A closer look
Pop superstar Michael Jackson tried to purchase Marvel Comics in the late 1990s specifically because he desperately wanted to star in a movie as Spider-Man. The King of Pop was a massive comic book nerd and felt that acquiring the entire publishing company, which was facing serious financial difficulties at the time, was the most logical path to securing the lead role of Peter Parker. Stan Lee even confirmed that Jackson met with him to discuss the hostile takeover, fully intending to produce and star in a web-slinging blockbuster. Fortunately for the legacy of superhero cinema, the deal completely fell through, and Tobey Maguire eventually took the role, saving us from a universe where Spider-Man moonwalks away from the Green Goblin and defeats Doctor Octopus with aggressive synchronized choreography. It is genuinely staggering to realize that the most profitable cinematic franchise in global history almost became a vanity project for a pop singer who just really liked spandex costumes!
