Andrew Garfield says the role of Spider-Man could feel intimidating and sometimes even dangerous.
"I feel that about myself as a 26-year-old. I’m like, ‘Fuck, that was a lot to take on. It’s a shit-ton to take on,'" Garfield told GQ UK. "And I wanted to take it on. I was ready. I was so up for it. It didn’t feel heavy. But I think there were elements that felt very… I sensed danger for myself, in terms of fame and exposure."
The actor played the web-slinger in 2012's The Amazing Spider-Man, taking over the role for the first time since 2007 – when the hero was portrayed by Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. The film also starred Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy, Rhys Ifans as Dr. Curt Conners aka The Lizard, Sally Fields as Aunt May, and Martin Sheen as Uncle Ben.
While The Amazing Spider-Man was a hit with audiences and critics alike, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 fared much worse, even resulting in a third film being canceled.
"I don’t know if I had an expectation of doing more. I was very open to it being whatever it was meant to be. But there was an undone feeling. Like, what was that experience about? And how do I close that circle in my living room on my own?" the actor explained in regards to the planned trilogy being scrapped.
Seven years later, Garfield would reprise his Peter Parker alongside Tobey Maguire in Spider-Man: No Way Home, which became the highest-grossing film of 2021 as well as the sixth-highest-grossing film of all time (earning over $1.916 billion at the global box office against a budget of $200 million), with fans rushing to theaters to see all the Spideys in action.
"No Way Home was really just kind of beautiful. I got to treat it like a short film about Spider-Man with buddies. The pressure was off of me. It was all on Tom's shoulders. Like, it’s his trilogy. And me and Tobey were there to provide support and have as good a time as possible, actually, and be as inventive, imaginative, and kind of dumb as possible," Garfield said. "You have three people who feel real ownership over this character. But it was really, like, brotherhood first, I think. And I think that comes through in what we shot."
For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming superhero movies in 2023 and beyond.
