Spider-Man: No Way Home's Special Guest Stars Contributed A Great Deal To Their Characters
This article includes frank discussion of spoilers from "Spider-Man: No Way Home")
"Spider-Man" fans have had an emotional few weeks. "Spider-Man: No Way Home" is a painful, bittersweet end to Tom Holland's first Peter Parker trilogy, but it also brings unexpected catharsis for past Peter Parkers as well. Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield both strapped on their web slingers for the new film, and their Peter Parkers came into the MCU with complex backstories and baggage of their own.
According to an interview co-writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers did with The Hollywood Reporter, the two actors were integral to shaping their roles in the film. "No one knows the character as well as — or gives as much thought to the character — as someone who has to then embody it and sell it," Sommers says, explaining that the writers gave the actors their script pages and then incorporated their feedback.
The Actors Stayed True To Their Characters' Backstories
It's obvious the actors who play Peter Parker all seem to become attached to the character, and feel an intense obligation to honor the role. For Garfield and Holland, this may have come from stepping into someone else's shoes, while Maguire was surely subject to high expectations as one of the first Marvel comic heroes to get a big-budget movie. Regardless, the actors apparently took the challenge to characterize their own Peter Parkers in an authentic way seriously when working with McKenna and Sommers.
"Tobey wanted to be very minimal about how much you know," McKenna told THR, adding that his Peter Parker clearly ended his trilogy having "come through the darkness" in a way that his counterparts may not have. Maguire's input is definitely obvious in the film; his Peter Parker is coy about his personal life, mentioning that he made things work with MJ and that he still has a secret identity, but not much else. This is an understandable choice, as the Raimi trilogy is considered untouchable by many, and keeping Peter tight-lipped allows fans to imagine whatever post-canon scenario they want.
The Climax Wouldn't Be The Same Without Their Input
Andrew Garfield, on the other hand, was able to use "Spider-Man: No Way Home" as a chance to explore the narrative his Peter Parker never got to take after "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" marked the end of his time in the role. "Andrew really loved the idea of he's still tortured over what happened in 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' and where that left him," McKenna says, referring to Gwen Stacy's (Emma Stone) death. This, too, comes through clearly in the film, when his version of Peter says he "stopped pulling punches" somewhere along the way. Garfield's vision of his Peter Parker is one who became consumed by rage and vengeance, which makes his turn as a mentor in "Spider-Man: No Way Home" even more heartfelt.
In a pivotal moment, Holland's Peter Parker must decide whether to seek vengeance for his Aunt May's (Marisa Tomei) death or choose a path of peace. Apparently, guidance from Garfield and Maguire was crucial in writing this moral climax. "So much of that was brought by Tobey and Andrew's ideas and shaping of what they thought their characters could bring to this story," McKenna says. We're grateful the actors were given free rein because the resulting story wouldn't resonate nearly as much without their character choices.
"Spider-Man: No Way Home" is currently in theaters.