A bad back could mean Tobey Maguire is replaced at the last minute in the sequel to Spider-man.
Maguire, who became a Hollywood star in the top-grossing movie, may be replaced in the sequel by Jake Gyllenhaal, the real-life boyfriend of his Spider-man co-star Kirsten Dunst.
Maguire's spokeswoman said the actor is still healing from "mild discomfort in his back" brought on by physically demanding roles in his last two films.
There is now some question as to whether he will be well enough to reprise his role as the teenager transformed by the bite of a radioactive spider in time to begin production on "The Amazing Spider-Man", the planned sequel.
"With an April 12 start date around the corner, everyone involved wants to be certain he is able to do the intense stunts," his spokeswoman continued.
Because of scheduling conflicts, it would be hard to delay production to give Maguire more time to recover, and in any event, "The Amazing Spider-Man" remains on a tight schedule to make the proposed May 7, 2004 release date.