Marvel, Take a Hint: Iconic Tobey Maguire Scene in Spider-Man Was Zero CGI

Sam Raimi 's Spider-Man trilogy is a classic at this point, and while some of the scenes may seem cringeworthy and out-of-touch today, especially when compared to modern MCU films, there are moments that make us realize why we'll never stop loving these movies.

Back when the first Spider-Man movie was made with Tobey Maguire, film crews could not rely on CGI as much as they can today. As a result, the actors had to actually become superheroes and learn some of the tricks themselves, rather than letting the green screen do the work.

Tobey Maguire had to do just that when he filmed the iconic tray catch scene. When Peter discovered that he had become stronger overnight, he was sitting in the cafeteria the next day when Mary Jane walked by him and slipped. With his newfound strength, Peter quickly catches her and her lunch, balancing it perfectly on a tray without spilling a single drop.

Maguire had to endure 156 takes before he could actually perform the stunt exactly as seen in the movie, with the only thing that helped him was the sticky substance on the tray so it wouldn't fall out of his hands.

These days, however, we get scenes that are much more massive and impressive, but at the same time, there are online arguments about why the MCU's She-Hulk looks like a character from The Sims, or how Marvel allowed the final scene in the first Black Panther movie to look like that. Many people believe that superhero movies rely too much on CGI, with the lack of practical effects and actual effort robbing the movies of authenticity and realism.

A good story is a believable story — even if it's about a person who can shoot webs or turn into a vicious green monster. It looks like the modern MCU could learn a lot from the days when actors had to repeat the same move over a hundred times to make it look good.