Sam Raimi says he would not direct a Spider-Man film unless it starred Tobey Maguire. Before the MCU launched its first phase with Iron Man in 2008, Raimi helped establish the superhero genre with his work on the Spider-man trilogy for Sony. Maguire made his debut as the web-slinging titular character in 2002's Spider-man, followed by Spider-man 2 in 2004 and Spider-man 3 in 2007. A Spider-Man 4 was in development until disagreements between Raimi and Sony eventually ended in the film's cancellation. After his Spider-Man trilogy concluded, Raimi left the superhero genre until 2020, when Marvel announced that he would replace Scott Derrickson to direct Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
After Raimi and Sony parted ways, the Spider-Man franchise went dormant until The Amazing Spider-Man rolled out in 2012. However, Raimi was not the only one to leave the Spider-Verse. Maguire moved on from the role as well, allowing room for both Andrew Garfield and Tom Holland to take a stab at donning the hero's suit. Nevertheless, in an iconic return, Maguire reprised his role as Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home, marking his first appearance as Spider-Man since 2007.
Speaking to LA Times, Raimi revealed why he would never direct a Spider-Man film unless it starred Maguire. Raimi admitted the unlikelihood of directing another Spider-Man regardless, now that Sony expects Holland to star in future MCU Spider-Man projects. However, the director also thinks Maguire would have some strong feelings about it. See Raimi's response below:
"I love Spider-Man. And I love Tom Holland in the role. [But] if I made a Spider-Man movie, it would probably have to be with Tobey, or he'd break my neck."
Since No Way Home saw Doctor Strange and Holland's Peter open the multiverse with a botched spell and bring in the former web-slingers, Garfield and Maguire's MCU debut has been the biggest talking point of this film. What's more, it has increased hype for the actors to return to the iconic role in their own solo projects. Demands for Garfield's The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and Maguire and Raimi's Spider-Man 4 flooded the internet after No Way Home, which was further fuelled by both actors publicly sharing how special and emotional their No Way Home return was, saying they'd love to work together again.
For now, however, it appears as though Holland has Spider-Man locked down. And while there is always hope that the former web-slingers will make future MCU appearances, it seems unlikely that Maguire or Garfield will lead in another Spider-Man film. That said, Rami's joke indicates that the director and Maguire still share a strong connection to their original trilogy, and he clearly isn't interested in returning to Spider-Man without his star. Based on the success of Raimi's recent Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, perhaps another Rami/Maguire Spider-Man can't be entirely ruled out.
Source: LA Times