Jake Gyllenhaal makes a big impression as Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home, but if the actor is to return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it should be as Spider-Man himself. Gyllenhaal has a complicated history with Spider-Man, despite many knowing him only as Quentin Beck, a former Tony Stark employee who pretends to be a superhero named Mysterio using drone technology. Though Gyllenhaal has only appeared in one Marvel movie thus far, if he is to return to the MCU, having him play a variant of Peter Parker would be perfect.

Gyllenhaal appears in Spider-Man: Far From Home as Mysterio, initially appearing to be an ally to Nick Fury and Peter, helping them defeat the Elementals. However, it is revealed that, much like Adrian Toomes (the Vulture), Beck has a messy history with Tony Stark that sees him turn to a life of crime. Though he brutally beats Spider-Man, Peter returns and defeats Beck in London, as Mysterio is shot dead by one of his own drones. Beck arguably gets the last laugh, however, as he frames Spider-Man for his murder and reveals his secret identity as Peter Parker to the world, leading to the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home. Jake Gyllenhaal is also historically connected to Spider-Man, as he was originally lined up to replace Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 2 after the actor injured his back while filming Spider-Man.

Related: Why Spider-Man Has to Make a New Suit at the End of No Way Home

Mysterio's death should remain permanent, and Gyllenhaal should return to the franchise as a variant of Peter Parker. The villain's death in Spider-Man: Far From Home is an impactful moment for Peter, and his subsequent deception in convincing the world that Spider-Man killed him (with help from the Daily Bugle's J. Jonah Jameson), is a vital plot point in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Having Mysterio return would feel redundant, as he has served his purpose in Peter's story. Furthermore, due to Doctor Strange's spell at the end of No Way Home, he would not remember that Peter Parker is Spider-Man anyway.

Mysterio Powers Spider-Man Far From Home

Now that Spider-Man: No Way Home has introduced variants of Peter in the form of Tobey Maguire's Peter 2 and Andrew Garfield's Peter 3, the door is open for future variants to appear in the MCU. These variants do not necessarily need to be actors who have already played Spider-Man. Just as rumors suggest that Tom Cruise may play Iron Man in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, variants do not have to correlate to portrayals from existing films. As such, introducing Gyllenhaal as a "what if" Spider-Man based on his history with the role is a great way to wink to the audience about his real-world opportunity to nearly play the Raimi series' Peter Parker.

Tom Holland's Spider-Man would be understandably baffled to meet a variant of himself that looks like one of his greatest enemies, Quentin Beck. Having Gyllenhaal as Peter Parker could create immense potential for fun plot points, both dramatic and comedic. Holland's Peter would be very suspicious of the variant, and he could ultimately learn a lesson about not judging someone based on what they look like, as Gyllenhaal's Spider-Man could be every bit as heroic as his variants, and nothing like Mysterio. If Jake Gyllenhaal is to appear in a future Spider-Man project, or any MCU movie, it should not be as the Quentin Beck of Spider-Man: Far From Home. It should be as a variant of Peter Parker himself.

Next: No Way Home Deleted Scene Sets Up Maguire & Garfield’s MCU Return

Key Release Dates