Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy earned over $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office in total, and it's previously been reported that star Tobey Maguire negotiated a huge pay rise following the first instalment (rumoured clashes with Sony Pictures nearly saw him replaced with Jake Gyllenhaal).
At the time, the disparity between what male and female actors were paid for blockbusters like these was significant - it's still an issue to this very day - and that's something Kirsten Dunst reflected on during a recent interview with The Independent. The Power of the Dog actress played Mary Jane Watson in those movies, but confirms that the role wasn't quite as valued by those in charge as Peter Parker.
"The pay disparity between me and Spider-Man was very extreme. I didn’t even think about it. I was just like, ‘Oh yeah, Tobey [Maguire] is playing Spider-Man.’ But you know who was on the cover of the second Spider-Man poster?" Smiling, she pointed at her chest and said: "Spider-Man and ME."
Here's a reminder of the amazing poster Dunst is referring to:
Dunst and Mary Jane were key to the success of this Spider-Man trilogy, and the actress isn't wrong about the way that sequel was marketed around her! It's clearly an experience she's learned from, and if Dunst is part of Spider-Man: No Way Home, we're hopeful that pay disparity wasn't an issue.
Spider-Man: No Way Home arrives in U.S. on December 17 and in the UK on December 15.
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