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Tobey Maguire’sSpider-Mangave the world a wonderful origin story for the web-crawling superhero who would go on to be one of the most popular Marvel characters. The films, directed by Sam Raimi, focused on Peter Parker’s growth from being a socially awkward teen to managing a personal, professional, and superhero life.
Maguire’s Spider-Man was different from his subsequent counterparts like Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland. One of the major differences was the decision to make his webbing organic instead of the web coming from a machine, as in the comics and other depictions. However, Raimi seemed to have hinted at one more superpower in the opening of the film.
Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man And His Hidden Superpower
Everyone remembers the incredible scene in Sam Raimi’s 2002 filmSpider-ManwhenTobey Maguire’sPeter Parker learns how to climb on a wall. The ridges appearing on his fingers, the topsy-turvy camera angle that goes from horizontal to vertical, and Maguire’s incredible performance brought out the wonder and excitement of developing superpowers.
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One of the most incredible parts of Magurie’s Peter was that he developed many organic superpowers after the genetically engineered spider bite. From his eyesight getting fixed to his amazing reflexes, the cherry on top was the organic web that shot out of his wrists as opposed to the machine-based web creator that subsequent Spider-Men had.
However, there is one superpower from one of the spiders in the opening scene ofSpider-Manthat did not make it into his arsenal. Instagram creator ‘dramashirtco’ noticed that Maguire tells James Franco’s Harry about the quality of one of the spiders in the lab had the power to manipulate its surroundings and become invisible. He said,
[Peter] says, ‘Some spiders change their colors to blend into their environment.’ And that is the only spider ability that is mentioned [but] never shown in the movie.
While Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man had plenty of superpowers in his arsenal, invisibility was not one of them. But there is one person who did get to use them: Miles Morales.
Did Sam Raimi Reference Miles Morales InSpider-Man?
Though a shared universe like the MCU was still an aspirational concept in the early 2000s when superhero films likeX-MenandSpider-Manwere being made, the filmmakers still put plenty of Easter Eggs for fans. WhileX-Menreferred to their comic-book costumes,Sam Raimi’sfilms have spoken about multiple heroes, including Doctor Strange.
The opening scene ofSpider-Mansees Tobey Maguire talk about some spiders and their ability to blend into their environment. Many fans have speculated that because Peter does not exhibit these powers, it might be a reference to Miles Morales. The alternative Spider-Man has shown in the ability in theSpider-versefilms.
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However, Raimi can’t have included a Morales reference as the character was only created in 2011. Writer Brian Michael Mendes was reportedly inspired by Donald Glover’s appearance in the showCommunitywhere he is seen wearing a spider suit (viaUSA Today). The character was included in the Ultimate Spider-Man line after Peter’s death in that universe.
While the scene in question is definitely not a reference to Miles Morales, Raimi may have just foreshadowed the incredible Thanksgiving dinner scene where Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man fights the Green Goblin but then meets him at the dinner. He hides from him until he is out of his suit. A lot of ‘blending into the environment’ is happening in that scene.
It could also be a reference to Harry Osborne’s personality, who after calling Peter’s observation boring goes on to reiterate that fact to Mary Jane on the same field trip in order to impress her, doing a bit of changing colors himself.
Spider-Manis available to stream on Disney+.
Nishanth A
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2417
Nishanth A is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 2,000 articles published. He has been an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a scriptwriter at various corporations before that, working on educational content. With a Communications, English Literature, and Psychology triple major, Nishanth usually covers news and analyses on Star Trek, particularly Strange New Worlds and The Next Generation; Doctor Who, the DCU, and more.A Nolan fan, Nishanth spends his time exploring the filmographies of various directors with an auteurial style or can be found making short movies of his own. He has also contributed as a feature writer for Film Companion, focusing on the South division.
