If there’s one thing Marvel excels at, it’s casting. From Captain America incarnate Chris Evans to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor to Cate Blanchett’s Hela, the studio knows how to pick its actors, but has there ever been a better casting choice than J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films?
Simmons’ portrayal of the brash, angry editor of the Daily Bugle feels like it leaped right off of the comic book page and onto the screen. Simmons totally nailed the fast-talking, obnoxious Jameson and remained a fan-favorite, stealing scenes throughout the Raimi trilogy.
But if fans are worried they’ve seen the last of Simmons, fear not.
The Academy Award-winning actor reprises his role in this animated spoof, courtesy of the Lights, Camera, Pod podcast. The short takes place after the Snapture and features Jameson in the world of Avengers: Endgame.
What would it be like if J. Jonah Jameson was in ‘Avengers: Endgame’?
J.K. Simmons reprised his ‘Spider-Man’ character to give us a taste.
Interview: https://t.co/4Sy0eP7PRy pic.twitter.com/pjDopf1wm7
— Lights, Camera, Pod (@LightsCameraPod) March 5, 2019
Simmons’ Jameson tries to rally a staff meeting, calling for Peter Parker to get some Spidey dust shots with the headline “Spider-Man Is a Dumb Idiot Who’s Dead As Hell,” not realizing that Parker is dusted, as well. Jameson then fires Peter Parker posthumously (say that five times fast). Simmons seems to be having a great time stepping back into Jameson’s shoes, which of course begs the question:
Can we please get Simmons back for the Tom Holland Spider-Man movies? Granted, Peter Parker is still in high school, but he could get maybe get a summer internship with the paper? Or perhaps Jameson can swing by the Midtown school for Career Day? If there’s anyone worth bending the rules of the MCU for, it’s Simmons.
Meanwhile, Simmons has crossed over to DC, where he portrayed Commissioner Gordon in Justice League. There’s no word yet on whether or not he will reprise his role in the upcoming The Batman, which will see a younger actor step in as the Dark Knight, and since the DCEU is putting all plans for a Justice League followup on hold, Simmons may be available to return to Marvel.
We can only hope.
In the meantime, Simmons is taking on another animated superhero role: He’s voicing Omni-Man in the upcoming Invincible series, based on the Skybound/Image comic. The Amazon series also stars Steve Yeun, Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs, and Mark Hamill.
Are you a fan of J.K. Simmons in the role? If you could bring anyone else back from the Raimi trilogy, who would it be?
(via SyfyWire, image: Sony)
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