Credit: Sony PicturesThe internationally renowned story of Peter Parker, a young resident of New York who gets bitten by a radioactive spider and undergoes a metamorphosis into the legendary superhero Spider-Man, is famous for conveying the enduring message that “great power comes with great responsibility.”
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A Spidey Legacy
The legendary tale from Marvel Comics breathes life into a beloved ensemble of characters, featuring Uncle Ben, Aunt May, Mary Jane Watson, Harry Osborne, the Green Goblin/Norman Osborn, and Doc Ock/Doctor Octopus/Otto Octavius. The Spider-Man narrative has undergone various reinterpretations across diverse media, ranging from animated adaptations to live-action films and beyond, cementing its position as an enduring legend in the realm of superhero storytelling.
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Throughout the years, actors from different dimensions of the Multiverse have assumed the iconic Spider-Man character in cinematic adaptations inspired by the Marvel Comics co-created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee. Tobey Maguire portrayed Spider-Man in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man film trilogy, which debuted in 2002, while Andrew Garfield took on the role in The Amazing Spider-Man in 2012.
Tom Holland, making his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with the 2016 film Captain America: Civil War, assumed the central role of Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Homecoming in 2017. He further depicted the character in Spider-Man: Far From Home in 2019 and the 2021 film Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he appeared alongside Maguire and Garfield.
The Spider-Verse from Sony Pictures Entertainment stands out as one of the franchise’s highly successful Spider-Man narratives after Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse became a hit in 2018. Notably, it has become part of the MCU canon, with references to Holland’s Spider-Man evident in the recent Miles Morales-centered (Shameik Moore) film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Andrew Garfield Reportedly Returns
Now, it seems as if the beloved web-slinging Amazing Spider-Man will return in an upcoming Marvel film, according to known Hollywood insider MyTimeToShineHello. Posting to X (formerly Twitter), the source quotes a Spider-Man News report on Garfield attending a “screening for Across the Spider-Verse yesterday”.
The source then claims that this is likely because Garfield is being eyed to return to the Spider-Man role in the Across the Spider-Verse sequel, Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse:
MyTimeToShineHello: Of course he is since they want him for Beyond the Spider-Verse
Spider-Man News: Andrew Garfield attended and spoke at a screening for Across the spider-verse yesterday
During this screening, Garfield spoke during a live Q&A session, going on record to say that he believed Across the Spider-Verse to be a “masterpiece of pure cinema”, and something he “think[s] we can all agree” on.
Watch a clip of the moment here:
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse screening London #AndrewGarfield
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse screening London #AndrewGarfield pic.twitter.com/vLQZUfF0h4
— CMAV (@carlimav) December 6, 2023
If it is indeed true that Garfield is returning to the Spidey role sooner rather than later, this could mean big things not just for Garfield’s Peter Parker in the realm of animation, but in the MCU as well. Seeing as the Spider-Verse world is actively connected to the MCU after the events of the latest film, the fact that Avengers: Secret Wars is allegedly gearing up to see Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man take on a lead role definitely indicates that Garfield could be the character tying both these animation and live-action worlds together.
Are you excited to see Andrew Garfield return as Spider-Man? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
More on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
In Sony Pictures Animation’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Shameik Moore’s Miles Morales meets the Spider Society. Gwen Stacy AKA Spider-Woman, is portrayed by Hailee Steinfeld — who also plays Kate Bishop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe — while Jake Johnson takes on the role of Peter B. Parker. They will reprise their roles in the upcoming film, Beyond the Spider-Verse, which debuted June 2, 2023. Joining the cast are Oscar Isaac as Miguel O’Hara, who is Spider-Man 2099, Issa Rae as Jessica Drew, also known as Spider-Woman, Daniel Kaluuya as Hobart “Hobie” Brown, or Spider-Punk, Jason Schwartzman as Jonathan Ohnn, the Spot, and Brian Tyree Henry and Jefferson Davis and Rio Morales, who portray Miles’ father and mother, respectively.