Spider-Man Set Drama: Crew Pushed for a Real Punch on Tobey Maguire—Joe Manganiello Put a Stop to It
Fans may have crowned Tobey Maguire their Spider-Man, but on Sam Raimi’s 2002 set he wasn’t exactly beloved — Joe Manganiello later revealed people on set even offered him cash to land a real punch during their fight scene.
Here is one of those stories that makes you blink twice: back on Sam Raimi's first Spider-Man, some crew members reportedly offered Joe Manganiello cash to actually hit Tobey Maguire in the face during a stunt. Yes, really.
The $100 punch that never happened
Manganiello, who played high school bully Flash Thompson, told this story on The Pete Holmes Show in 2014. The setup: the hallway fight between Flash and Peter Parker. A crew guy pulled Joe aside and pitched a not-so-hilarious prank — slip a real shot into the take and get $100 for the trouble. According to Joe, it wasn't just one rogue jokester, either. He said others were in on it, and even clocked an electrician giving him the classic silent nod of approval.
"I’m not gonna f*cking punch him in the face, guys. I probably wouldn’t have worked again."
Wild ask, considering Maguire was the lead of a massive studio movie. The intention, apparently, was to land a legitimate punch under the cover of a stunt. Joe passed — obviously — because braining the star is a fast track to a 'do not hire' reputation. He also made a point of saying he enjoyed the job overall and had no beef with the crew; he just wasn't about to tank his career for a dumb joke.
He also tried out for Peter first
Years later, in a 2020 Late Night With Seth Meyers interview, Manganiello said he originally auditioned to play Peter Parker before the role went to Maguire. Once he thought it through, he realized he didn't fit the classic Peter archetype — awkward brainiac, not the tall, built guy. So he leaned into his type and ended up as Flash Thompson. Right call.
Quick refresher on Spider-Man (2002)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- Cast: Tobey Maguire, Willem Dafoe, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Cliff Robertson, Joe Manganiello
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
- Runtime: 2h 1m
Spider-Man is streaming in the US on Disney+.