Tobey Maguire's Spider-Man movies are some of the most influential of all time, but Marvel Studios is moving on from a piece of them ahead of the actor's rumored cameo in Avengers: Doomsday. The MCU's Peter Parker is about to reach uncharted territory. When Spider-Man: Brand New Day hits theaters, he will be the first live-action version of the Wall-Crawler to lead four solo movies.
Andrew Garfield only got to star in two films, with Sony pulling the plug after The Amazing Spider-Man 2 failed to captivate critics or moviegoers. Maguire at least got to complete his trilogy. However, Spider-Man 3 didn't hit the mark, biting off far more than it could chew by introducing Sandman, Venom, and New Goblin all in one movie.
Failing to stick the landing didn't take away from what the first two movies in Maguire's trilogy were able to accomplish, though. They grounded a character who could climb walls and shoot webs out of his arms in emotional stories about the indomitable human spirit. Director Sam Raimi and his creative team also nailed casting across the board, including choosing J.K. Simmons to play Daily Bugle editor J. Jonah Jameson.
Jameson caused trouble for both Peter and Spider-Man and went on wildly entertaining tirades about the danger that metahumans brought to New York City. The only real negative about his character was that he didn't appear enough. Fortunately, Spider-Man 3 wasn't the end of Jameson's live-action journey.
In one of the MCU's most shocking moments, Jameson, played once again by Simmons, appeared at the end of Spider-Man: Far From Home, revealing to the world that Peter was, in fact, the titular character. He did more damage in Spider-Man: No Way Home by using his massive platform to kick Peter while he was down.
Brand New Day won't follow in its predecessors' footsteps because Simmons revealed he's not returning for the highly anticipated movie. While speaking with ComicBook, the actor explained that he didn't get a call this time around.
"Not in it, dude. I don't know who on the internet decided that that was fact, but I ain't in it."
It's disappointing to learn that Peter won't get the opportunity to roll his eyes at another Jameson rant on the big screen in 2026. But there's another layer to this news that's equally as troubling, as many assumed Jameson would be an important part of Spider-Man's future in the MCU.
Spider-Man's Latest Chapter Would've Benefited From J. Jonah Jameson
The big knock against the first three Marvel Studios Spider-Man movies was that they didn't make Peter struggle. While he had obstacles to overcome, there was always someone ready to come to his aid, whether it be Iron Man, Happy Hogan, or Doctor Strange. It wasn't until the end of No Way Home that Peter finally got to put away the silver spoon he was gifted.
All of Brand New Day's marketing makes it clear Marvel Studios isn't reversing that decision, showing Spider-Man in a rut as he watches his old friends grow and change. But many expected his new status quo to include a job he was doing to make ends meet: taking photos of Spider-Man for the Daily Bugle. In both the comics and the Raimi trilogy, Peter worked for a man who despised him because he knew he could control the narrative and make some extra dough at the same time.
The MCU's version seemingly doesn't have a large sum of cash to fall back on, so he's going to have to find a way to pay rent. Whatever he ends up doing, it's obviously not going to involve the Daily Bugle because there's no way the powers that be would pass up an opportunity for Tom Holland and Simmons to chew up scenery together.
