Andrew Garfield ‘Would 100% Come Back’ as Spider-Man if It’s ‘Additive to the Culture,’ Assumed Tobey Maguire Wouldn’t Return for ‘No Way Home’

Andrew Garfield told Esquire magazine as part of a new cover story that returning as Spider-Man after his beloved appearance in 2021’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” depends on the idea being “unique” enough and “additive to the culture.” The two-time Oscar nominee debuted as Peter Parker in 2012’s “The Amazing Spider-Man,” but his tenure as the superhero was cut short when 2014’s “Amazing Spider-Man 2” underperformed at the box office.

Garfield said he was “left dangling” when the Spider-Man role came to such an abrupt end. It was the underperformance of his Spider-Man sequel that resulted in Sony coming to an agreement with Disney to share the character so that he could officially enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which opened the door to Tom Holland’s iteration of the web-slinger. “No Way Home” powered to $1.9 billion worldwide by bringing Holland’s Spider-Man face to face with Garfield’s version and the one played by Tobey Maguire, who starred in three “Spider-Man” films directed by Sam Raimi.

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“I thought Tobey is not going to want to do that. He’ll act every 10 years much to my chagrin, and I’ve shared that to him,” Garfield admitted about his “No Way Home” doubts. “When I heard that he was kind of leaning in I thought it was either going to be the greatest thing in the world or the worst thing in the world. I am so grateful because it was the most joyful thing ever. All the pressure was on Tom.”

“No Way Home” was widely viewed as a vindication for Garfield’s Spider-Man, and it was such an enormous success at the box office that comic book movie fans are still asking Garfield when he’ll be back as Spider-Man.

“For sure, I would 100% come back if it was the right thing, if it’s additive to the culture, if there’s a great concept or something that hasn’t been done before that’s unique and odd and exciting and that you can sink your teeth into,” the actor told Esquire. “I love that character, and it brings joy. If part of what I bring is joy, then I’m joyful in return.”

Garfield has always remained open to returning as Spider-Man if the circumstances are right, after all he knows that the comic book role will be “the top line of my obituary.” He next stars opposite Florence Pugh in the A24 romance drama “We Live in Time,” in theaters Oct. 11.