It’s pretty much a given that Quentin Beck, the character also known as “Mysterio” that Jake Gyllenhaal is playing in Spider-Man: Far From Home, is a villain. He’s always been one in the comics, so unless Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, director Jon Watts and everyone else at Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures are actually telling the truth when they insist that this version is a hero, chances are good he’s actually not. Consider Gyllenhaal’s comments on the role in the new issue of Empire magazine.
“Villain or hero, I don’t think that’s how you can define him,” said the actor. Though vague, the declaration is rather stark in its difference from what Holland and Watts were quoted as saying in numerous set visits that were published in recent weeks. Of course, the director remained adamant in his determination to suggest that Far From Home‘s Mysterio is actually a good guy: “The idea of Mysterio as a hero was something we had never explored before.”
Watts added that “having the power of Marvel behind you means that you can make those crazy swaps.” He acknowledged fans “[hoping] there’s a little more to it than it seems with Mysterio,” but concluded by saying they “went with Mysterio being a hero” because they “thought [it] would really surprise people.” And Watts isn’t wrong, as now that Avengers: Endgame has come and gone and Far From Home is less than two months away, Mysterio’s apparent heroism remains one of the biggest talking points among fans.
Meanwhile, Gyllenhaal seems to be enjoying the Marvel-centric attention — especially on his recently created Instagram page. From a jokey Christmas post with Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds to a fresher string of Mysterio gags, he and his social media team have been putting the platform to good use.
(Via Empire)