The cliché I tried to avoid was I hated "teenage sidekicks." I always figured if I were a superhero, there's no way on God's earth that I'm gonna pal around with some teenager. So my publisher insisted I have a teenager in the series, because they always felt teenagers won't read the books unless there's a teenager in the story; which is nonsense.

Everybody learns differently and everybody gets to a certain point from a different direction.

You remember when Tobey Maguire was first selected, most of the fans were angry. They felt, what kind of a guy is that for a superhero? Nobody thought it was a good idea. Yet he turned out to be great. The people at Marvel who do these things are really pretty smart. If they chose this guy, he'll probably be terrific.

If you are interested in what you do, that keeps you going!

I don't really see a need to retire as long as I am having fun.

You always exaggerate things in a movie. If it makes a good visual and it excites the kids that's good.

I'd like to own Intel... I'd like to own Microsoft... I'd love to have Warner Bros in my hip pocket.