It’s been over seven years since Andrew Garfield made his last appearance as Spider-Man on the big screen. And even though Garfield is appearing in two new movies this year, it seems like all anyone wants to ask him about lately is his rumored appearance in Spider-Man: No Way Home. Unfortunately, there are six weeks remaining before a definitive answer to that question hits theaters. But if it turns out that Garfield is in the movie, hopefully his experience was more enjoyable than the last time he suited up as the webslinger.
Garfield previously expressed disappointment with his two Amazing Spider-Man films in a 2016 installment of Variety’s Actors on Actors series. While speaking with Amy Adams, he lamented the fact that “story and character” didn’t seem like Sony’s top priority during production. Garfield seemed to echo these feelings in a new interview with The Guardian. He also implied that the experience ultimately changed the way he accepted roles going forward.
“I went from being a naive boy to growing up,” said Garfield. “How could I ever imagine that it was going to be a pure experience?” […] “There are millions of dollars at stake and that’s what guides the ship. It was a big awakening and it hurt.”
By now, everyone knows that Sony was rebooting the Spider-Man franchise just to hold onto the film rights. So Garfield’s remarks actually make a lot of sense. But since Garfield had been a fan of the character since childhood, it was still a crushing blow to endure.
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“Comic-Con in San Diego is full of grown men and women still in touch with that pure thing the character meant to them,” continued Garfield. “[But] you add in market forces and test groups and suddenly the focus is less on the soul of it and more on ensuring we make as much money as possible. And I found that–find that–heartbreaking in all matters of the culture. Money is the thing that has corrupted all of us and led to the terrible ecological collapse that we are all about to die under.”
“I’m just kidding, I’m just kidding!” added Garfield. “I mean, it’ll take a bunch of years before that happens.”
Garfield’s disillusionment with big studio movies might be why he’s generally pursued more character-driven work over the last few years. Regardless, it’s hard to say he made the wrong choice. In 2017, Garfield received his very first Oscar nomination for his role in Hacksaw Ridge, and the following year, he won a Tony Award for his performance in Angels in America. Meanwhile, his latest projects, The Eyes of Tammy Faye and Tick, Tick…Boom! are currently generating strong awards buzz.
What do you make of Garfield’s latest comments about his Spider-Man experience? Let us know in the comment section below!
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