Could J.K. Simmons Return To The ‘Amazing Spider-Man’ Franchise As J. Jonah Jameson?
The original Sam Raimi Spider-Man franchise may have been a full generation ago, but that doesn’t make its imprint in the comic world any less inspiring. Released starting in 2002, the original live action Spider-Man series has gone on to contain one of the most revered films in comic book history with Spider-Man 2. While the films may not quite stand the test of time (let’s face it, comic book movies feel completely different nowadays), there is one aspect of those films that is considered perfect by many, and that was the casting of J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson, the fast-talking, coldhearted editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle.
When the Spider-Man franchise was restarted in 2012 with The Amazing Spider-Man, the recasting of Jameson was inevitable, it seemed. But the film came and went with no mention of the character. In The Amazing Spider-Man 2, the only appearance of the wise-cracking editor came in the form of an email to Peter Parker. So is Simmons’ contribution to the webslinger finished?
Perhaps not. In an interview on The Howard Stern Show, Simmons brought up the idea of him returning. “I just heard that we … that’s a possibility,” he said on the show. When asked if he would be up to reprise his role, he gave the unambiguous answer of, “Absolutely” (via Cinema Blend).
One of the big questions is whether or not this would make any sense. Why would it be that the Amazing Spider-Man world would have a completely different set of characters, and yet have the same J. Jonah Jameson as the previous series? Many are understandably concerned that the casting of Simmons would only confuse the average movie-goer into thinking the worlds are connected.
The other wrench in the plans is that the entire future of the Amazing Spider-Man franchise is completely up in the air. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 was a huge disappointment to fans, and as such, it is unknown if The Amazing Spider-Man 3, Sinister Six, or the Venom films will actually be released, or if he will be consolidated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
If Sony is to create a new Amazing Spider-Man, then it can certainly benefit from the gravitas of the now-Oscar-nominated Whiplash actor. And even if Spider-Man does move over to Marvel, there seems to be no good reason why J. Jonah Jameson could not play a part of some sort.
Does J.K. Simmons belong back in the Amazing Spider-Man franchise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
