Marvel's 'Spider-Man 3' Possibly Bringing Back Past Peter Parkers, Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane
J. Jonah Jameson is about to be replete with pictures of Spider-Man. Hot off the news that Alfred Molina would be reprising his role as Doctor Octopus in Sony and Marvel Studios' Spider-Man 3, more casting news has emerged that will give star Tom Holland quite a bit of competition for the best webslinger. A new report reveals that the upcoming Spider-Man 3 will bring back past Peter Parkers, Andrew Garfield from the Amazing Spider-Man movies and Tobey Maguire of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, along with Kirsten Dunst's Mary Jane. Emma Stone is also in talks to return as Gwen Stacy.
Mentioned in Collider's report about the return of Molina as Doctor Octopus is the news that Garfield and Maguire are both set to reprise their role as Spider-Man in the upcoming multiverse-crossing Spider-Man 3. Garfield is a done deal, while Maguire is in talks, Collider confirms, after FandomWire first reported the news in October. Dunst, who played Mary Jane in Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy is also a done deal, though The Amazing Spider-Man love interest, Stone's Gwen Stacy, is still in talks, with a pending pregnancy potentially preventing her return.
This is crazy news, and could suggest that Spider-Man 3 is in danger of becoming seriously over-crowded, though I doubt the actors will all get more than cameos. Unless director Jon Watts is going the full Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse route and positions Maguire and Garfield as allies and would-be mentors to Holland, who has never been without a father figure in some form since his introduction to the MCU in Captain America: Civil War (first with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark, then with villains played by Michael Keaton and Jake Gyllenhaal). It would be nice to see if Holland could hold his own without a bigger A-list star showing him the ropes, but I also wouldn't be against some good old banter between Holland, Garfield, and Maguire.
The only thing missing is confirmation that J.K. Simmons will be back as both versions of J.Jonah Jameson, to have his field day getting pictures of Spider-Man.
The yet-untitled Spider-Man 3 will be led by Holland in his last Marvel Cinematic Universe jaunt before Sony wins back the rights to the friendly neighborhood webslinger. Garfield, Maguire, Dunst, and Stone, will be joining the already-cast Molina as the Doc Ock from the Raimi films, Jamie Foxx's Electro from The Amazing Spider-Man 2, as well as Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange. The film will also co-star Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori, and Marisa Tomei.
The film is currently slated to hit theaters on December 17, 2021.