1977 Spidey Actor Confirms What We Suspected All Along About Spider-Man: No Way Home

The "Spider-Man" franchise has seen a lot of actors come and go, even when it comes to the main role of Peter Parker. While not the first to inhabit the role, perhaps the actor to put the character on the map for a lot of general moviegoing audiences was Tobey Maguire, who played Spidey in the 2002 Sam Raimi blockbuster "Spider-Man," as well as in two follow-up sequels. Not only were these films popular with audiences, but the 2002 film became the first Hollywood movie to gross over $100 million dollars at the domestic box office in one weekend (per History).

Still, even before Maguire, there was another actor who brought the character to life — yes, in live-action form — and that was Nicholas Hammond, who played Peter Parker in the 1977 "Spider-Man" TV series on CBS, which lasted only 13 episodes. Given that rumors have continued to circulate regarding whether Andrew Garfield and Maguire will be appearing in the upcoming "Spider-Man: No Way Home," it was only natural for some fans to speculate about the possibility of Hammond also making an appearance, if only in a cameo role. 

Now, though, Hammond himself has weighed in on if he'll appear in the film, and his answer is not exactly surprising.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nicholas Hammond revealed that he was not approached to appear in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," but he wouldn't have been opposed to it. "I think it would have been huge fun," Hammond said. "It would have been a kick in the pants to have the old guy there. I was really hoping I would be approached but unfortunately, that didn't happen." 

Now, of course, both Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield have not been confirmed to appear in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," either, so this could simply be Hammond following suit and denying involvement in the film to keep it a surprise for audiences. Really, though, it's far more likely that he won't appear: the 1977 series isn't particularly beloved by fans, particularly compared to CBS' "The Incredible Hulk," and there's been no rumors of Hammond returning. For now, with no additional Spideys (other than Tom Holland, of course) a certainty, fans will have to wait and see what happens.   

On a different note, though, Hammond also weighed in on who his favorite Spider-Man has been so far. "Tom Holland's version is the closest to what we were doing; trying to make him very much a real guy, someone who you could actually forget he had these powers and get caught up in Peter's story."

"Spider-Man: No Way Home" releases in theaters on December 17, 2021.