In yet another example of art imitating life, or in this case the other way round, Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst were reportedly dating halfway through the first Spider-Man film.
What began as a crush, almost like Peter Parker and MJ, grew into something more. But as fate would have it, the situation ended before things ever got serious between the pair. Despite the short romance, it turns out the could-be-relationship had more than one person associated with the Sam Raimi production sweating.
Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Tobey Maguire Recalls Crushing on Kirsten Dunst
Great things happened two decades ago, and the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy was among those. The Sony production not only became the marker of comic book movie adaptation but also successfully delivered a three-part story on the origin arc and complete evolution of a brave young boy transforming from a fledgling neighborhood hero into a full-blown superhero in his own right. Often dubbed the best adaptation of the wall-crawler, Tobey Maguire’s representation of his character has remained one of the best achievements to come out of CBM projects.
Kirsten Dunst and Tobey Maguire
However, despite all the accolades and the becoming of a legacy, at the time of filming, it was simply three rising actors finding their footing in the industry, and as such, the cut-throat competition was already running high on adrenaline. During the course of filming, Maguire and Kirsten Dunst began dating each other before eventually breaking up about a year later. Sam Raimi, the director, clearly recalls:
“They apparently began dating with each other, I think, in the middle of the first movie … although I didn’t know it at the time. But definitely they eventually broke up before the second movie. I was concerned they wouldn’t get the same chemistry back, but it was just me worrying.”
It goes without saying that the two maintained their professional lives unmarred by their personal fallout. However, a chronology of events as plain and simple as two people dating ended up causing quite a bit of grief for the supporting actor during the filming of Spider-Man (2002).
Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane Watson
James Franco Didn’t Like Tobey Maguire Dating Kirsten Dunst
As it so happens, the scripted events of Spider-Man did play out in real life when James Franco, who plays Harry Osborn in the film, also harbored feelings for his co-star, Kirsten Dunst. However, the fact was never made public when it became quite clear that she and Tobey Maguire had begun dating each other. Even though the pair tried keeping it under the radar, Franco grew to dislike the fact that the two were somehow romantically involved, and that further caused some ruckus between the trio:
“Tobey and Kirsten became a couple around that time. I had a crush on Kirsten, and I think I was upset about that as well […] Tobey was mad at me for a while. By the second film, we were cool.”
James Franco & Kirsten Dunst as Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson
Two decades later, it’s all water under the bridge. James Franco is now barely visible in the public arena after being canceled by the mainstream crowd. Kirsten Dunst remains happily married to Jesse Plemons who she met on the sets of Fargo in 2016. The two tied the knot in Jamaica earlier this year after being engaged for five years. Tobey Maguire has recently made a comeback, starring in the critically lauded No Way Home in which he reprised his role as the fan-favorite Spider-Man. He also appears in the more recent Damien Chazelle comedy-drama, Babylon, which has only currently been released in theatres.
Spider-Man (2002) is available for streaming on Disney+.
Source: Playboy interview via Daily Star
