Prior to the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony had plans to bring Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker back for a further two instalments, as well as launching an entire shared universe around the wall-crawler with spinoff movies for Venom and The Sinister Six.
Of course, given the negative reception towards 2014’s sequel, those plans never materialised, as Sony instead opted to strike a deal with Marvel to bring Spidey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with this year’s Captain America: Civil War and leading to the solo reboot Spider-Man: Homecoming.
During an interview with Fandango, Andrew Garfield was asked for his thoughts on the situation, with the actor revealing that he’s actually pleased that Spider-Man is now back with Marvel, as well as offering up some praise for his successor Tom Holland.
“To be honest, I would not have been able to work with Mel Gibson and Martin Scorsese if I had done Spider-Man 3,” said Garfield, referring to his new films Hacksaw Ridge and Silence. “I’m incredibly grateful that I get to now go and watch another man play Spider-Man who I think is a fantastic actor in Tom Holland. You know what, it’s sliding doors, right? There are so many possible outcomes; so many positives and potential downsides to that situation. If I am being totally honest, I am so excited Spider-Man is back in the hands of Marvel. I think that’s a really awesome move. It was a move that I’ve been advocating since I was offered the Spider-Man gig five or six years ago. I’m also excited for Tom Holland. I think he’s a very emotional, truthful, funny, physical actor, and I love the filmmaker — it all really couldn’t be in any better hands. I’m really stoked for it.”
Garfield will next be seen in Mel Gibson’s World War II drama Hacksaw Ridge, which opens in the US on November 4th, followed by Martin Scorsese’s Silence in January. Meanwhile, Tom Holland’s Spider-Man will swing back onto our screens in Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 7th.
Originally published October 28, 2016. Updated November 30, 2022.
