After the venerable Avengers, Spider-Man is arguably the most popular and commercially successful young hero in the MCU. Originally a teenage high school student and an orphan, Peter Parker gets his superhuman spider powers and abilities after being bitten by a radioactive spider. The antics of our favorite wall-crawler have inspired a plethora of films, television shows, and animated series (the most recent being Across the Spider-Verse).
Many actors have graced the role of Spider-Man throughout the years and have brought their unique personalities to the superhero. While all three major actors to play Spider-Man: Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, have enjoyed immense love and support from viewers, Tobey Maguire has a special link to the character of the original Spider-Man.
How old was Tobey Maguire in the first Spider-Man movie?
When Tobey Maguire first played Spider-Man back in 2002, the Marvel Cinematic Universe didn’t even exist. The movie was directed by Sam Raimi from a screenplay by David Koepp, and marked the first installment in Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. It was the first movie to gross $100 million in a single weekend, and the most popular comic book movie at the time. Spider-Man is praised for redefining the modern superhero genre, as it paved a new way for upcoming superhero summer blockbusters.
The film chronicles the origin story of Peter Parker as he transforms into Spider-Man and catches his high-school teenage life. However, Tobey Maguire was nowhere near a teenager when he appeared as Spider-Man. Born on June 27, 1975, Tobey Maguire was 27 years old, just shy of 28 when Spider-Man was first released on April 29, 2002.
The sequel ‘Spider-Man 2’ followed two years later
Following the massive success of Spider-Man, a sequel followed two years later. The story of Spider-Man 2 was also set two years after the events of Spider-Man, following Peter Parker as he battles an existential crisis related to his dual identities while attempting to prevent Dr. Otto Octavius from carrying out the risky experiment that kills his wife. The movie opened in theatres on June 30, 2004, in the United States, and collected $789 million worldwide.
Maguire turned 29 just before the release of the film and won the Saturn Award for Best Actor for his performance. Spider-Man 2 still finds its name among the greatest superhero films ever made.
‘Spider-Man 3’ was the final installment in Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy
The development of Spider-Man 3 began immediately after the successful release of Spider-Man 2. Though set only a year after the events of Spider-Man 2, the film was released in 2007, three years after the second installment came out. However, the three-year wait was worthwhile as the film grossed $895 million worldwide, making it the trilogy’s highest-grossing movie.
By the time of Spider-Man 3‘s release in May 2007, Maguire was just shy of his 32nd birthday. Both the Spider-Man trilogy by Raimi and Maguire’s prominent portrayal of Spider-Man came to an end with this movie. According to Maguire, the trilogy’s widespread acclaim and admiration “feels like an honor.“
Maguire was also a part of ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
“Finally!” was Tobey Maguire’s initial reaction when he received the call to reprise his Spider-Man role alongside Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield, and it’s safe to say that viewers shared the same feeling. Despite Sony, Marvel, and the cast’s best efforts to keep it a secret, there was much conjecture and multiple leaks about Maguire and Garfield’s involvement in the film.
Tobey Maguire donned the Spider-Man suit after 14 long years for Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie was theatrically released in the United States on December 17 and became the highest-grossing film of 2021. By this point, Maguire was 46 years old, but his charisma remained unabated!