10 Directors Who Went To Insane Lengths To Get Their Movies Made
6. Sam Raimi Filmed An Action Scene To Prove Tobey Maguire Could Play A Superhero - Spider-Man
After years of false starts, the film adaptation of Spider-Man finally got the green light. Being Marvel's most prized superhero, it was no surprise that every Hollywood star was considered to portray the wallcrawler including Leonardo DiCaprio, Charlie Sheen, Josh Hartnett, Heath Ledger, and Tom Cruise. With all these A-list names thrown around, no one suspected that the role would go to Tobey Maguire.
Don't get me wrong - Maguire is a great actor. At the time, he had already proven to be a leading star with performances in Pleasantville and The Cider House Rules. Because of his timid manner and friendly face, it was easy to picture him as Peter Parker. But it seemed like nobody could see him playing a superhero, save for Spider-Man's director, Sam Raimi. Despite the fact Tobey bulked up massively for the role, the producers were still not convinced.
To prove he was worthy to portray the wisecracking webslinger, Raimi filmed a scene of Tobey's Spider-Man kicking the crap out of a bunch of thugs. After the producers saw the footage, they agreed he was perfect for the part.