Tobey Maguire & Willem Dafoe Break Guinness World Record Thanks to Marvel Comeback

By Aeron Mer Eclarinal Updated:
Spider-Man: No Way Home logo, Tobey Maguire as Spider-Man, Willem Dafoe as Green Goblin

Spider-Man: No Way Home served as the celebration of all things Spider-Man after several returns by different actors from past Marvel films. Directed by Jon Watts, the MCU threequel revolves around the identity crisis of Tom Holland's Peter Parker that eventually led to the Multiverse being unleashed after Doctor Strange's botched spell of trying to fix the titular hero's problem. 

As a result, visitors from other universes entered the MCU, specifically from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy and Marc Webb's The Amazing Spider-Man franchise. Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus, Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, and Thomas Hayden Church's Sandman became the villainous representatives of the Raimi-verse, while Jamie Foxx's Electro and Rhys Ifhans' Lizard completed the list from the Webb-verse. 

Aside from the villains, No Way Home surprised fans when Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men arrived on the scene to help Holland's MCU hero. Many would agree that the film's impressive lineup of stars helped it break several box-office records along the way, but some fans would argue that the threequel's emotional storyline also lent a hand to its success. 

Now, as No Way Home slowly climbs the box office ranks, another record has been confirmed to be broken by its stars. 

Tobey Maguire & Willem Dafoe's Record-Breaking Appearance

Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe
Marvel

Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe were confirmed to have achieved Guinness World Records titles.

Guinness officially revealed that the pair broke the record for the longest career as a live-action Marvel character after reprising their iconic roles as Peter Parker and Norman Osborn in Spider-Man: No Way Home. This comes 19 years and 225 days after their first appearance in 2002's Spider-Man

The previous record holders were Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, who made their first appearance as Wolverine and Charles Xavier, respectively, in 2000's X-Men and their last portrayals in 2017's Logan. Jackman and Stewart's Marvel career record was 16 years and 232 days. 

Meanwhile, Doctor Octopus actor Alfred Molina also achieved the record for the longest gap between character appearances in Marvel films after his first portrayal during 2004's Spider-Man 2

A Fitting Ending to Maguire & Dafoe's Spider-Man Chapter 

Tobey Maguire and Willem Dafoe's latest award is another testament to No Way Home's impressive run. It's fitting to see the pair receive such recognition, especially considering that they started it all during 2002's Spider-Man

The fact that Maguire and Dafoe had significant roles in the MCU threequel instead of glorified cameos made this award even more special. The seamless addition of the pair to No Way Home's massive storyline also served as the perfect tribute for the characters, thus leading to a memorable experience for fans. 

Still, it would've been more special to see an extended interaction between Maguire's Peter and Dafoe's Osborn in the movie rather than the brief encounter after the latter stabbed the former during the final battle.

The pair had many interesting interactions during the 2002 Marvel film, and seeing fresh banter between them in No Way Home would've been the perfect wrap-up for their dynamic. 

Whatever the case, it's not every day that Marvel actors receive Guinness World Record titles, and this should be a win worth celebrating by Marvel fans everywhere. 

Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in theaters worldwide. 

- In This Article: Spider-Man: No Way Home
Release Date
December 17, 2021
Platform
Theaters
- About The Author: Aeron Mer Eclarinal
Aeron is a news/features writer and Content Lead for The Direct who has been working for the site since March 2020. From writing about the inter-connectivity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to having an extended knowledge about DC TV's Arrowverse, Aeron's expertise has since expanded into the realm of reality TV, K-drama, animated, and live-action shows from Netflix,  Disney+, Prime Video, MGM+, Peacock, Paramount+, and Max. When he isn't writing and watching all things MCU, Aeron is heavily invested with the NBA (go Celtics!) and occasionally watches thrilling matches in the WWE.