Jake Gyllenhaal Shares Why He Decided to Join the MCU

One of the standout moments from the "Spider-Man: Far From Home" teaser trailer since it debuted earlier this month has been the debut of Mysterio.

Jake Gyllenhaal has long been courted by Hollywood to suit up as a hero on the big screen, but this is the first time the actor has committed to a role of this style. During the Sundance Film Festival this past weekend, Gyllenhaal spoke to the Los Angeles Times about his decision to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

What drew him to the role of Mysterio? According to Gyllenhaal, it always comes down to character-driven roles. "[Mysterio's] a great character. You know, it was one of those things that people have asked me for a number of years, 'Are you going to do...? Do you want to do a movie like that, or if you were asked to, would you?'" said Gyllenhaal. "And my response has always been, particularly since being at Sundance, so many of the stories are character-driven, and that has always been my desire, to find something in that space that seems to match my skill, and also what I love and my own honesty. And it just so happened that it does with that part. So I'm glad that people feel excited about it."

Interested in learning more about the character Mysterio? Get to know Mysterio's comic book roots with a look at his history with Spider-Man. Need more? Start with these 5 must-read Mysterio comics.

Peter Parker returns in "Spider-Man: Far From Home," the next chapter of the "Spider-Man: Homecoming" series! Our friendly neighborhood Super Hero decides to join his best friends Ned, MJ, and the rest of the gang on a European vacation. However, Peter’s plan to leave super heroics behind for a few weeks are quickly scrapped when he begrudgingly agrees to help Nick Fury uncover the mystery of several elemental creature attacks, creating havoc across the continent!

Spider-Man swings back into theaters in "Spider-Man: Far From Home" on July 5, 2019.