After Andrew Garfield surprised Marvel fans everywhere by showing up in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside Tom Holland and Tobey Maguire, we wouldn’t be surprised if the actor is asked about being in upcoming Spider-Man movies and TV shows for years and years to come. Now, the actor has spoken about that exact topic, diving into the pros and cons of consistently being questioned about playing the iconic Marvel character.
Andrew Garfield is currently serving on the jury for the Marrakech Film Festival alongside other big names like Jacob Elordi, Patricia Arquette and Challengers director Luca Guadagnino. During a press conference at the fest, Garfield said this (via Variety) about the continued interest in The Amazing Spider-Man:
I want the focus to be on the story that I'm telling more than anything else. So, I had to work very hard to have less people ask questions about Spider-Man. I’m still working on it, obviously. It’s an imperfect process.
Andrew Garfield says he "had to work very hard to have less people ask questions about Spider-Man" but he’s "grateful for that time" because it allowed him to have "an easier shot at working with people like Martin Scorsese" on "Silence." #MarrakechFestival pic.twitter.com/wT8Nw5qxgRNovember 30, 2024
It sounds like there’s a gift and curse to being really well-known for one really beloved role. On the one hand, it makes you famous and beloved, and on the other, people can’t stop seeing you as the said famed character.
While Andrew Garfield always speaks fondly about his Spider-Man role, even sharing he could be convinced to return once more last month, he also feels he needs to work extra hard to be known as more than a one-trick pony.
Garfield came up in the industry in independent movies in the early 2000s before finding his first mainstream role with David Fincher’s The Social Network in 2010 (which recently went viral on TikTok years later). It was also around that time when he was cast as Spider-Man.
Outside his Marvel role, he kept with passion projects and smaller films rather than being a franchise magnet. Plus, he has earned two Oscar nominations for incredible leading performances in Hacksaw Ridge and Tick, Tick… Boom!
Andrew Garfield also said this about the impact Spider-Man has had on his career at the press conference:
But, yeah I'm grateful for that time. It allowed me to maybe have an easier shot at working with people like Martin Scorsese straight after.
While answering questions about Spider-Man could get old, being the superhero has also afforded him some amazing opportunities, such as working with Martin Scorsese for 2016’s Silence.
Andrew Garfield felt the legendary director was more inclined to hire him on the historical drama because he was a known name by the time he was looking to helm it. As the We Live In Time actor said:
I think Marty probably was able to get a passion project made with a guy who played Spider-Man in the lead to play a Jesuit priest in the 1600s of Japan. And, the fact that that film got made with the help of Spider-Man is a beautiful thing.
Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man movies ultimately were cut short by the character getting a reboot in the MCU with Tom Holland’s version and a devastating ending for his Peter Parker. However, the actor did get another shot to play the character in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
The actor has spoken before about not thinking he’d ever wear the suit again, but now that he has, we deeply wish he would continue to be part of the Spider-Man films. For example, why wasn’t he in the Venom movies?
Overall, Andrew Garfield has a solid perspective on being asked Spider-Man questions, especially since we don’t see that going away anytime soon.
