Andrew Garfield Explains His Thoughtful Intention Playing Spider-Man
Andrew Garfield's approach to playing Spider-Man held far more nuance and thought than one might think. Though he's mainly known for appearing in indie movies and awards fare, Garfield spent some time in the blockbuster realm when he played Peter Parker in Sony's The Amazing Spider-Man movies. The actor has spoken openly about how his passion for the character led him to accept the role. Unlike his fellow onscreen Peters, Tobey Maguire and Tom Holland, Garfield only got the chance to play Spider-Man in two films.
That's because, despite Sony's grand ambitions for the Amazing Spider-Man franchise, the movies struggled to get off the ground. The first film, released in 2012, earned mostly positive reviews and a solid $758 million worldwide. Then, 2014's The Amazing Spider-Man 2 received more mixed responses from fans and critics, and it became the lowest-grossing Spider-Man movie of all time. Sony had been trying to set up a Sinister Six project, but that fell apart, as did a third Amazing Spider-Man. The studio has since partnered with Marvel Studios on new movies focused on Holland's iteration of the character.
Despite the issues that came with the Amazing Spider-Man movies, Garfield approached the role with genuine care. Speaking to Total Film (via GamesRadar), he reflected upon his original intention behind playing Spider-Man. Garfield saw the story of Spider-Man as something deeper than a merchandise-spewing franchise, which guided him in his research. He said:
My intention... I started studying myth, which is the basis of comic-book films and comic books generally. And you go, "Oh, right. The responsibility of modern filmmakers is the same as the person telling the story around the campfire." Stories are the things that remind us of who we are as human beings, and we actually have an opportunity to provide deep wisdom and medicine and guidance. So for me, it was like: How do I help to infuse this with as much soul and universality as possible, knowing that millions of young people are going to be watching? So it's not an exercise in selling t-shirts and mugs and Happy Meals, but it's giving young people the opportunity to feel their own extraordinariness, and their own ordinariness, and seeing someone who's just like them struggle with those two things living inside of themselves. So for me, it was about that. And then, you know, there's everyone else that's serving their own masters.
There's a chance Garfield will get the chance to redeem his Spider-Man, though the jury's out on whether it's actually happening or not. Online reports have insisted that he will be one of the many Spider-Man alumni appearing in this December's MCU movie Spider-Man: No Way Home. Garfield himself has repeatedly insisted he has nothing to do with it, though a leaked video appeared to show him on set. He's argued that it was photoshopped, but little he says has convinced anyone he won't suit up alongside Maguire and Holland.
Regardless of whether he revisits his Spider-Man, Garfield brought only good intentions to the role. Someone might look at superhero movies and see them as nothing more than silly spectacle. Garfield knew there was something deeper in the part, something all fans could likely relate to. His comments make one want to revisit his performance and find that mythical quality he sought out. The years since the 2014 movie have actually been kind to Garfield's Spider-Man, since there are many who have said they actually enjoy him in the role. He might be one of the more contentious versions of Spider-Man, but at least Garfield gave it his all.
Source: Total Film (via GamesRadar)