Jake Gyllenhaal opened up about how playing the villain in Spider-Man: Far From Home allowed him to find the joy in acting again.
The actor spoke to Vanity Fair about his career and some of his biggest roles, and Gyllenhaal revealed how important playing Mysterio was as it reminded him of why he loved making films in the first place. "What was interesting, when I went into Spider-Man: Far From Home... I think I was taking myself too seriously," the actor said. "In fact, I'm sure of it. I think I had really lost that sense of play and fun that I am. That sort of, that class clown that I talk about that found that idea of just popping a shoulder and making a funny face. It was such a cathartic thing to be able to throw away all that seriousness and really become the actor that I think I've always wanted to be in a lot of ways. And find the play and the fun and the gratitude that I'm here and I get to do this."
Gyllenhaal's career kicked off with a part in City Slickers. His move towards drama with 2001's cult hit Donnie Darko came the same year as the comedy Bubble Boy. Eventually, however, the actor would move into deeply serious dramas, like Nightcrawler. So taking a role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe enabled him to recapture his sense of play. More than that, the actor just loved working with the Marvel Studios team on Far From Home.
"And, oh my god, like it’s all about the family of making a movie," Gyllenhaal continued. "It's all about the experience that you have with the people you’re making that film with. And, I think that we go through journeys in our life where we’re finding ourselves and, in the case of Spider-Man, I think I realized, 'Hey, you know, acting is really fun. You know? Enjoy it! And the people here are fantastic! Enjoy them and enjoy the life around you cause life goes by super fast.'"
While it seems as if his role in the MCU was a one-time thing, there was a point when Mysterio was going to fight Doctor Strange in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Ultimately, Mysterio's return in No Way Home was cut from the film as it attempted to balance all of the multiversal characters. But given Gyllenhaal's comments, there's a good chance he could play the Spidey villain again in the future.
Source: YouTube