Kirsten Dunst Explains Why Spider-Man Kissing Scene was “Miserable” to Film

Kirsten Dunst has been shattering illusions about her iconic “upside-down kiss” with Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man. Appearing on The Jonathan Ross Show, Dunst recalled the stand-out scene of Sam Raimi’s original Marvel movie as being one that was “miserable” rather than romantic.

In 2002, Spider-Man hit the big screen with Tobey Maguire in the titular role. As the first theatrically released film to feature Peter Parker and his web-slinging adventures, the film’s special effects, Willem Dafoe’s villainous turn as Green Goblin, and Maguire’s performance are just some of the reasons that the film continues to be loved by fans. However, there is one scene that is ingrained in the minds of fans and pop culture in general; the kiss shared by Maguire’s Spider-Man and Dunst’s MJ in the rain. Although it has frequently topped many lists of great cinema kisses, the actress has revealed that it was not a great experience to film. She told Ross:

“I remember Sam Raimi giving me a book of famous kisses to be inspired but also he really wanted to make it special even though it was kind of miserable actually doing it. It was pouring with rain, freezing, Tobey couldn’t breathe so it was almost like I was resuscitating him.”

While certainly something of a mood-killer revelation, Dunst’s dour take on the filming of Spider-Man’s memorable kissing scene is unlikely to change how fans feel about it, and it will no doubt continue to appear on many top ten lists in the future.

Kirsten Dunst Would Do More Superhero Movies – For the Money

Every actor that has appeared in a superhero movie is always asked whether they would like to return to their roles again, even if their last appearance was a generation ago. Previously, Dunst responded to the inevitable question of whether she would be interested in appearing in another comic book film. Her response was pure gold. She told Marie Claire:

“Yes, because you get paid a lot of money, and I have two children, and I support my mother.”

While the response has a certain amount of mirth behind it, Dunst is not someone who ever sought to be pigeonholed into the same kind of role over and over, and had no desire to “capitalize” from her appearances in Raimi’s Spider-Man movies. Explaining how she was “navigated by her heart,” Dunst explained that she didn’t “go do a bunch of romantic comedies,” but instead looked to take on roles that “spoke” to her.

When Spider-Man: No Way Home arrived in 2021, there were several rumors that Dunst could be reprising her role as Mary Jane Watson, but that never happened. However, the actress would not say no to appearing in some capacity as an “old-girl” MJ. She said:

“I wish they’d put me in another one. Like, old-girl Mary Jane – why not? I would do [another superhero movie]. Everybody else is!”

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Why Sony Canceled Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 4

Sony Pictures was all set to make Spider-Man 4 with Sam Raimi and Tobey Maguire before canceling it. Find out why the sequel was scrapped.

Currently, the Marvel multiverse is still in play in the MCU, and that means that things like that are still possible. Additionally, there have been increasing rumors of Marvel considering giving Tobey Maguire his fourth movie as the original big screen Peter Parker, so who knows?