Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst in talks to star in 'Spider-Man 3'

Lead actors in first superhero flick would reprise roles in the upcoming film alongside Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone

In October this year, rumours of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield being roped in for the upcoming installment of Tom Holland-starrer, Spider-Man 3 were rife. Multiple publications shared the story that the previous two actors who played the popular superhero will be seen in the latest part of the Marvel film. However, the said rumours were debunked by an official statement released by the MCU, that stated that the casting of the said film was 'not confirmed.' 

A month later, similar news is yet again making rounds - however, this time around, reports of the female stars of the Maguire and Garfield's Spider-Man films being cast in Spider-Man 3 have made much buzz. According to Collider, Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone will reprise their roles in Holland's latest superhero flick.

Plot details have been kept under wraps, but there have been rumors for some time that, as the MCU digs into the multiverse, past Spider-Man characters could appear. This was seemingly supported by the news that The Amazing Spider-Man 2's Electro (Jamie Foxx) will be in Spider-Man 3, and recently, news broke that Alfred Molina will reportedly play Doctor Octopus once more. 

Talks with Maguire are presumably ongoing, and it remains to be seen when they might be completed. Meanwhile, the report indicates Dunst is already set to return as MJ (Mary Jane) in the film. 

While Maguire's return in Spider-Man 3 isn't quite a done deal, it's a good sign that talks are happening at all. If Garfield and Dunst both return, it would be strange to not have Maguire. Hopefully, he and the studios will be able to arrange something in order to make this work. It would be thrilling to see Maguire and Dunst back together on the big screen, and many would love to watch Holland's Spider-Man interact with Maguire's.

The original report suggested that Maguire and Garfield ‘could’ appear in Spider-Man 3 and that they “would arrive in the final act to help Holland defeat Electro.” It added that Electro would then be joined by other Spider-Man villains. But as the studio noted, the idea hasn’t been confirmed, so let’s take it with a webbed-fistful of salt.

Nevertheless, if Electro does arrive from another universe, who better to help Spiderman(s) than a sorcerer familiar with alternate dimensions and magic? Here’s hoping Cumberbatch’s role isn’t just as a replacement for Tony Stark after the latter’s defiant death in Avengers: Endgame.

Since Doctor Strange’s sarcastic snarkiness has often been compared to Stark’s, his dynamic with Parker could easily follow a similar path. 

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