David Koepp, who penned the screenplay for the first theatrical Spider-Man film, remarked that he thinks Tobey Maguire's days as Peter Parker/Spider-Man are far from over.
The screenwriter sat down with the cast and crew of 2002's Spider-Man to talk about the film's legacy and 20th anniversary with Variety. Koepp admitted that he "found it touching to see Tobey’s character again" when he recently joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "I can see the weight of living in his eyes, which I thought was fascinating," he added. "I would imagine they’d develop a story about 40-year-old Spider-Man and see what that’s like. Yeah, I’d be interested in seeing that. The stories are still beautifully told. And audiences love them."
Maguire starred as Spider-Man in three films between 2002 and 2007, all of which were directed by Sam Raimi. A fourth movie was originally announced for release in 2011 but was ultimately scrapped in favor of rebooting the property with 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man. Maguire reprised the role fourteen years later in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which featured the actor interacting with the Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland versions of the Marvel web-slinger.
Koepp is not the only person interested in seeing the further adventures of Maguire's Spider-Man. Fans took to social media in the months following Spider-Man: No Way Home's release to campaign for Raimi's Spider-Man 4 film. Grant Curtis, who produced all three Maguire films, also expressed his desire to see more from the original Spider-Man universe. "There were other stories within those movies that did not get told," he said in March 2022. "I hope someday, as any Spider-Man fan would tell you, that all those stories come out and that narrative continues."
Kirsten Dunst, who played Mary-Jane Watson in the Spider-Man trilogy, has also supported the idea of a fourth Spider-Man film. "You know I’d join that multiverse! I feel like I’m the only one that hasn’t joined it... I’m like, 'Please put me in. Put me in the lineup.' I need to pay for my house and kids," she said in March 2022. Raimi shared Dunst's sentiments, admitting that "anything is possible [...] in the Marvel universe, any team-ups. I love Tobey. I love Kirsten Dunst. I think all things are possible."
The Spider-Man franchise is currently set to continue on the big screen with Holland's Spider-Man. Marvel Studios and Sony are reported to be actively developing the character's future in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Source: Variety