Anna Daniels
Jake Gyllenhaal is well-known for playing oddball characters — internally conflicted, unpredictable men who tend to stray from the beaten path. From Velvet Buzzsaw and Donnie Darko to Nocturnal Animals, he boasts quite a diverse portfolio, yet he has been drawn to the action-oriented, cinematic spectacle side of the coin as well; he starred in Prince of Persia and, more recently, played bad-guy Mysterio in Spider-Man: Far From Home — an extension of the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, why did Jake Gyllenhaal choose to play Mysterio? What about Quentin Beck drew Gyllenhaal into the MCU’s web?
Jake Gyllenhaal played a character who, at the start, seemed to be on Spidey’s side. Yet, just like the comic book source material, he turned out to be a deceptive villain. He used his knack for special effects and manipulation to get one over on our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. In an interview, Gyllenhaal explained the character’s unpredictability and depth as motivating factors in his decision to accept the role.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc7lZVuwyto?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
Jake Gyllenhaal talks Mysterio and ‘Spider-Man: Far From Home’
Jake Gyllenhaal needs to know — before signing on the dotted line — that a role will push him. He yearns to relate to the character and draw on his established skills as a performer. He explained during an interview why Mysterio fit within his criteria:
He’s a great character…you know it was one of those things that people have asked me for a number of years, ‘Are you going to do / do you want to do a movie like that, or if you were asked to would you?’ And my response has always been, particularly since being at Sundance [where] so many of the stories [are]…character-driven and that has always been my desire, to find something in that space that seems to match my skill and also what I love and my own honesty. And it just so happened that it does with that part. So, I’m glad that people feel excited about it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyGMGEY61gU?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
Gyllenhaal explained that, for years, he’s been looking to find something in the superhero film space that aligns with his goals as an actor — matching his skill level and his passions. And, “it just so happened” that Mysterio aligned with Gyllenhaal’s performance objectives. So, people got to see the actor take on a formidable foe and infamous baddie (for a one and done appearance in the web-slingers second solo installment). That is, of course, if he isn’t coming back…
Will Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio return to the MCU?
Considering rumors have been circling regarding a Sinister Six movie — and taking into account that Mysterio already exists in the franchise — some technological trickery or multiverse magic could either imply he never died or return him to the world of the living. Mysterio would be an asset as a member of the Sinister Six — comprised of a group of villains all out to dismantle Spidey.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQNWnt6R_as?feature=oembed&w=500&h=281]
If the MCU moves forward with such a movie, it could provide the basis for a mash-up of multiple villains and superheroes in the MCU, leading to both Mysterio’s and Vulture’s return opposite Tom Holland’s Peter Parker.
Written by: Cheat
