The 2019 film Spider-Man: Far From Home marked Jake Gyllenhaal’s MCU debut as it introduced him as Mysterio in the MCU.

Although his tenure did not last long, with the MCU already exploring the multiverse, anything is possible in the future. As the third film in the series brought back some of the iconic Spider-Man villains, fans also expected to see Mysterio against Spider-Man. However, he did not make the final cut. The Hollywood star has said that playing Mysterio has helped him rediscover the joy of acting.

Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio

He also shared that working on the film was not easy for him. However, Gyllenhaal also noted that with all that pressure, there was a bit of ease that helped him, even when he had to go through the whole Marvel, asking if his beard was okay or not.

Read More: “Serve no wine before it’s time”: Sony Taking Its Sweet Time With Spider-Man 4 to Ensure It Can Get Out of No Way Home’s Shadow

Jake Gyllenhaal’s Beard Saga to Star in an MCU Movie

Marvel characters have existed for years in comics, and Marvel Studios never compromises when it comes to presenting them on screen. However, the studio does not hesitate to make the required changes in the appearance of some of these characters. 

Jake Gyllenhaal in Spider-Man: Far From Home

Something similar happened with Jake Gyllenhaal when he was cast as Mysterio alongside Tom Holland in Spider-Man: Far From Home. In his interview with Howard Stern, he talked about growing a beard for his character. In comics, Quentin Beck, aka Mysterio, does not have a beard. 

The host of The Howard Stern Show was also curious about Mysterio’s appearance in the film. He asked the Nightcrawler star how he convinced the studio to let him keep the beard. Gyllenhaal answered the beard was something the studio wanted for the character. 

Mysterio

 “Well, Beard length was definitely an issue for that one. I didn’t have a lot of control over the length of the beard. The beard was already something they desired.” 

The Guilty star further shared that on his first day, they were discussing if the beard should be longer or shorter. “Longer, shorter. Well, if go shorter, we can’t, we’re gonna have to commit to this,” Gyllenhaal said dramatically. He shared that although he felt pressured, there was a bit of ease. Jake Gyllenhaal also said that these films give scope to artists, but working in them is not easy.

Read More: MCU Thunderbolts Movie: Why Jake Gyllenhaal’s Mysterio is the Perfect Addition to the Team

Why Did Marvel Studios Decide to Have a Bearded Mysterio?

Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man has been Spider-Man’s mentor in the MCU. Since his introduction in the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War, Tony Stark guided the way for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man. However, after the events of Avengers: Endgame Peter Parker was on his own.

The Head of Visual Development at Marvel Studios, Ryan Meinerding, explained that the film focused on Peter Parker coming to terms with being his own hero. He also explained that having “another mentor” with a beard was a “symbol of age in some ways.”

A still from Spider-Man: Far From Home

“Having another mentor that also had a goatee, also is a symbol of age in some ways, being seasoned in the world, and more directly relating it to Tony, that connection is great to have visually.”

Ryan Meinerding also said that another reason for keeping a bearded Mysterio was that Jake Gyllenhaal looked great with a beard. “A lot of it has to do with Jake Gyllenhaal looking great with a beard,” said Meinerding.

While Gyllenhaal was expected to come back in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the studio had no plans to bring Mysterio back.

Spider-Man: Far From Home is available to stream on Disney+.