Did you catch these pre-MCU Marvel references in Tobey Maguire’s first Spider-Man movie?
Ah, Spider-Man. While the MCU era may have bolstered the popularity of dozens upon dozens of Marvel heroes over the years, Peter Parker sits pretty as the most famous of them all–and for good reason. His story has been adapted over and over, his look is iconic, his powers are so deeply ingrained in pop culture they need no preamble or explanation–he’s the poster boy for superhero comics, and likely always will be.
Of course, Peter Parker’s popularity pre-dates the live action movie boom–but we can’t discount just how much of an impact his movies have had over the years. 2002’s Spider-Man may not have debuted Peter on the big screen (that was 1977’s made-for-TV movie Spider-Man) but its record-breaking box office success solidified it forever in the pop culture pantheon. Tobey Maguire became a generation’s ideal Peter Parker, despite being well into his 20s as he played the web-slinging teen.
Now, 18 years after its premiere and with a brand new Spider-Man game heading for the PS5 this holiday season, we were left wondering whether or not Tobey’s Spider-Man debut actually holds up–and just how many Easter Eggs and references to Marvel we’d be able to spot now that the MCU has brought the Marvel Comics universe so heavily into the spotlight. The answer is pretty surprising–it turns out pre-MCU Marvel movies were a lot less interested in cramming comics references into every frame than we’re used to now–but our quest to unearth the secrets of Spider-Man turned up plenty of weird, wonderful trivia nonetheless.
Does it actually hold up? That’s for you to decide. Check out these 24 Spider-Man Easter eggs and let us know your favorites in the comments below.