Almost three years ago, Marvel Studios officially ended the Infinity saga with Spider-Man: Far From Home, the second of three web-slinging solo films in the MCU. While sidelined by the record-breaking success of Spider-Man: No Way Home, this film became a hit in its own right for the franchise behind Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson and Jake Gyllenhaal.
Gyllenhaal influenced the story with his live-action version of Quentin Beck-turned-high-tech supervillain Mysterio after starting as an ally of Holland’s Spider-Man. His influence was also felt in various scenes in No Way Home, and while the character didn’t return for a second time, there’s a very real chance he’s still wreaking havoc of his own.
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In the real world, Gyllenhaal has taken numerous occasions to praise his time at Marvel Studios, and has credited Holland for helping him deal with the pressures, which he found great in his role. More recently, he gave fans a glimpse of how the time he’s spent on the Spidey sequel helped him look at his entire profession in a new way.
Gyllenhaal’s eyes opened while working in the MCU
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MCU star Jake Gyllenhaal spoke to Vanity Fair in a retrospective about his career, which included his stint as Mysterio on Marvel Studios’ Spider-Man: Far From Home.
Looking back when he started this film he felt it was him “taking (yourself) too seriously” with his work and that he had lost a part of who he was then. Far From Home allowed him to take his craft a little less seriously and, in some ways, become the performer he had long envisioned:
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“Which was interesting when I got into Spider-Man: Far From Home… I think I took myself too seriously. In fact, I’m sure of it. I think I had really lost that sense of play and fun that I am. This kind of class clown I’m talking about who came up with this idea of just squeezing a shoulder and making a funny face. It was such a cathartic thing, to be able to throw away all that seriousness and really be the actor that I think I always wanted to be in a lot of ways.”
The MCU sequel gave him a new sense of gratitude for what he gets to do as he looks at what it’s like “All About The Family Of Filmmaking” when working on a project. With a smile on his face, Gyllenhaal gushed how his time on Far From Home made him realize how fun acting is and to enjoy the moment and the people he works with:
“And find the game and the fun and the gratitude that I’m here and able to do that. And, oh my god, like it’s all about family to make a movie. It’s all about the experience you have with the people you make this film with. And I think in our lives we go on journeys where we find ourselves, and in the case of Spider-Man, I think I realized, ‘Hey, you know, acting is really fun. You know? Enjoy it! And the people here are fantastic! Enjoy them and enjoy life around you because life goes by super fast.'”
More fun than ever for Gyllenhaal
Jake Gyllenhaal is no stranger to major Hollywood productions, having garnered critical acclaim for films like Brokeback Mountain and Nightcrawler. When he joined the cast of Spider-Man: Far From Home, however, he got a chance to dive into something a lot funnier and looser than what he’d been doing in the business for most of his life.
The MCU’s films are inherently funnier and wilder than many of the other films Gyllenhaal has done in his career, especially with his specific role as Quentin Beck, who’s kind of a wacky character. He led the way in some of the film’s craziest scenes and moments, guiding the heroes all the way before revealing his plan to become the newest superhero after Iron Man’s death.
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Even for all the stars who have shared how much they love being in the MCU, Gyllenhaal’s experience seems to be going to an even deeper level as he finds more of who he wants to be as an actor. Whether he’ll return as Mysterio for another round is a mystery, but it’s heartwarming to see how the Spidey sequel gave the Hollywood veteran such a new perspective on his craft.
Spider-Man: Far From Home is available for purchase through digital and physical media.