Bruce Campbell Reacts To Not Being In Spider-Man: No Way Home
Bruce Campbell shares his reaction to not being in Spider-Man: No Way Home, jokingly boasting he was in the "good ones" of the franchise. Campbell is best known for his work in the horror genre, namely as the lead and mascot for the Evil Dead franchise in his role as Ashley J. Williams, a man frequently contending with the forces of evil in the form of demonically possessed people known as Deadites. The 63-year-old star is also known for starring in the original Maniac Cop film and the cult favorite Bubba Ho-Tep, in which he portrayed a still-alive Elvis battling a soul-sucking mummy in his retirement home.
Spider-Man: No Way Home marked the third installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe webslinger's franchise as well as a collision of all of the franchises that came before as the doors to the multiverse were broken open. The film marked the returns of previous villains with Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin, Alfred Molina's Doctor Octopus, Thomas Haden Church's Sandman, Rhys Ifans' Lizard and Jamie Foxx's Electro. Spider-Man: No Way Home also saw the returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield themselves, though a few stars ultimately didn't make their returns and one is now speaking out on their absence.
While appearing at the Fandemic Tour in Atlanta (via Fandom Spotlite), Bruce Campbell took part in a 45-minute Q&A with the audience in attendance. When one asked the star his thoughts on Spider-Man: No Way Home, Campbell reacted to not being in the film, jokingly saying he was in the "good ones" and crediting himself as the creation of the character's name. See what Campbell said below:
"The recent Spider-Man, was there a recent Spider-Man movie? I didn't know, I was in the good ones. I wouldn't know. In the first Spider-Man, I have what they call a cameo role. A small little role. But sir, that's a pivotal role. If my character wasn't in that movie, this billion-dollar franchise would be called 'The Human Spider.' Yeah, oh yeah, I don't like to toot my own horn, but toot toot. Enormously successful."
Campbell appeared in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy in a variety of cameo appearances, appearing as the wrestling announcer near the start of the first film, the uptight theater attendant in the second and French maître d' who assists Maguire's Peter Parker in his failed proposal to Mary Jane Watson. The actor's cameos stemmed from his longstanding friendship and working relationship with Raimi that goes all the way back to The Evil Dead, with Campbell making appearances in most of the director's other works, including a cameo at the end of Darkman, a cut appearance from the theatrical version of The Quick and the Dead and a cameo in Oz the Great and Powerful. Campbell's cameos in Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy came as a joy for many fans of the star and director, serving as a loving nod to their past as well as an effective use of the actor's comedic skills
Though his joke that he helped launch Raimi's franchise by properly naming the hero may seem a bit excessive to some, Campbell's reaction to not being in Spider-Man: No Way Home may land a bit better with audiences. While some may be disappointed of his absence in the film, fans can at least look forward to Campbell making his way to the MCU and reuniting with Sam Raimi for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which studio head Kevin Feige has teased will make Evil Dead II fans very happy. The wait is nearly over as the Benedict Cumberbatch-led sequel hits theaters on May 6.
Source: Fandom Spotlite