J.K. Simmons Contracted to Appear in Multiple Spider-Man Movies as J.J. Jameson

Marvel fans got a shock when J.K. Simmons made his triumphant return to the J. Jonah Jameson character in Marvel Studios and Sony’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, and thoughts quickly went to when he might show up again. We still don’t have an answer to that particular question, but thanks to a recent interview with PeopleTV, Simmons did reveal that he is under contract for more appearances as Jameson. When asked if fans can expect to see him in the next Spider-Man movie, Simmons said he wouldn’t use the word expect, but did say he is signed on to do multiple movies, so if Marvel wants to feature him in those films he is all-in.

“I don’t know if I would use the word expect,” Simmons said. “When we signed on for the first movie we signed a contract to do two sequels as well. Which, that’s always a one-sided, well not always but in my case, a one-sided contract where you’re committed to do it but they’re not necessarily committed to use your character in the ensuing movies. It was great to have the opportunity as these things evolve to be one of the holdovers from the previous version.”

Simmons was last seen as the character in the final film of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man films, Spider-Man 3, and so far he is the only character from those films to make the jump over. Simmons also recalled the process of auditioning for that part, and while he had worked with Raimi before Spider-Man, it took an “old-school, classic camera test” to win over the executives that were a bit skeptical of him being cast in the role, especially compared to the bigger names they had in the running.

“The producers and the people at Sony, they needed to be convinced, because obviously, there were a lot of much more high-profile actors that they had in mind that would help with the box office,” Simmons said. “It was very nerve-wracking.”

“It included a scene where the Green Goblin breaks through the windows and picks me up by the throat, lifts me up in the air, and is strangling me,” Simmons said. “I’m holding the script pages, reading the scene on the audition, but then at the same time, trying to…(he makes a chocking noise here), “…pretending I’m being lifted by the neck and choked.”

It all worked out of course, and now we have him back in the franchise and in the MCU. Hopefully, Marvel and Sony will bring him back for the next movies as well, because fans would love to see it happen.