Why Tobey Maguire Is The Best Spider-Man
Over the last two decades, three actors have wall-crawled into the role of Spider-Man on the big screen. Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland have all played the character well, with each actor bringing something unique to the hero that sets them apart from the others. As such, many fans have their own personal favorites out of the three. Holland has the benefit of being the most recent, and he’s tied into the MCU, so he had a great foundation to build off of. And however infamous his duology, many fans have sided with Garfield for his more unique spin on the web slinger. Then we have the one who started it all, Tobey Maguire, who, in my humble opinion, is the most faithful and earnest portrayal of Spider-Man.
When we’re first introduced to Peter Parker in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, we meet a socially awkward, down on his luck teenager. From the moment he stumbled his way on to the screen I couldn’t help but identify and sympathize with him. He’s bullied, nerdy, and can’t get his crush Mary Jane to notice he even exists. After school, he goes home to his loving aunt and uncle. It’s a simple, relatable, and in its own way, idyllic life that many of us can relate to. Which makes it all the more tragic when it’s stripped away from him.
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Like the death of the Waynes and the destruction of Krypton, even the most casual fan is familiar with the death of Uncle Ben. His life and untimely passing are instrumental in Peter’s development and shape him into the hero he would become. Raimi’s trilogy understands this better than the competition. In these films, Ben is a key figure even after his death. His advice, “With great power comes great responsibility,” is a core tenant of the Spider-Man mythos. We all know his story, so it’s tempting for filmmakers to overlook it in an effort to stay fresh. But this decision to exclude him undermines Peter’s development while losing important context.
More-so than the spider bite, the loss of Uncle Ben radically changes the course of Peter’s life, propelling him into adulthood. With his uncle gone, Peter is the man of the house and has to step up and look after his elderly aunt. Not to mention his new obligations as Spider-Man, but he’s not alone. Along the way, we’re introduced to a variety of important characters in his life. These individuals not only serve to occupy the world, but succeed in being unique characters in their own right. They added to the story and weren’t simply props to further Peter’s development. You don’t have to look any further than J. K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson to see my point. A casting so masterfully done, they brought him back to the same role in the MCU.
With such an endearing cast across the board, we can be more invested in the world itself and put ourselves in Peter’s shoes. This adds more weight to the sacrifices Peter makes as Spider-Man. He’s failing in school and works multiple jobs just to pay the rent. When he pushes away Mary Jane and alienates Aunt May, we’re crushed by the heartbreak because we care about these characters. It’s not pretty, but it’s also the core of what makes Spider-Man such an enduring and relatable character. He repeatedly puts others' needs above his own, even if it means giving up everything that matters to him. A sentiment that is all but lost or ignored in the other iterations.
To its credit, The Amazing Spider-Man duology attempts to match the successful formula of its predecessor while trying new things, even if it doesn’t stick the landing. Sometimes, "unique" doesn’t always mean "better." While they hit the proper story beats in their own way, they double down on teen angst, making Peter more of a moody bad boy than relatable nerd. It’s this tumultuous temperament that ultimately sours the film, making Peter lash out at uncharacteristic moments. At times, he even reacts violently toward people who don’t deserve it. This does pay off with his relationship to Uncle Ben, however. They don’t leave on good terms, which adds more of a gut punch to his eventual death. But ultimately, his bad attitude does more harm than good to his portrayal.
There are a number of reasons the films didn’t live up to their potential, but it’s hard to blame the web head for this one. Andrew Garfield is an amazing actor and does his best with what he’s given. If past interviews are anything to go by, Andrew has a deep love for the character. Given another chance, I think he could make a great Spidey. He’s able to improve upon the humor Spider-Man is known for. There’s no shortage of funny quips and jokes, all delivered with the sarcastic wit we’ve come to expect from the hero. An element Tobey’s Spider-Man could have used more of. It also introduced web shooters, as opposed to the creepier organic webs that came before it.
Being a part of the MCU, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man has plenty of room to grow. And while a cinematic universe allows for crossover potential, I think his involvement in the MCU is doing more harm than good. With so many characters jockeying for space, Spider-Man can often feel like a side character, even in his solo outings. Most of his appearances build off his initial introduction and have him chasing after Tony Stark and his legacy. This idolization of Tony, and by extension Iron Man, rob him of his agency as a character. Uncle Ben is essentially side-lined to Easter eggs, with little to no noticeable impact on Peter, who, by the time of Civil War, has already had many outings as Spider-Man. In that sense, it can be argued that Tony is meant to serve as the lost father figure for Peter, as opposed to Ben, but the two don’t equate. Many of the hurdles intrinsic to Peter’s character are often circumvented by Stark’s resources, as opposed to overcome by trial and error.
Another pitfall of the MCU is the prevalence of heroes in its universe. Couple that with the modern setting, and many of the things that Tom does better than Tobey and Andrew tend to get undermined. It’s true that Tom Holland is much younger and therefore more convincing as a high school student. He also brings the nerd factor and cracks jokes as Spider-Man. But in the context of his universe, that doesn’t amount to much. Nerds are becoming more and more popular, so Peter is hardly an outcast here. He goes to parties, has friends, eventually has a girlfriend, and has a superhero celebrity as a mentor. As an Avenger, his hero work is supervised by SHIELD, so he doesn’t have to worry about covering his tracks. Even when his secret gets out, one by one the people who learn ultimately support his decision and offer him back up. So far, he lives a charmed life. That may change, but as it stands, it’s a far cry from the taxing double life that usually comes with being Spider-Man.
At the end of the day, Tobey Maguire’s tenure as Spider-Man was a treat to behold. It wasn’t perfect, but in my opinion, all the pieces meshed together to form the purest essence of what makes the web slinger tick. Peter Parker was an appropriately dorky outcast who grew into a selfless man willing to risk it all to protect the innocent. Always striving to live up to his uncle’s famous advice even if it meant sacrificing his own happiness. He shouldered the burden alone, and at times his abilities felt like more of a curse than a gift. All against the backdrop of a world full of life, memorable characters, and a palpable energy that just screams comic book. There may come a day when my opinion changes, but for now, Tobey Maguire sits comfortably in the top spot.
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Source(s): Screen Rant