As the first movie to follow Avengers: Endgame, it was Spider-Man: Far From Home‘s duty to honor the death of Tony Stark. But as it turns out, another late icon has also had their role in the MCU confirmed: the legendary Bonesaw, as played by Randy Savage in Sam Raimi’s  Spider-Man (2002).

There’s no denying the fact that most Spider-Man fans are happy to look to Peter Parker’s future in the MCU, but there are just as many moviegoers who remember the Tobey Maguire version that started it all. For those faithful, there is simply no forgetting his first on-screen opponent. And despite the odds, Spider-Man: Far From Home has determined that of all the Raimi/Maguire elements to fold into the new Marvel movie canon, it’s the New York wrestler who has made the cut. So it’s a good thing Bonesaw is, as always, “rea-dyyyyyyy!“

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

The level of attention to detail and commitment to Easter Eggs in Far From Home is to be applauded, as well as its connections to the MCU in both past and present. Fans will be able to observe the secret references both large (like Nick Fury’s sandwich plot hole explained) and small (the many tributes to Iron Man in Peter’s story) when the movie comes to home video. But as far as we’re concerned, there’s only ONE change to the Marvel canon worth talking about. And it’s a detail fans will be able to confirm for themselves rather easily.

For those unfamiliar with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man–or those viewers who know Randy Savage for this role more than his “Macho Man” career in the WWF–it’s Bonesaw who gets the honor of being the first opponent faced by The Human Spider–sorry, The Amazing Spider-Man. And as crazy a story as it may seem for Peter to test his powers for prize money in a wrestling match, that’s how it happened in his debut comic, too. In that case it was a boxing match instead of wrestling, and Peter went up against the fearsome Crusher Hogan. ‘Bonesaw McGraw’ was an invention for the film version, making it a specific trademark of the Raimi film series. Until now.

Near the beginning of the movie, when Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) arrives to first chat up Peter’s Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), the bombshell is dropped. Behind Happy, viewers will be able to make out a poster advertising a coming boxing match. Making sure to correct the needless change to Peter’s origin story, the poster advertises a fight starring Crusher Hogan, as it should always have been. However, his opponent’s name is a bit harder to make out… but is clearly identifiable as “Bonesaw” McGraw. And just that easily, the late Randy Savage and his unforgettable fighter are made an easy-to-miss part of Marvel’s shared universe canon.

Sure, it may not be as thrilling as say, Iron Man’s corpse referencing Marvel Zombies, or even the fact that Jake Gyllenhaal secretly cameos in Spider-Man: Far From Home watching Peter Parker long before he ever meets him as ‘Mysterio.’ But for those who still love the Raimi films, this strange sequence from his origin story, or the late great Macho Man, we can think of no better tribute.

Key Release Dates
See also  Galaxy Quest: 10 Ways The Movie Is A Classic
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
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About The Author


Andrew Dyce
(3247 Articles Published)

Screen Rant Editor Andrew Dyce was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Despite calling the vast nothingness of the Canadian prairies home (or perhaps because of it) film and television have been a passion since birth. As a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a degree in English Literature, Andrew has grown to appreciate the story and writing behind everything from blockbuster comic book movies to schlocky B-movie action.

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