Now that spoilers season is officially over, Tobey Maguire has finally discussed what it was like to return to his iconic role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield. It seems like putting on the classic red and blue suit was a unique experience in some ways for the veteran Spidey actor.
Shared via the official Spider-Man YouTube channel, Maguire discussed in the interview how the discomfort of wearing the suit again for the first time in a while quickly faded, letting him embody the famous hero once more:
"It was uncomfortable getting it on and then it's a goof, and then it also has a sort of a power in a sense because it brings me back into that character. 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."
Maguire’s Spider-Man, while not perfect, did embody this idea of responsibility for not only portrayals of Spider-Man, but of superheroes as a whole. While critics picked the Raimi films apart soon after their release, his films did assist in paving the way for the popularity of superhero films today. Before, these films were seen as campy and unmarketable, but are now guaranteed to do well at the box office.
This may be why Maguire jumped at the chance to reappear as the webhead in this latest film even after so many years have passed. It might have helped that Maguire is a self-proclaimed fan of the other two portrayals of the character that Garfield and Holland created. Maguire’s apprehension over wearing the suit once more thankfully didn’t stop him, giving this older portrayal another chance at the spotlight, as well as the proper ending he was denied after his fourth sequel film was canceled.
Check out the full interview below: