Realistic digital trickery seems to be the name of the game these days. Whether it be movies, TV shows, or dating app profiles, anything from a decent filter to a flat out complete face replacement can usually be seen to some degree. Sometimes it's just for fun, like swapping Jim Carrey into a James Bond movie. But other times, it almost feels like a glimpse into an alternate reality, as this Spider-Man video shows.
This new little project was undertaken by a particularly skilled Spider-Man fan. To set the stage, many will agree that Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies featured arguably the best take on the web-slinger's story set to film (divisive reaction to Spider-Man 3 aside). But one opinion that appears to be almost universally held is that, while Tobey Maguire did a fantastic job as Spider-Man himself, at no point in any of the films does he (or most of the other actors playing high school students) actually come across as a real teenager.
Apparently, Reddit user CesarHuchim agreed with that sentiment wholeheartedly and set out to envision a world where the movies were made a number of years earlier and Maguire was actually age-appropriate. Utilizing some clever computer tricks, they edited a number of stills from the Spider-Man films, shaving at least a decade off Maguire's handsome mug like a before and after shot from a late night infomercial. It almost looks like a Tom Holland deepfake. The difference is striking, and possibly a bit jarring, as the divided comment section was quick to demonstrate.
True to what the Reddit post's title says, Maguire does indeed look like a high school student in the manipulated shots. But while most users didn't argue with the effectiveness of CesarHuchim's little undertaking, some argued with the idea itself. This is pointed out right away in the highest voted comment, which notes that Peter Parker was only in his teens for the first movie, and in his early '20s in the subsequent films.
Frankly, that just seems like a product of the internet itself. Somebody puts genuine effort into something, and everyone else just searches for something to nitpick about it. That's not to discount the points made in the comments, as it's true that the difference between Maguire's age and that of his character isn't all that jarring. Plus it introduces an intriguing idea of maybe de-aging Maguire to appear in Spider-Man: No Way Home. But it's a little unfortunate how the negatives always seem to rise to the top.
Granted, talking about the nitpicks is, in itself, a nitpick. So it's probably best to not dwell on all that and just enjoy the tiny Tobey that CesarHuchim has gifted the world. If one can't enjoy something so simple, what can they enjoy?
Spider-Man: No Way Home is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 17, 2021.
Source: CesarHuchim/Reddit