With the release of “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” the debate has begun about which actor has been best at portraying the titular hero on the big screen. There have been three, including newest actor Tom Holland, to put on the red and blue suit dating back to 2002. First on the list, and many fans’ favorite, is Tobey Maguire. His “Spider-Man” films, even the ill-fated third one, burst at the seams with bright colors, comic-booky dialogue, and tons of humor. However, when you watch Maguire’s screen test for the character, you get a glimpse at what could have been a completely different film.
The scene featured is reminiscent of a classic superhero scenario. A helpless woman is being attacked by a group of thugs at night, in a dark alley. That’s when Spider-Man shows up. But this version of Peter Parker isn’t the same fun-loving character we seen the first film. No, what transpires is much more akin to what audiences might see in a “Batman” movie. Peter doesn’t do any high-flying or web-shooting moves, instead he is using martial arts. There’s no costume, only a very muscular Tobey Maguire, covered mostly in shadow. And the intensity of the fighting is amped up with Peter Parker using his spider-strength to dispatch the villains in a pretty vicious manner.
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Overall, it’s interesting to see the early screen-test, and perhaps see where the production of the film could have gone. Clearly, if Sony wanted to, they could have used director Sam Raimi, best known at the time for his “Evil Dead” horror series, to make a “Batman”-esque film. It might not have felt anywhere close to the comic book, but fans were only used to seeing Batman and black leather-clad X-Men on the big screen, so a bright and cheery Spider-Man wasn’t an obvious choice.
Looking back, while the screen test might have been flawed in its style and substance, Tobey Maguire was an inspired choice for Peter Parker. Other than some minor quibbles about his age, and pretty much everything in “Spider-Man 3,” Tobey Maguire shined as Spider-Man. If anything, Maguire can keep this video to remember just how ripped he was. [Heroic Hollywood]
