diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index fe0ccf1..9c1910d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -231,6 +231,7 @@ env.str("EMAIL", validate=[Length(min=4), Email()])
 
 By default, a validation error is raised immediately upon calling a parser method for an invalid environment variable.
 To defer validation and raise an exception with the combined error messages for all invalid variables, pass `eager=False` to `Env`.
+Unvalidated variables may have any type, usually `str | None`.
 Call `env.seal()` after all variables have been parsed.
 
 ```python
diff --git a/src/environs/__init__.py b/src/environs/__init__.py
index b4aeb2e..ac221af 100644
--- a/src/environs/__init__.py
+++ b/src/environs/__init__.py
@@ -8,9 +8,23 @@
 import re
 import typing
 from collections.abc import Mapping
+from datetime import (
+    date as _date,
+)
+from datetime import (
+    datetime as _datetime,
+)
+from datetime import (
+    time as _time,
+)
+from datetime import (
+    timedelta as _timedelta,
+)
+from decimal import Decimal
 from enum import Enum
 from pathlib import Path
 from urllib.parse import ParseResult, urlparse
+from uuid import UUID
 
 import marshmallow as ma
 from dotenv.main import _walk_to_root, load_dotenv
@@ -27,7 +41,36 @@
 Subcast = typing.Union[typing.Type, typing.Callable[..., _T], ma.fields.Field]
 FieldType = typing.Type[ma.fields.Field]
 FieldOrFactory = typing.Union[FieldType, FieldFactory]
-ParserMethod = typing.Callable
+
+
+_int = int
+_bool = bool
+_str = str
+_float = float
+_list = typing.List[typing.Any]
+_dict = typing.Dict[str, typing.Any]
+
+
+class _ParserMethod(typing.Generic[_T]):
+    """Duck typing, do not use"""
+
+    @typing.overload  # type: ignore[no-overload-impl]
+    def __call__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        default: None,
+        subcast: typing.Optional[Subcast] = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> typing.Optional[_T]: ...
+
+    @typing.overload
+    def __call__(
+        self,
+        name: str,
+        default: typing.Union[ma.utils._Missing, _T] = ma.missing,
+        subcast: typing.Optional[Subcast] = None,
+        **kwargs,
+    ) -> _T: ...
 
 
 _EXPANDED_VAR_PATTERN = re.compile(r"(?<!\\)\$\{([A-Za-z0-9_]+)(:-[^\}:]*)?\}")
@@ -63,7 +106,7 @@ def _field2method(
     *,
     preprocess: typing.Optional[typing.Callable] = None,
     preprocess_kwarg_names: typing.Sequence[str] = tuple(),
-) -> ParserMethod:
+):
     def method(
         self: "Env",
         name: str,
@@ -140,7 +183,7 @@ def method(
     return method
 
 
-def _func2method(func: typing.Callable, method_name: str) -> ParserMethod:
+def _func2method(func: typing.Callable, method_name: str):
     def method(
         self: "Env",
         name: str,
@@ -359,20 +402,20 @@ def _format_num(self, value) -> int:
 class Env:
     """An environment variable reader."""
 
-    __call__: ParserMethod = _field2method(ma.fields.Field, "__call__")
+    __call__: _ParserMethod[str] = _field2method(ma.fields.Field, "__call__")
 
-    int = _field2method(ma.fields.Int, "int")
-    bool = _field2method(ma.fields.Bool, "bool")
-    str = _field2method(ma.fields.Str, "str")
-    float = _field2method(ma.fields.Float, "float")
-    decimal = _field2method(ma.fields.Decimal, "decimal")
-    list = _field2method(
+    int: _ParserMethod[_int] = _field2method(ma.fields.Int, "int")
+    bool: _ParserMethod[_bool] = _field2method(ma.fields.Bool, "bool")
+    str: _ParserMethod[_str] = _field2method(ma.fields.Str, "str")
+    float: _ParserMethod[_float] = _field2method(ma.fields.Float, "float")
+    decimal: _ParserMethod[Decimal] = _field2method(ma.fields.Decimal, "decimal")
+    list: _ParserMethod[_list] = _field2method(
         _make_list_field,
         "list",
         preprocess=_preprocess_list,
         preprocess_kwarg_names=("subcast", "delimiter"),
     )
-    dict = _field2method(
+    dict: _ParserMethod[_dict] = _field2method(
         ma.fields.Dict,
         "dict",
         preprocess=_preprocess_dict,
@@ -384,19 +427,29 @@ class Env:
             "delimiter",
         ),
     )
-    json = _field2method(ma.fields.Field, "json", preprocess=_preprocess_json)
-    datetime = _field2method(ma.fields.DateTime, "datetime")
-    date = _field2method(ma.fields.Date, "date")
-    time = _field2method(ma.fields.Time, "time")
-    path = _field2method(PathField, "path")
-    log_level = _field2method(LogLevelField, "log_level")
-    timedelta = _field2method(ma.fields.TimeDelta, "timedelta")
-    uuid = _field2method(ma.fields.UUID, "uuid")
-    url = _field2method(URLField, "url")
-    enum = _func2method(_enum_parser, "enum")
-    dj_db_url = _func2method(_dj_db_url_parser, "dj_db_url")
-    dj_email_url = _func2method(_dj_email_url_parser, "dj_email_url")
-    dj_cache_url = _func2method(_dj_cache_url_parser, "dj_cache_url")
+    json: _ParserMethod[_dict] = _field2method(
+        ma.fields.Field, "json", preprocess=_preprocess_json
+    )
+    datetime: _ParserMethod[_datetime] = _field2method(ma.fields.DateTime, "datetime")
+    date: _ParserMethod[_date] = _field2method(ma.fields.Date, "date")
+    time: _ParserMethod[_time] = _field2method(ma.fields.Time, "time")
+    path: _ParserMethod[Path] = _field2method(PathField, "path")
+    log_level: _ParserMethod[_int] = _field2method(LogLevelField, "log_level")
+    timedelta: _ParserMethod[_timedelta] = _field2method(
+        ma.fields.TimeDelta, "timedelta"
+    )
+    uuid: _ParserMethod[UUID] = _field2method(ma.fields.UUID, "uuid")
+    url: _ParserMethod[_str] = _field2method(URLField, "url")
+    enum: _ParserMethod[Enum] = _func2method(_enum_parser, "enum")
+    dj_db_url: _ParserMethod[typing.Dict[_str, _str]] = _func2method(
+        _dj_db_url_parser, "dj_db_url"
+    )
+    dj_email_url: _ParserMethod[typing.Dict[_str, _str]] = _func2method(
+        _dj_email_url_parser, "dj_email_url"
+    )
+    dj_cache_url: _ParserMethod[typing.Dict[_str, _str]] = _func2method(
+        _dj_cache_url_parser, "dj_cache_url"
+    )
 
     def __init__(self, *, eager: _BoolType = True, expand_vars: _BoolType = False):
         self.eager = eager
@@ -406,7 +459,7 @@ def __init__(self, *, eager: _BoolType = True, expand_vars: _BoolType = False):
         self._values: typing.Dict[_StrType, typing.Any] = {}
         self._errors: ErrorMapping = collections.defaultdict(list)
         self._prefix: typing.Optional[_StrType] = None
-        self.__custom_parsers__: typing.Dict[_StrType, ParserMethod] = {}
+        self.__custom_parsers__: typing.Dict[_StrType, _ParserMethod] = {}
 
     def __repr__(self) -> _StrType:
         return f"<{self.__class__.__name__}(eager={self.eager}, expand_vars={self.expand_vars})>"  # noqa: E501