By Jillian Schenfeld
9:23am PDT, Jul 3, 2017
From James Franco to Elizabeth Banks, there are plenty of stars you probably forgot were in the "Spider-Man" movies. To celebrate the July 7 release of the latest installment in the oft-rebooted franchise, "Spider-Man: Homecoming," Wonderwall.com is taking a look at our favorite forgotten celebs from the Spidey flicks… starting with James Franco. James took a backseat to lead actor Tobey Maguire in the first three "Spider-Man" films, in which he played Harry Osborn, the childhood friend whose deep-rooted jealousy of Peter Parker sets him up as the indignant villain throughout the series. Now read on for more!
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Thanks to that brown wig, it's easy to forget that Elizabeth Banks had a role in all three of director Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" films. The actress portrayed Betty Brant, a secretary on staff at the Daily Bugle newspaper, where Peter Parker worked as a freelance photographer. Elizabeth has previously revealed that that she was turned down for the role of Spidey's girlfriend… because she was 28. She told Glamour in June 2016, "I screen-tested for the role of Mary Jane Watson in the first 'Spider-Man' movie, opposite Tobey Maguire… Tobey and I are basically the same age and I was told I was too old to play her. I'm like, 'Oh, okay, that's what I've signed up for.'"
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"I Try" singer Macy Gray performed in a scene (as herself) during the World Unity parade in the first Spidey film.
Before she played Temperance Brennan on "Bones," actress Emily Deschanel acted as a rude receptionist in "Spider-Man 2." The character has an encounter with Peter Parker when he delivers a stack of pizzas to her office.
"The Office" star B.J. Novak was already well into his career when he nabbed the role of Alistair Smythe in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." The character is an evil employee of Oscorp who's responsible for Jamie Foxx's character Max Dillon's mutation into Electro, the film's supervillain.
Joe Manganiello played Flash Thompson in "Spider-Man" "Spider-Man 3." Flash is the high school bully who constantly torments Peter Parker. He's also Mary Jane Watson's boyfriend for a short time. Flash's behavior is integral to Peter discovering his powers, as Peter accidentally uses a web string on Flash in the school cafeteria, sparking a clash between the two.
"The Theory of Everything" actress Felicity Jones portrayed Felicia, Harry Osborn's executive assistant, in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." Her character arc was reportedly going to be developed further, but due to the disappointing critical and financial performance of the film, there was never a third installment.
"The Leftovers" star Chris Zylka took on the role of Flash Thompson in 2012's "The Amazing Spider-Man." In the Marc Webb-directed installment, Flash's manifestation of the character is similar in tone to Joe Manganiello's in the previous films, but the scenes in which Flash's behavior becomes a catalyst for Peter (Andrew Garfield) to discover his powers plays out differently. Instead of engaging in a high school cafeteria scuffle, Peter ends up breaking Flash's hand in a basketball game.
"The Originals" star (and Rachael Leigh Cook's husband) Daniel Gillies had a make-out scene with Kirsten Dunst's character, Mary Jane Watson, in "Spider-Man 2." He played John Jameson, an astronaut-turned-national hero who falls for Mary Jane after seeing her perform on Broadway and later proposes. But she ends up standing him up at the altar!
Before Bryce Dallas Howard shot to fame with roles in "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse," "The Help," and "Jurassic Word," she portrayed Gwen Stacy — Peter Parker's first crush and lab partner whom he saves from a crane accident — in "Spider-Man 3." Emma Stone played Gwen in "The Amazing Spider-Man" and "The Amazing Spider-Man 2."
Blink and you'll miss Kiwi actress Lucy Lawless' three-second cameo in "Spider-Man." Lucy appeared as a punk-looking New Yorker who thinks Spidey is "hot."
Media magnate and billionaire Sumner Redstone has an uncredited role as an Oscorp board member in "Spider-Man."
The late WWF wrestler "Macho Man" Randy Savage portrayed a colorful, body-slamming wrestler named Bone Saw McGraw. He wrestles Spider-Man and is ultimately defeated. Randy died from a heart attack in May 2011.
"The Evil Dead" franchise legend Bruce Campbell had cameos in the original "Spider-Man" trilogy thanks to his friendship with director Sam Raimi, who also directed him in "The Evil Dead" flicks. In the first Spidey film, Bruce played the MC of the underground wrestling competition who pitted Spider-Man against Bone Saw McGraw. In the sequel, Bruce played an usher at the theater where Mary Jane Watson performs. In the third film, Bruce portrayed the maître d' at a fancy French restaurant where Peter and Mary Jane went to dinner.
Before his notable roles as Chin Ho Kelly on "Hawaii Five-0" and Jin Soo-Kwon on "Lost," Daniel Dae Kim had a small role as Raymond, a scientist working in Dr. Octavius' laboratory, in "Spider-Man 2."
Comedian Joel McHale of "Community" and "The Soup" fame played Mr. Jacks in "Spider-Man 2." You see him during the bank heist scene — he gets his hand slapped by Peter Parker's Aunt May.
"Queer as Folk" actor Hal Sparks appeared in "Spider-Man 2" in an elevator scene where he and Spider-Man share an awkward but humorous ride. He asks Spidey where he got his costume and tells him it looks uncomfortable, which garners the response, "It is."
"Greek" actress Amber Stevens played Ariel, a cheerleader who pops up in the scene where Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is embarrassing Flash Thompson in "The Amazing Spider-Man."
Comic book legend Stan Lee is the mastermind behind dozens of the world's favorite superheroes including Spider-Man, Iron Man, and The Hulk — so it's no surprise that he's made cameos in every Marvel film. In "Spider-Man," Stan is part of the crowd when Spidey and Green Goblin face off for the first time. In "Spider-Man 2," Stan saves a woman from falling debris when Spider-Man and Dr. Octopus go at it. In "Spider-Man 3," Stan stops Peter Parker on the street and says, "You know, I guess one person can make a difference." In "The Amazing Spider-Man," Stan is in the scene where Spidey and the Lizard fight in the library. In "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," Stan is in the crowd at Peter and Gwen Stacy's graduation. Phew, we made it!
