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Tobey Maguire was once at the very top of the Hollywood game. Starting in 2002, the baby-faced actor played the part of Spider-Man in the first Marvel series, starring with Kirsten Dunst.

But when Spider-Man 3 came out in 2007 the response to the third installment was lukewarm at best. Since then he’s become less and less visible in the movie world.

What happened to this once-hot Hollywood commodity, what’s he up to now, and how’s he doing financially? 

Flying high as Spider-Man

Tobey Maguire on the red carpet
Tobey Maguire | Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic

Maguire started acting young, with small roles in television shows like Roseanne and Blossom. He wasn’t too invested in the idea of being an actor until he was 18 and was cast in This Boy’s Life with Leonardo DiCaprio. After that experience, he was convinced that he acting was the life for him. He focused on finding parts he loved and within a year he was landing bigger roles. Maguire’s star was rising. 

In 2002 Maguire starred in Spider-Man 1 and it was a huge success. Spider-Man 2 followed a couple of years later. It wasn’t just the Spider-Man either; during this time he was also appearing in other movies, like Seabiscuit and The Good German. Things were going really well for Maguire. 

And then came Spider-Man 3. 

What happened to Tobey Maguire?

Spider-Man 3 was simply not that well received. Although it did earn a lot of money at the box office, probably because of the momentum of the first two Spider-Man movies, the reviews were terrible and fans were disappointed.

In fact, it did so poorly that some people say it’s the reason the first Spider-Man franchise ended. 

Although there had been plans to make  Spider-Man 4, the project was scrapped after the dismal performance of Spider-Man 3. Marvel soon started a whole new reboot of the Spider-Man franchise with Tom Holland. Maguire still appeared in the occasional film, such as The Great Gatsby, but his presence on the big screen became much less frequent.

Of course, one flop isn’t enough to sink most movie star careers, and Maguire wasn’t really torpedoed by Spider-Man 3. There are multiple reasons he isn’t seen in movies very often anymore.

Some of his co-stars, including James Franco and Charlize Theron, have mentioned that he can be difficult to work with. There were even problems between him and Sony Pictures that almost prevented him from starring in Spider-Man 2.

On top of this, Maguire doesn’t seem to be very interested in the Hollywood game. He is very picky about the roles he’ll take on, and he doesn’t put much effort into charming people in the industry. He’s also begun focusing more on being a movie producer.

Although he hasn’t had great success with that yet, he seems much more interested in producing than acting. 

What is Maguire’s net worth today?

Has Maguire’s dwindling acting career affected his finances? He made $36.5 million for his turn in the Spider-Man franchise, and those aren’t the only big movies he’s starred in. But moving away from acting may have impacted his bottom line.

He recently relisted an empty lot he owns in Brentwood for $12 million — is that a sign of money trouble?

Maguire seems to have managed his finances well during his career ups and downs, because today his net worth is $75 million. It seems that he’s doing just fine without focusing on acting.

Even if Marvel’s recent tweet hinting about making Spider-Man 4 means that Maguire will be slinging web again at a theater near you, he won’t be doing it because he needs the cash.Â