Up until this point, Marvel has made no announcement as to whether or not J. Jonah Jameson will appear in next year’s blockbuster Spider-Man: Homecoming. With filming well underway, many fans are under the assumption the character will not be appearing in the film.
That possibility is certainly a realistic option, as the character never showed up in the two films that featured Andrew Garfield as Spidey. He is not essential to any given Spider-Man story, but he is still a character who could play a part. As the man in charge at the Daily Bugle, the newspaper Peter Parker takes pictures for; JJJ serves the role of Peter’s boss. So if the Daily Bugle is in play, which we do not know of yet, then so will JJJ.
Jameson’s popularity grew back in 2002’s Spider-Man, which featured Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker. The role was portrayed by J.K. Simmons, who would later reprise the role in the next two Spidey films. And Simmons instantly became known for the role, nailing every aspect of the character. Simmons was perfect for the role, and became one of the most iconic parts of the trilogy, despite only having a supporting role.
Many fans feel no one could pull off the role the way Simmons did. So when it was announced Spider-Man was coming back to Marvel, and Spider-Man: Homecoming was announced, fans instantly put their vote into having Simmons once again return as the loud mouth editor. But up until this point, there has been absolutely no link between Simmons reprising the role.
The idea of Simmons returning took a hit back on March 7th, 2016 when he was cast in the DC film universe as Commissioner Gordon. His involvement in the DC world led many to believe the odds of him coming to Marvel were slim to none. But I would like to mention; it is not impossible for an actor or actress to play a role in both universes. One example comes in the form of Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. This year, Akinnuoye-Agbaje appeared as Killer Croc in Suicide Squad, while also playing the roles of Algrim and Kurse back in 2013’s Thor: The Dark World. So there is no rule that says such a crossover is impossible.
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Now let’s factor in two more points that could help lend some support to the idea of a possibility of Simmons returning as JJJ. First, he would only be needed for one or two scenes, meaning his filming time would be minimal. So it is not like filming the role would have interfered with any other commitments Simmons had, as it is the type of role that could be plugged into his schedule when he had some free time.
Tom Holland has had the role of Spider-Man since June 23, 2015. He has filmed scenes for the character for Captain America: Civil War, plus the filming of Spider-Man: Homecoming which is still ongoing. The bottom line is, if Marvel knew they wanted Simmons back for the role, there has been plenty of time to coordinate the two actor’s schedules to film a scene or two. Any scene with JJJ only requires himself and Peter Parker, meaning only the two actors would be needed to make it work.
One other reason a Simmons cameo as JJJ still needs to be considered a possibility, is the reaction it would receive. If fans walked into theaters to see Spider-Man: Homecoming with no knowledge of Simmons making a surprise return, the place would erupt in excitement when he appeared on screen. As a cameo, there would be no need to announce anything, as all it would do it take away the fun of the surprise.
If Marvel were to bring Simmons in, they would want to keep it a surprise. Announcing the cameo would accomplish nothing, so Marvel would do everything they could to keep the secret under wraps. So is the reason we have not heard anything about JJJ appearing in Homecoming because he is not appearing, or is there more to the story. Many fans were disappointed the character never appeared in the Amazing Spider-Man films, and I would like to imagine Marvel would right that wrong. But to date, there has been no sign of anything related to JJJ or the Daily Bugle. And that could very well be because the character will only have a cameo/small role, and keeping the actor a secret is for the benefit of the fans.
Sure this is by no means concrete evidence, but it does give fans hope. If we reach the release date of the film, which is July 7, 2017, without hearing anything about JJJ, my hopes are going to be up a little bit. A surprise J.K. Simmons cameo in Spider-Man: Homecoming could become Marvel’s best kept secret and one that will have fans jumping out of their seats from excitement.
So here is to hope it comes to fruition. Come on Marvel; please tell me you are simply playing things close to the vest and do not want any details about the best possible cameo to come to light! The idea of Simmons returning as JJJ will never die unless another actor takes on his mustache!