While kids these days may look back on the Sam Raimi SPIDER-MAN films and see themas corny, folks like me have nothing but fond memories of it. From the development of their characters to interesting takes on the villains, it was a dream come true for comic book fans. Though perhaps, more than anything else, one of the standouts was J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson.

Simply put, Simmons’ take on Jameson was spot-on. He had an unhealthy hatred of Spider-Man, to his condescending laugh, quick wit, and generally unpersonable behavior–all great ingredients for a Jameson, and as such, this interpretation of the character has been dubbed by many as the quintessential J. Jonah Jameson on film. Many fans believe him to be irreplaceable, and with the Spider-Man reboot film from Sony coming up, some were hoping that if the character is indeed in the film, that he’d be cast by J.K. Simmons once more.

As happens sometimes, word has gotten out to Simmons himself. While at the Spirit Awards, Simmons was approached by ET and asked what his thoughts were on the petition. Simmons seemed a bit awkward at first, replying:

“That petition does not come from anybody that is in a position to actually do anything about it.”

But the actor wasn’t completely sour on the idea. 

“Listen, doing those movies with Sam [Raimi] was one of the great joys of my career, and you know, it was as super fun character. So I’ll never close the door on anything.”

There’s a part of me that thinks this is a bad idea. When making a reboot, there is a definite need to distance one’s self from the previous material, so as not to confuse the general audience. That being said, we are almost a decade removed from those films–and will be a decade removed when movie is actually released. As such, perhaps enough time has passed that most would not be confused by his appearance.

What do you think? Would it be awesome to see Simmons reprise his role, or do you think it’s time to give someone else a shot? Let us know your thoughts down below!

SOURCE: Change.org, ET