Kirsten Dunst opens up about being paid a 'lot less' than Tobey Maguire for Spider-Man 2

It’s hard being a woman in Hollywood.

You’re asked to lose weight, having your body scrutinised.

You’re also overwhelmingly paid less than your male counterparts and that’s crazy.

But how much are they paid less?

Well, Spider-Man’s original Mary Jane Watson, Kirsten Dunst revealed all.

It all began in 2002, when the popularity of Tobey Maguire’s Spider Man was immense and comic-book movie adaptations were just taking off.

Sony Pictures

That’s when it was obvious that Spider Man 2 was going to also become a hit as fans couldn’t get enough of the stars’ chemistry and the hero action.

But Dunst remembers the large salary gap she was presented with at the time, and it soured the excitement.

During a profile with Variety, Dunst pondered over Maguire being paid $17 million to reprise his role for its second instalment, but according to Dunst, ‘it might have been more, actually.’

That’s got to sting.

She also stated that her salary ‘was different. A lot different. And I was in Bring It On and had a track record.’

Let’s not put our girl, Dunst down. She was also in Interview with a Vampire.

Respect her craft.

Also, previously speaking more on the issue in The Independent, she said: “The pay disparity between me and Spider-Man was very extreme. I didn’t even think about it. But you know who was on the cover of the second Spider-Man poster? Spider-Man and ME.”

Warner Bros.

Even though the pay difference was quite large, she also said that had she have been asked to return for Spider Man: No Way Home, she would have done it.

That’s because she held a lot of fondness for making the movies and didn’t have hard feelings.

She explained: "It was so innocent, the reasons I wanted to be in that film.

“The story lived within Sam [the director] in such a deep way that I needed to be a part of that feeling, I guess.”

Dunst also said that ‘Tobey and I immediately had a connection,’ after their initial screen test together and it continued throughout the movies.

Oh, that upside-down kiss was no joke. We could all see it!

Sony / Marvel

Even though Maguire returned to the Spiderverse in No Way Home, a lot of people believed that this could have been their chance to reunite Dunst, Maguire and Sam Raimi at last, and it sparked a lot of speculation.

But your dreams will be dashed if that’s what you think could happen as Raimi indicated that he’s not been in talks with anyone about Spider Man 4, so it’s not going to happen, folks.

However, if you’re more of a Tom Holland Spider Man fan, his new MCU film is in the works, but as there’s no release date or even a cast list, or a director, it’ll just happen when it happens.

Maybe in a few years.