According to actress Peyton List, she almost played a role in a Spider-Man movie before her scenes were removed.
List is currently in the spotlight thanks to her role in Netflix's School Spirits, in which she plays the leading role of Maddie Nears - a girl who gets stuck in the afterlife as she tries to figure out how she died in the first place.
While fans are enthralled learning new details about her character's backstory in this series, List continues to gain notoriety for her performance as she builds on her already impressive resume.
Peyton List Speaks on Removal From Spider-Man Movie
Speaking on the Livin' Large w/ Mark Dohner podcast, School Spirits star Peyton List revealed that she was in a scene in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 2 that was removed from the film's final cut.
List credited the way the role "really boosted [her] career" when she was only six years old, noting that agents approached her twin brother Spencer first before the film began shooting:
Mark Dohner: "Peyton, you’ve been on hundreds of shows. You started in, what, 2004 at the age of six. You were on Spider-Man and it says–"
Peyton List: "Yeah, so young."
Dohner: "–'Girl on Stairs.' How did you get this role of 'Girl on Stairs?' Uncredited."
List: "That was a huge, huge platform being the girl on the stairs. That really boosted my career. (laughs)… I asked my mom at a really young age, like, I knew what I wanted to do, which is so odd. I feel like I was a super mature, little kid. But yeah, I asked my mom and also these agents approached my brother, my twin brother, Spencer, who you know. They approached him on the Staten Island ferry in New York and they were like, 'This kid has it. He’s so handsome. We want to sign him.'"
List expressed her desire to get into movies to that agent, mentioning that she and her brother were twins and that she came in much more enthusiastically than her brother:
Dohner: "You’re like, 'Hey, I’m his twin.'"
List: "And I was like, ‘Hey, I’ve always wanted to do it!'"
Q: "'We look alike. I’m just a female.'"
List: "They were like, 'No, you don’t look alike. You’re like the ugly twin, so move aside.' No, I’m not kidding. And so, my mom brought us both into the agents, and my brother’s just kind of always been the one that’s super chill. And I’m like, 'I would love to do this. Hi!'"
The agent told List's mother that they were only looking for girls, but their mother told the agent "You have to sign them both, because she really wants to do it," making it clear that her son wouldn't do the movie without his sister.
Then, they were both cast as kids on the stairs in Spider-Man 2 alongside one another:
"And they were just saying, ‘Yeah, we don’t need girls. We just want him still.’ … This was for the agency… And so my mom said, ‘You have to sign them both, because she really wants to do it. If you have to get him, you have to get her.’ And she was like, ‘Or we’re walking.’ Yeah, she is a savage. She made my dreams happen. And then they’re like, ‘Fine, we’ll take the girl.’ And then, I ended up doing really well. And my brother and I both went out for 'Spider-Man 2' and we both got the kids on the stairs together. And we’re basically fighting over how to spell Spider-Man."
List confirmed that she and her brother were paid for their appearances, although she wasn't sure how much money it was and jokingly mentioned that she "probably barely got paid" due to how small the role was:
Dohner: "And you’re actually siblings in real life. Now, did you get paid for this?"
List: "Yeah. I don’t know how much though."
Dohner: "Was that the only part you had in it? You’re just literally on the stairs?"
List: "Oh, that was it. I probably barely got paid. They’re like, 'You’re lucky to be here, kid. You’re lucky to be on the stairs.'"
Unfortunately, List revealed that she and her brother were cut from the movie, noting that it humbled her even while calling it a "double whammy" after not being wanted initially:
Dohner: "That’s really cool to say you’re in 'Spider-Man.'"
List: "It’s pretty awesome. My part got cut, so… Yeah, it was a double whammy. ‘They didn’t want you, you got cut from your first film, welcome to Hollywood, kid!’ But, it was good for me. It was good for me at six. (laughs) … It humbled me. That’s why I have super low self-esteem… No, I’m kidding."
Some TikTok users misinterpreted List's comments and believed that Peyton and Spencer List were actually in the movies, being the kids that Spider-Man saves by pulling them from the middle of the street early in Spider-Man 2.
However, the credits confirmed that these were different children altogether, with the roles played by Zachry and Ella Rogers.
Could Peyton List Play a Marvel Role?
After Spider-Man 2 became an unofficial start for Peyton List, with her role being cut from the movie, many wondered whether she could take on a more prominent role in the present-day world of Marvel films.
Fans have made List a popular choice for several iconic Spider-Man characters, including the Black Cat, who's never been utilized in any live-action web-slinger movie.
Black Cat was reportedly going to be played by Anne Hathaway in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 4 movie that never got made, although List could give the character life should Sony Pictures want to utilize Felicia Hardy on the big screen.
She could also be a potential option to be the MCU's take on Gwen Stacy after Emma Stone almost came back in Spider-Man: No Way Home, with List's blonde hair seemingly being perfect for the character's look.
But no matter where her career moves forward, fans will be anxious to see whether a superhero role is in her future.
Spider-Man 2 is available to stream on Disney+.
