To say that Hollywood hasn’t been lacking Spider-Man movies would be a serious understatement. The financial and critical success of Sam Raimi’s 2002 film sparked a cinematic phenomenon, which resulted in sequels and reboots. In recent years, some have begun to question whether there are actually too many movies centered around the iconic wall-crawler. Former Peter Parker actor Andrew Garfield was recently asked for his thoughts on the matter, and it would seem that he has no problem with the continuous flow of films.
When Andrew Garfield finished up his tenure as the Marvel hero with 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony wasted no time in moving ahead with a new Spidey. Garfield recently spoke with Andy Cohen for Sirius XM, during which the host expressed his annoyance with the massive amount of Spider-Man movies. After respectfully disagreeing with Cohen’s sentiments, the Eyes of Tammy Faye actor explained why he thinks the character has become such a fixture within the realm of cinema and pop culture as a whole:
I’m afraid I can’t co-sign that one with you. It’s like Hamlet, like you can never get enough Hamlets or Macbeths … I will vouch for the character for a second in the sense that it’s the only superhero where he’s covered head to toe. You don’t see skin color, you don’t see sexual orientation, you don’t see any of those things. Everyone can project themselves into the suit, and I think that’s why he’s probably the most beloved superhero universally, throughout every culture, throughout every race. … Yeah, I think so. I really do think so. And there’s also an ordinariness to Peter Parker that everyone can project themselves into as well.
For many people, Spider-Man was indeed the first superhero they could truly connect with. As Andrew Garfield pointed out, pretty much anyone can put themselves in the web-slinger’s shoes. 2018’s Into the Spider-Verse actually did an excellent job of driving home the point that “anyone can wear the mask.”
Andrew Garfield went on to explain how he felt when he learned that Tom Holland, who was cast in 2015, would be taking on the mantle. He also shared a sweet memory that further cements his personal love of the Spider-Man character:
So, for me, when my tenure was done and Tom Holland’s tenure started, it was… I don’t share your sentiments, I’m afraid. I was very happy and very excited. And yes, it was the first Halloween costume when I was three. My mum made it out of felt, it was this beautiful thing. So I get it, I get the hunger, it’s something that I can get down with.
Considering the box office receipts we’ve seen for the franchise over the past several years, the “hunger” is definitely there, and Sony is primed to give fans a serious feast in the form of Spider-Man: No Way Home. The highly anticipated third installment appears to be the culmination of not just Tom Holland’s film series but potentially those of his predecessors as well.
Andrew Garfield has been on the hot seat as of late, as many believe he’ll be reprising his Peter Parker role for the film. While there have been small pieces of evidence that seem to indicate his involvement, the actor has flatly denied he’s a part of the movie.
Regardless of whether Andrew Garfield ever dons his Spidey suit again, it’s nice to hear that he still has plenty of affection for the Marvel Comics hero. And who knows, maybe Garfield is in Spider-Man: No Way Home and it was his love of the character that convinced him to join. We’ll know for sure when the film swings into theaters on December 17.
