Former Marvel Star Sparks ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Doomsday’ Return Rumors

Tobey Maguire has been spotted in London. Is he on a simple vacation, filming a secret role in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Avengers: Doomsday, or both? The next two entries in the Marvel Cinematic Universe are currently filming in the UK, with both movies having sets constructed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire, England. These are two of the most anticipated films in the MCU, and all eyes are on both productions, with fans closely monitoring who could be joining their respective casts.

Comic Book Movie reports that Maguire, who played Peter Parker / Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi-directed Spider-Man films and reprised his role 14 years later in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield’s incarnations of the web-head, has been seen in London. His appearance in the same city where the movies are filming might be suspicious, but it’s also circumstantial, and doesn’t confirm his involvement in either film. The most likely explanation might just be that he’s visiting — there’s certainly more to do in the city than work on a Marvel movie.

The Odds of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man Returning

Although Maguire hasn’t been confirmed for either Spider-Man: Brand New Day or Avengers: Doomsday, it’s still worth considering the odds. Since Sony owns the film rights to all versions of Spider-Man, his involvement in Brand New Day is the safer bet. He already appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and rumors have circulated that Sadie Sink might be playing Mayday Parker, the teenage daughter of Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson. Many have assumed that if Mayday does appear in the MCU, she’d be the daughter of Maguire’s incarnation of the character. However, multiple reports indicate that Spider-Man: Brand New Day will be a street-level film rather than a multiverse movie, which would probably rule out Maguire’s version of Peter Parker crossing back into the MCU.

Then there’s Avengers: Doomsday. The agreement between Sony and Marvel includes specific stipulations regarding which Spidey-specific characters Marvel can use. While they’re allowed to use Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, with certain restrictions, it’s unclear whether they can use multiple versions of Spider-Man. With Avengers: Doomsday set to feature multiple realities colliding, including the Fantastic Four’s Earth-828, the X-Men of Earth-10005, and the MCU, it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for Maguire’s version of Spider-Man to also join the multiversal conflict — provided the lawyers approve, of course.

On the other hand, if Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man is going to appear in any MCU title, Avengers: Secret Wars is the one that might feel most appropriate. Many are expecting Secret Wars to not only serve as a conclusion to the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, but a celebration of nearly 30 years of Marvel on film, using the patchwork Battleworld to unite various multiverses (aka past film incarnations). If Maguire’s Spider-Man were to return, it’d be particularly poetic to see him share the screen with the likes of Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine and Wesley Snipes’ Blade in a team-up on Battleworld, giving a generation who were first introduced to the Marvel heroes in those early pre-MCU films the team-up they always dreamed of but never got.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Release Date

July 31, 2026

Director

Destin Daniel Cretton

Prequel(s)

Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: No Way Home

Franchise(s)

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man