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Spider-Man films will come and go, but the actor remains a cult favourite

The internet is already abuzz with Spider-Man: Brand New Day all set to hit the silver screens on July 30. Yes, we know it is all set to spin a web across the world and set the cash registers ringing. And while Gen Z loves its leading man, Tom Holland, as Spidey, die-hard fans of the franchise (myself included) always first think of Tobey Maguire whenever the word Spider-Man is mentioned. Why? He’s the OG “friendly neighbourhood” masked superhero millennials grew up watching, admiring and drooling over. The internet and social media are laced with comparisons between Tobey, Tom and Andrew Garfield (who briefly played the superhero in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)). And guess what? Despite there being divided opinions, Tobey somehow (and deservedly so) always ends up ‘winning’ most of the ‘popularity polls’.

So, what exactly gives Maguire an edge over the other two actors? Why does his Spider-Man have such a high recall value? First of all, he was the first-ever Spider-Man on the big screen and had knocked it out of the park (hello, nostalgia). Plus, many believe that his physique in the film is very relatable and achievable, along with his stellar acting chops.

The role of a lifetime

The producers were seriously considering casting one of these heavyweights: Heath Ledger, Maguire’s best bud Leonardo DiCaprio, Freddie Prinze Jr., Chris Klein and Chris O’Donnell for the coveted role. Several actors, including James Franco (who was later cast as Harry Osborn), auditioned for the lead role. However, it was Tobey who bagged the coveted role in Sam Raimi’s 2002 directorial venture after impressing the director during his audition. He was not a big star and didn’t fit into the devastatingly good-looking Hollywood hero category, but Raimi was adamant that he had found his Peter Parker, and the rest is history.