Ever since Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy, there have been multiple versions of Peter Parker donning their Wall-Crawler persona on the big screen. Of course, we can never forget the Big 3, with Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, who all absolutely nailed it as Peter Parker in their respective universes. However, there is still one more Peter/Spider-Man that fans really love, who hasn’t appeared in a live-action movie just yet.
That’s right, we’re talking about Peter B. Parker, the beloved middle-aged Spider-Man from Sony’s animated Spider-Verse franchise. Voiced by the talented Jake Johnson, Peter B. quickly becomes a fan-favorite. The Marvel community also wants this rather eccentric version of Spidey to appear in a live-action movie as well, and Peter B.’s voice actor recently spoke about this matter.
#1. Jake Johnson Will Only Join A Live-Action Spider-Man Project Under One Condition
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Ever since making his debut in Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2018), Peter B. Parker has been one of the most anticipated Spidey variants in the franchise, alongside Miles Morales and Gwen Stacy. One of the aspects that make Peter B. so beloved is the brilliant voice acting performance of Jake Johnson, who voiced the characters in both movies.
Marvel fans appreciate Johnson’s portrayal of Peter B. Parker, and even want the performer to portray the character in a future live-action movie. Jake Johnson himself isn’t opposed to the idea, but he also revealed that he’d only star in a live-action Spider-Man movie under one condition.
Source: u/SamboTheGr8, Reddit
“If Phil Lord or Chris texted and said, ‘We think this is really cool and we would like you to be part of it,’ then I’m in. If it’s Sony that says they have got a really fun idea and it’s a new director who’s at a great studio rate, I feel less excited about that. I think that a lot of this stuff is…”
“There’s an element that’s just money to make money, and projects just to make money. And then there’s a few people who really care, and those people who really care, if it’s them, I’m on board for anything,” the voice actor shared with ComicBook.com.
#2. What Did Jake Johnson Mean By This?
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
While Jake Johnson is open to the idea of playing a live-action Spider-Man, he’d only return if the project is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Having worked with the two directors in the Spider-Verse franchise, Johnson knows better than anyone else how much passion and effort the dynamic duo put into their projects, and that he’d feel less interested if the live-action movie isn’t directed by those two.
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Johnson also mentioned that even if Lord and Miller told him to “put on tights in front of a green screen”, he would do it in a heartbeat, since “the project’s going to be so thoughtful and good and mean so much to so many people”. He also implied that while he loved Peter B. Parker, he wouldn’t want to portray him in a live-action movie if the character isn’t done right.
“…I’m always pitching on Peter B., and I’m trying to fight to honor him. I want to make sure … He’s funny, but he’s our Spider-Man. He means something and we always go back, and he means a lot to me as a character. I love playing him. So anything outside of that, I don’t give it much thought,” Johnson concluded.
#3. It May Not Be A Good Idea To Have A Spider-Verse Live-Action Movie
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
In Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, the boundaries between the animated world and live-action movies have been blurred, as we’ve seen characters from both realms interact with each other freely in the movie. Donald Glover’s Prowler and Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man appearances are some of the prime examples.
However, one of the best charms of the Spider-Verse franchise is its distinct art and animation style, and by making a live-action movie, these certain advantages will be diminished.
Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Of course, Sony can always milk more money from their cash cow, but a movie right now wouldn’t have the same impact as the animated ones. Therefore, while the idea is possible, it’s best for the studio to focus on the Spider-Verse threequel and other Spider-Man-related projects.
