It’s hard to believe that over 20 years have passed since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man swung through the screens and into our hearts to reveal the history of our beloved wall-crawler. Before the advent of a complicated and interconnected Marvel Cinematic Universe, this was back in simpler times. In those days, taking on a popular comic book character wasn’t nearly as common as it is today, making the success of the film’s execution and critical response crucial for the development of superhero films in the future.
Based on the 1960s comic book characters created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Spider-Man centres on Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire), a socially awkward and academically bright high school student whose life is irrevocably altered when he is bitten by a radioactive spider on a field trip. Like a spider, he can climb walls and shoot webs as his body changes into muscle and his senses sharpen. Throughout the movie, Peter strives to keep his identity as Spider-Man a secret from the public and learns how to use his new powers, all the while navigating the already challenging and perplexing period of adolescence. He must defend everyone from Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe), the most recent threat to New York City, while also having feelings for Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst), who just so happens to be dating his closest friend Harry (James Franco). The film was a box office hit and at the time the highest-grossing comic book movie ever, becoming the first film to gross $100 million in a single weekend.
Look at the 2002 Spider-Man cast and their recent activities after spending time with the web-slinger.
Aunt May (Rosemary Harris)
In Peter’s constantly shifting existence, Aunt May serves as a moral compass and is one of the individuals he values most. After her husband Ben suddenly passes away, Peter starts to feel more and more protective of her. Additionally, the Green Goblin brutally assaults her.
An Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Award winner and critically renowned English actress, Rosemary Harris, has also been nominated for an Oscar. She has received the Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Award and nine total Tony nominations for her amazing career. In the HBO limited series The Undoing, she most recently portrayed Janet Fraser, the mother of Hugh Grant’s character.
Betty Brant (Elizabeth Banks)
Betty Brant is a character in the comics and movies that shouldn’t be neglected even though she doesn’t get much screen time. J. Jonah Jameson uses her as his personal secretary and practical doormat because he is frequently called upon and dispatched. Jameson would be completely lost without her even though he probably wouldn’t like to admit it because she is an expert on the Daily Bugle.
Elizabeth Banks has been extremely active in the worlds of acting, directing, and producing since since donning the ideal brunette bob in the Spider-Man movies. She has appeared in multiple episodes of 30 Rock, Scrubs, Modern Family, Mrs. America, and the Pitch Perfect franchise. She has also played Effie Trinket in The Hunger Games and Wyldstyle in The Lego Movie movies. She is directing Cocaine Bear, a forthcoming film starring Keri Russell and Ray Liotta, in addition to appearing in the films Call Jane and Signal Hill.
Bonesaw McGraw (Randy Savage)
And against whom might Peter wrestle? That would be real-life wrestler Randy Savage’s portrayal of the fierce, gravelly-voiced Bonesaw McGraw. According to a recent piece by Collider’s Vinnie Mancuso, Bonesaw may be the most heartbreaking character in the entire series. The Human Spider (oops, Spider-Man) shockingly defeats McGraw with his newly discovered abilities in a thrilling cage match. Randy Savage was well-known for his work with the World Wrestling Federation and went by the ring name “Macho Man.” In 2011, he passed away.
Flash Thompson (Joe Manganiello)
Flash Thompson’s Spider-Man from 2002, courtesy of Sony Pictures The imposing Flash Thompson, who Peter famously (and mistakenly) whips an entire tray of cafeteria food all over during lunch when he’s struggling to get a handle on his web talents, is releasing Peter’s high school bully. As a result, Peter and Flash engage in a physical altercation in the corridor that attracts the attention of his classmates, especially Mary Jane, and shows that Peter is not someone you want to mess with now that he has acquired spidey abilities.
Joe Manganiello has only had two acting roles prior to Spider-Man. Manganiello, one of the primary characters in the Magic Mike trilogy, has had recurrent appearances in One Tree Hill, How I Met Your Mother, and True Blood since his early days of pestering the web-head. He is now in production on the Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas spin-off series.
Harry Osborn (James Franco)
Harry Osborn, Mary Jane’s boyfriend and the son of affluent scientist and entrepreneur named Norman Osborn, is Peter Parker (for a while). Harry lacks any interest in school and is unsure of his plans after graduation, much to the dismay of his father. He’s a little embarrassed by his affluent upbringing, which irritates his father even more and makes him unpopular with the rest of his peers.
Later roles for Franco include Hugh Hefner in Lovelace, Tommy Wiseau in The Disaster Artist, and Aron Ralston in 127 Hours, for which he received an Oscar nomination. He has also played himself in This Is the End and The Night Before. Additionally, he played the lead in the HBO series The Deuce as well as recurring roles in Angie Tribeca. Alongside Josh Hartnett and Ashton Kutcher, he both directs and stars in the upcoming film The Long Home.
J. Jonah Jameson (J.K. Simmons)
“Parker!” J. Jonah Jameson is the angry, cigar-toting, and owner of the Daily Bugle, a well-known newspaper. Due to his unusual ability to capture amazing photos of Spider-Man (whom Jameson regards as a “criminal,” “vigilante,” and “public threat,”) he hires Peter as a freelance photographer. When he’s not ranting at someone at the office, he ignores his wife’s calls, gives commands, and practises frugal spending.
The Whiplash actor, J.K. Simmons, received an Oscar for his work in the film. He has also starred in a number of other films, such as Juno, The Accountant, Ride the Eagle, The Meddler, and La La Land. He has appeared in repeat episodes of shows like Defending Jacob, Veronica Mars, Archer, The Simpsons, and Goliath. Invincible, Being the Ricardos, and Spider-Man: No Way Home all include him as the voice of Omni-Man, William Frawley, and J. Jonah Jameson, respectively. In one of his five upcoming ventures, he will play Commissioner Gordon in Batgirl.
Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst)
Nobody is more ideal for Peter than Mary Jane Watson, his longtime crush, next-door neighbour, and classmate. Unfortunately for him, Mary is first seeing Flash Thompson, the school bully played by Joe Manganiello, and later Harry Osborn, Peter’s best friend. After college, she plans to pursue a career as an actress while still residing with her controlling father. She hides the fact that she works as a server at the Moondance Diner between auditions to avoid offending Harry, who she believes will think less of her for holding such a low-paying position.
Since her role as the fiery-haired MJ in the Spider-Man films, actress Kirsten Dunst has established a successful career, starring in films like Melancholia, the Fargo television series, Hidden Figures, the sadly brief-lived Showtime series On Becoming a God in Central Florida, and the historical drama The Beguiled with frequent collaborator Sofia Coppola. She can now be seen in Jane Campion’s newest movie, The Power of the Dog, which is currently streaming on Netflix and stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Kodi Smit-McPhee, and her real-life partner Jesse Plemons.
Norman Osborn/Green Goblin (Willem Dafoe)
The Green Goblin, one of Spider-earliest Man’s and most recognisable antagonists, appears in this film. Norman Osborn, a scientist and the CEO of Oscorp, is portrayed by Willem Dafoe. Peter greatly admires him. Harry, Norman’s son and someone who isn’t even close to as smart as his father or closest friend, is frustrated by Norman and Peter’s intellectual friendship. Once he endures an Oscorp experiment gone horribly wrong, he turns into a vicious and destructive man. He employs cutting-edge technology to track down Spider-Man after the superhero declined an offer to work with him in his new, villainous persona.
Dafoe is regarded as one of the best performers working today after receiving recent Oscar nods for his performances in The Florida Project and At Eternity’s Gate as Vincent van Gogh (bringing his Oscar nominations count to four). Since then, he has also appeared in Inside Man, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Aquaman, The Lighthouse, and The French Dispatch, among other films. He is currently starring alongside Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett in Guillermo del Toro’s version of the carnival fantasy film Nightmare Alley, and he reprises his role as the Green Goblin in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: No Way Home. He is working on six different projects, including Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things and Robert Eggers’ The Northman.
Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire)
Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker in the 2002 film Spider-Man Sony Pictures, via The choice to cast Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man and his alter persona, Peter Parker, a clever, shy, and endearing high school student who is bitten by a genetically enhanced spider while on a field trip to Columbia University, was a wise one. His otherwise uneventful life with his Aunt May and Uncle Ben is abruptly upended when he gains new spider-like abilities and decides to take on the role of city protector while yearning for Mary Jane, the love of his life.
Maguire later played Spider-Man in the films Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. In addition, he costarred with Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan in the Oscar-nominated movie Seabiscuit, portrayed Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, and appeared with Kristen Wiig in the IFC comedy series The Spoils of Babylon. He just finished shooting Damien Chazelle’s forthcoming movie Babylon, which stars Brad Pitt, Olivia Wilde, Margot Robbie, and Jean Smart. He will also portray Nic in the 2022 comedy-mystery series Extrapolations. And perhaps in the not-too-distant future we will get to witness him shoot additional webs.
Ring Announcer (Bruce Campbell)
“Human Spider Is that it? Is that the best you can do? Oh, that’s awful.” When he hears the character name Peter Parker has created for himself, the ring announcer at the underground wrestling competition remarks that. Peter, who just discovered his spider skills, shows out to a wrestling match in an awkward and baggy handmade costume in an effort to win some money. Peter mutters “The Human Spider” when the announcer asks what his name is in the ring, to to the announcer’s chagrin. Thankfully, he shouts “Spider-Man” into the microphone, giving Peter his well-known moniker. A.P. Bio, Fargo, Burn Notice, Psych, and Tangled: The Series are just a few of the productions in which actor Bruce Campbell has appeared. He is most known for playing Ash in the cult classic Ash versus Evil Dead series.
Uncle Ben (Cliff Robertson)
The two family members who have raised and taken care of Peter for the majority of his life, Uncle Ben and Aunt May, are the people who mean the most to him. Peter hears Ben say the fabled words, “With great power comes great responsibility,” which will inspire and direct him as he uses his newfound talents to defend the city. His untimely passing haunts and inspires Peter, providing as a lesson in the importance of guarding those who are near to you and not taking your loved ones for granted.
Cliff Robertson, an actor, passed away in 2011, and Spider-Man 3 was his final picture before retiring (via flashbacks). His work in the 1968 picture Charly earned him an Oscar.
