great performance. During an interview with The Paly Voice in 2007, the actor spoke about the franchise, his auditions, and his favorite Spider-Man installment. On being asked how he got involved in the Spider-Man movies, he said-
“Well I first auditioned for the role of Peter Parker which went well and I went and did a test and the test is more extensive than a regular audition because it puts you on film. So they spent a lot of money on the sets and cranes which is unusual for an audition.”
He further said-
” So I went and did that and was waiting around, and biting my nails for six weeks. And then I found out I didn’t get it and I was disappointed. But then Sam Raimi, the director called me, and we got along so well, and he asked me [if I wanted] the role of Harry. No one else auditioned for the role.”
While talking about his favorite Spider-Man movie, he said-
“Ummm, I definitely like two and three better than the first. The best part about the first is how it explains the origins of Spiderman with Peter discovering his powers. The second one was a very well put together movie and is great and then the third one is good too. They had already done two so they were already experienced and knowledgeable [by the third]. And of course, the technology is always advancing as there are more resources to work with.”
All thanks to James Franco, otherwise the world would have missed out on one of the best actors who portrayed the innocence of Peter Parker and the charming web crawler in the Spider-Man franchise. Tobey Maguire was last seen in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield in 2021.
Source: Variety/ The Paly Voice
