After a bit of a hiatus, JoBlo's Cast This is back and ready to bring in the new year! Let's get started! The Daily Bugle's J. Jonah Jameson has been a part of Spider-Man's world since the very beginning, but the iconic character has only appeared in the flesh in Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN trilogy as played by the great J.K. Simmons. The actor's over-the-top performance cemented his legacy as the J. Jonah Jameson, so much so that every other live-action Spidey film which has been produced since SPIDER-MAN 3 has largely avoided the character. J.K. Simmons' shoes will definitely be more than a little difficult to fill, but the SPIDER-MAN movie franchise isn't about to quit anytime soon, so it's only a matter of time before J. Jonah Jameson will make another appearance.
In addition to playing J. Jonah Jameson in the SPIDER-MAN trilogy, J.K. Simmons has also voiced the character in a number of animated appearances, so this is obviously a role he enjoys playing. In 2017, Simmons commented on whether or not he'd ever consider reprising the role in a new SPIDER-MAN film, saying, "Never say never. Obviously I had an amazing time with Sam Raimi and those movies and Toby and everybody… that was a great, great time and huge for my career and my life and just pure fun. If there were an opportunity to revisit that, I don't know though, how old is Spider-Man going to be if J. Jonah Jameson is this old? How come he's still so young?"
First appearing in The Amazing Spider-Man #1, J. Jonah Jameson's distinctive flattop haircut, mustache, and nearly omnipresent cigar have always had it out for ol' web-head. Believing him to be a public menace, Jameson frequently uses The Daily Bugle as a platform to rant about Spider-Man and demand his capture, even going so far as to hunt Spidey himself with Spencer Smythe's Spider-Slayer robots and transforming Mac Gargan into the Scorpion. The Spider-Man photos used by The Daily Bugle typically come from Peter Parker, who, as we know, is Spider-Man, something of which Jameson is completely unaware of.
Now, who has what to takes to put a fresh spin on J. Jonah Jameson and make the character their own? I'll toss out a few suggestions to get you started. Please do let me know if you'd like to see J.K. Simmons reprise the role, but be sure to give me some alternatives as well if that's the case. If Michael Keaton wasn't already a part of the SPIDER-MAN franchise as Adrian Toomes/Vulture, he'd certainly be on my J. Jonah Jameson short-list, but let's take a look at some other options. First up is one of my all-time favourite actors, Michael Shannon (THE SHAPE OF WATER), who I believe could give Jameson a more dangerous type of intensity. Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) would another fun and perhaps sleazier option, and for my final choice, I'll go with Kevin Bacon, who just so happened to have starred in SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME director Jon Watts' COP CAR. Spidey with a side of Bacon? Sounds good to me.
Remember, you're free to suggest anyone in the comments, so let your inner casting director run wild!
Previously on Cast This, you were asked to fill the role of Plastic Man, the wise-cracking, shape-shifting superhero who will be the focus of a recently announced Warner Bros. movie. The suggestion of Bill Hader (Barry) proved to be a popular one, but you came through with plenty of great suggestions of your own including Andy Samberg (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Jim Carrey (Kidding), although there was certainly a preference for the 90s era Carrey.