So it has been revealed that, after quite a lot of speculation and hoping, Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire will, in fact, appear in the third entry of the MCU Spider-Man flicks.

Obviously take this with a teensy-tiny grain of salt because it’s not Official-With-A-Capital-O yet, but it’s being reported multiple places. As the link above states:

A Sony source “closely involved” with the film, which stars Holland, 24, as a young Peter Parker, confirmed to FandomWire that ‘Spider-Man’ actors Maguire, 45, and Garfield, 37, will reprise their roles for the upcoming movie. Apparently, the casting was initially meant to be a surprise, and the studio is “furious” that details have been leaked.

Gulf News

So at this point, let’s go ahead and ASSUME it is true. Is this a good thing?

Well, my Daniel Bryan gif up there certainly gives away my thoughts. But let’s dig deeper…

Devotees of my previous website and podcast will remember that I was never the biggest fan of the Tobey Maguire/Sam Raimi Spider-flicks. I thought they were more about side-eyeing and snickering at the genre of comic books than actually respecting them. And even then, I was merely lukewarm to the subsequent Marc Webb/Andrew Garfield takes on the character. I didn’t think it was until the MCU finally got their hands on the character that he was truly done justice (I have Homecoming and Far From Home as a 4.0 and 4.5 respectively on Letterboxd).

So why my excitement for interpretations I didn’t love being revived?

Because Sam Raimi and Marc Webb aren’t at the helm anymore! This will be neither Raimi’s hokey take, nor Webb’s convoluted imagining. Marvel Studios, Kevin Feige, and their chosen creative team will be handling these revivals, and I have all of the faith in them in the universe. Additionally, both Maguire and Garfield (especially Garfield) were good at playing their characters; it was merely the story around them that failed them. But under the guidance of the MCU? I’m all for this.

Beyond just that, I am 100% HERE for the idea of an MCU multiverse appearing on film. The trailers for Disney+’s WandaVision show look tremendous, and the idea that it is going to spill over into the Dr. Strange sequel, which will then spill over into Spider-Man 3? It lays to rest a lot of the concerns I have had about a post-Endgame drop-off for the MCU. They definitely seem to have a plan, and the multiverse is a brilliant way to keep things fresh.

As a final note, the ending to Far From Home was compelling, and I have wanted part 3 to come out since the moment J. Jonah Jameson revealed Spidey’s identity to the world. That was the best MCU cliffhanger since Thanos appeared at the end of Avengers. So, for me, this a perfect storm of a solid idea that has time to develop, the MCU still knowing where it is going, and a direct follow-up to a flick I loved.

But what do YOU think? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter. Are you stoked for a live action Spider-Verse?