Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Spider-Man: No Way Home are ahead!
After months of rumors, the release of Spider-Man: No Way Home finally confirmed that this Marvel Cinematic Universe flick was a multiversal affair beyond the inclusion of Doctor Octopus, Green Goblin, Electro, Sandman and Lizard. During the third act, three generations of Spider-Men came together when Tom Holland’s Peter Parker was aided by Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s versions of the same character. While Garfield repeatedly denied he was in No Way Home in the lead-up to the movie’s release, now that it’s been in theaters for almost a month, the man who led the Amazing Spider-Man film series has finally commented about his return to the Web-Slinging role.
Speaking with Variety, Andrew Garfield recalled how director Jon Watts and producers Amy Pascal and Kevin Feige called him about appearing in Spider-Man: No Way Home, and he found their pitch to be “really, really enticing.” The idea of seeing three Spider-Men on the big screen together already hooked Garfield, but what especially appealed to him was thinking about how his Peter Parker would respond to being “dumped into this other universe” and meeting other versions of himself, as well as touch on themes like brotherhood and isolation. The Tick, Tick… Boom! star continued:
We were shooting for two weeks, Tobey and I, but I think we managed to achieve something that is not just showing up and going, ‘Hi! Bye!’ My Spider-Man got to save his younger brother’s romantic relationship, potentially. And to heal the most traumatic moment of his own life through doing it for his younger brother. Making sure that he didn’t have the same fate, there’s something cosmically beautiful about that. It meant getting a second chance at saving Gwen [Stacy, Garfield’s love interest in The Amazing Spider-Man played by Emma Stone]. You know, the spirit that Zendaya brings to MJ is so heartfelt and pure and loving, and Emma brought that similar unique spirit to Gwen.
We learned in Spider-Man: No Way Home that following Gwen Stacy’s death in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker took a more brutal approach to crimefighting and spent less time in his civilian guise. Fortunately, this Peter partnering with his fellow Spider-Men paved the way for him to end up in a better mental space, particularly when he was able to save Zendaya’s MJ from suffering the same fate as Gwen. He and Tobey Maguire’s Peter were last seen being transported back to their respective universes when Doctor Strange cast the spell to make everyone in the MCU forget Tom Holland’s Peter exists.
During the interview, Andrew Garfield also talked about how much he enjoyed spending time with Tom Holland and Andrew Garfield on Spider-Man: No Way Home and how he improvised the line where his Peter tells the other Peters that he loves them. When asked about his feelings about the “redemption” his Spider-Man goes through, Garfield responded:
I am so grateful. I’m just really, really grateful that I got to tie up some loose ends for the Peter that I was playing. I love that character and I’m grateful that I got to work with these incredible actors, this incredible director, and Marvel in conjunction with Sony. It was joyful, and a feeling of closure for me. There was so many unanswered questions for my Peter, where we left it. I got to step back in and get some healing for him. And also really supporting [Holland’s] Peter, and honoring his character completing that trilogy, not distracting or detracting from it.
Following Spider-Man: No Way Home’s release, it’s been rumored that Sony is interested in bringing Andrew Garfield back as Spider-Man, and some fans are even wondering if he could pop up in Morbius. Officially speaking, nothing’s lined up, but Garfield said he’d be willing to play Spider-Man again “if it felt right” and “very sure and certain” about himself. Right now Marvel and Sony are actively developing the next movie in Tom Holland’s Spider-Man film series, but you can be sure we’ll pass along if it’s officially announced that a fourth appearance from Garfield’s Spider-Man is on the way.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is still playing in theaters, but for those of you ready for what the MCU plans to deliver next, look through our Marvel movies guide and Marvel TV shows guide.
