| J. Jonah Jameson | |
|---|---|
| Sam Raimi'sSpider-Man character | |
 | |
| First appearance | Spider-Man (2002) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | David Koepp Sam Raimi |
| Portrayed by | J. K. Simmons |
| Voiced by | |
| In-universe information | |
| Full name | John Jonah Jameson Jr. |
| Occupation | Chief of theDaily Bugle |
| Spouse | Julia Jameson |
| Children | John Jameson |
| Nationality | American |
J. Jonah Jameson (JJJ) is afictional character portrayed byJ. K. Simmons inSam Raimi'sSpider-Man trilogy. Based on theMarvel Comicscharacter byStan Lee andSteve Ditko, he was adapted to screen byDavid Koepp andSam Raimi.
Jameson is the head editor-in-chief for the newspaper agencyThe Daily Bugle in New York City. He is introduced as a blustering, grumpy, loudmouthed individual who retains an extreme distaste for the emerging vigilanteSpider-Man, and takes significant pride in carrying out an unrelenting smear campaign against him and driving a rift in public opinion on his heroics. Jameson eventually hires struggling high school student Peter Parker as a freelance photographer, as he remained the sole person able to capture clear photos of Spider-Man for the newspaper, unaware that Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same. He later hiresEddie Brock to expose a perceived history of Spider-Man's criminal activity, only to reluctantly fire Brock and retract his photos upon the revelation they were doctored from similar pictures taken by Parker himself.
Originally appearing inSpider-Man (2002) and its sequelsSpider-Man 2 (2004) andSpider-Man 3 (2007), Simmons' portrayal has been universally praised and as a result, he voiced the character ina video game film tie-in, multipletelevision series and specials including recurring appearances onRobot Chicken,Ultimate Spider-Man,Avengers Assemble,Hulk and the Agents of S.M.A.S.H., andLego Marvel Super Heroes: Maximum Overload, as well as guest roles onThe Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes andThe Simpsons.[1] He also portrayed an alternate universe version of the character in theMarvel Cinematic Universe filmsSpider-Man: Far From Home (2019) andSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021) and the web seriesThe Daily Bugle (2019–2022), as well as theSony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) filmVenom: Let There Be Carnage (2021), in addition to voicing alternate reality versions of the character inSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023).
J. Jonah Jameson first premiered as a comic book character in the comic bookThe Amazing Spider-Man issue No. 1 (March 1963). Stan Lee stated in an interview onTalk of the Nation that he modeled J. Jonah Jameson as a much grumpier version of himself.[2] Later Spider-Man writersTom DeFalco andGerry Conway agreed that J. Jonah Jameson was as close as Lee ever came to a self-portrayal, with Conway elaborating that "just like Stan is a very complex and interesting guy who both has a tremendously charismatic part of himself and is an honestly decent guy who cares about people, he also has this incredible ability to go immediately to shallow. Just, BOOM, right to shallow. And that's Jameson".[3] Conway stated that whenever he wrote Jameson's dialogue, he would hear it in Lee's voice, and on one occasion even wrote a Jameson speech that was almost directly quoted from a Stan Lee speech.[3]
A live-action series,The Amazing Spider-Man featured J. Jonah Jameson as a recurring character, portrayed byDavid White inthe pilot film and byRobert F. Simon for the remainder of the series and the filmsSpider-Man Strikes Back andSpider-Man: The Dragon's Challenge. Produced byColumbia Pictures Television, it aired from 1977 to 1979.
In 1998,Sony Pictures Entertainment acquired the film and television rights to Spider-Man also including 900 characters related to the character. It is perpetual provided that Sony releases a new Spider-Man film at least once every 5.75 years.[4] The character was featured in atrilogy of live-action films directed bySam Raimi withJ. K. Simmons portraying the role of J. Jonah Jameson, with installments released from 2002 to 2007. The character served as a major source ofcomic relief throughout the series. Portrayed as a blustering, bombastic, obsessed, hyperactive man, this version of Jameson retains his dislike forSpider-Man and takes delight in anything that might discredit or defame him, but remains a good man at his core.Stan Lee was jealous upon learning of Simmons's casting that he had not been offered the role of the character he had based upon himself, but he ultimately approved of Simmons's performance.[5]
In April 2014, Simmons expressed interest in reprising his role as J. Jonah Jameson inMarc Webb'sThe Amazing Spider-Man series should the studio offer him the role.[6] ForThe Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014), a scene was written and storyboarded but never filmed for Simmons to cameo as Jameson, seeing Jameson andRobbie Robertson appear inThe Daily Bugle building duringSpider-Man andElectro's final showdown, the hero and villain crashing through the walls and wrecking the office, much to Jameson's loud disdain. While Jameson does not physically appear in the final film, it is shown that Peter Parker is working for him by providing him with photographs of Spider-Man, and that Jameson is still slandering himvia text messages andTumblr.[7]
Simmons briefly reprises his role as an alternate universe version of J. Jonah Jameson in the live-action MCU filmSpider-Man: Far From Home (2019).[8] This makes Simmons the first MCU character to be reprise a role from a different Marvel franchise. This J. Jonah Jameson appears as the host ofTheDailyBugle.net, a sensationalist "InfoWars-type video platform."[9] DirectorJon Watts noted that Simmons' performance was over-the-top in Raimi's films, but now that same performance has real-world comparisons,[10] such asAlex Jones. Simmons further portrayed the character in theSony's Spider-Man Universe (SSU) filmsVenom: Let There Be Carnage (2021) andMorbius (2022; in adeleted scene), and in a supporting role inSpider-Man: No Way Home (2021).
Simmons also voiced several versions of the character in the animated filmSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.[11]
J. Jonah Jameson is the editor-in-chief of theDaily Bugle, with a personal disliking of the vigilanteSpider-Man, considering him a "menace". He hires Peter Parker as a freelance photographer due to Parker taking clear photos of the vigilante, leading to theBugle's sales getting higher due to Spider-Man. Jameson is also shown to have a cynical, obnoxious attitude and brusque manner with his staff, though he willingly protects Parker when theGreen Goblin demands to know the identity of Spider-Man's photographer.
Two years later, Jameson admits that Spider-Man is a hero, but refuses to talk openly about it. After Spider-Man disappears, a garbage man[a] finds his suit and sells it to Jameson, who believes he successfully convinced Spider-Man to quit, publicly announcing it in his newspaper, and putting on the abandoned Spidey suit and cosplaying as Spider-Man behind closed doors. However, after crime and danger is noted as subsequently on the rise and his sonJohn's fiancée,Mary Jane Watson, is kidnapped byDoctor Octopus, Jameson publicly admits to his staff that Spider-Man is a hero, but once the vigilante returns, taking his suit back from Jameson's office, he recants his statements. After Mary Jane is rescued by Spider-Man, at the wedding of his son John, Mary Jane leaves John at the altar, to which Jameson (having paid for the wedding) asks his wife to get a refund on the food.
One year later, now taking heart medication for stress, Jameson orders Parker and new hireEddie Brock to obtain a photograph of Spider-Man proving his true criminal nature in exchange for earning a secure staff job in place of their usual freelance work, which Brock seemingly obtains. After Parker exposes Brock as having doctored his photo from one of Parker's own, Jameson immediately fires him and has the newspaper print their first retraction in 20 years. During a subsequent fight between thesymbioteVenom and theSandman against Spider-Man and theNew Goblin, Jameson, unable to locate Parker, reluctantly buys a camera from a little girl in the surrounding crowd for $100. After Jameson attempts to take a photograph of the battle, he finds that the camera contains no film, which the smiling little girl says will cost "extra", infuriating Jameson.
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Keith Carradine voiced the character inSpider-Man: The New Animated Series (2003), an alternate sequel to Raimi's original film that is considerably more dark and gritty than previous Spider-Man adaptations.[12]
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