If Gyllenhaal joins the cast, this will mark his first outing in a superhero movie. He has had a couple of close brushes, though. He turned down the role of Rick Flagg in Suicide Squad after Tom Hardy dropped out (see “Jake Gyllenhaal Turns Down 'Suicide Squad' Role”). He was also considered for the lead role in the second Sam Raimi Spider-Man film when original star Tobey Maguire hurt his back (see “Will Tobey Be Back as Spidey?”).
Mysterio made his first appearance in 1964 in Amazing Spider-Man #13. The creation of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, Mysterio was originally the alias for Quentin Beck, a stunt man and expert in special effects who uses his knowledge for villainy, including framing Spider-Man for various crimes.
Tom Holland, who recently appeared in Avengers: Infinity War, will reprise the role of Spider-Man / Peter Parker. Director Jon Watts and screenwriters Chris McKenna and Erik Commers are also returning for the sequel. Holland let slip in an interview that a trilogy is planned for his take on the webslinger (see “Dazzler in 'Dark Phoenix,' 'Jurassic World 2' Set, 'Spider-Man' Trilogy, More”). The first sequel is set to debut on July 5, 2019 (see “Best in Shows--Q3 2019”).
