TOKYO: Spider-Man may have discovered his dark side in the latest film about the comic-book hero, but actor Tobey Maguire says he loves him all the same.

In Spider-Man 3, the superhero originally known as Peter Parker fights a sinister alter-ego represented by a completely black-clad Spider-Man. “I do like Peter very much. I love that character,” Maguire told a news conference on March 1 for the Japanese release of the movie.

In the latest film, Peter feels “confidence that people, the public, adore him and... he’s even feeling a little arrogant and cocky. And it starts to get him into trouble,” Maguire said. “But going into the darker side of Peter Parker was really interesting and fun, to find that tone of how far to push that without losing the character.”

The film shows a more human side of the superhero, said director Sam Raimi. “Everybody makes mistakes,” Raimi said. “We all sometimes wrong others, even a hero.”