By far one of the most beloved yet bittersweet stories of Spider-Man's cinematic history is Andrew Garfield's portrayal. After his unforgettable return as “Peter 2” in Spider-Man: Could THIS be the reason for Garfield to dress up as Spidey again? Fans are wondering.
Garfield was cast to be the face of the expansion into an expansive Spider-Man universe that Sony was building starting in the 2010s. In 2012 and 2014, he headlined The Amazing Spider-Man franchise and its sequel as it followed a teenaged Peter Parker struggling between duty and disillusioned youth. Yet The Amazing Spiderman 2 didn't light cash registers on fire at the box office, only grossing $709 million—way short of what studios were expecting. So Sony had to pivot, reboot the character again in the MCU with Tom Holland acting as the new Spider-Man.
However, Garfield was redeemed in No Way Home which allowed his character to confront long standing business and reach out to fans. ‘It was cathartic', Garfield reflected about this experience to return. In an interview with Esquire, he said he would ‘100 percent' return, but only if the project ‘brought something unique, odd and exciting to the table.' We can tell that Garfield's return is far from just for fan service; it's about making the character unique and telling necessary stories.
Fans want to see Garfield on a Spider-Man spin off like Venom or Kraven the Hunter — Garfield has to return and it is all about finding that right project. There's more than enough room in 2024's Ultimate Spider-Man comic series , which reimagines Peter Parker as a middle aged hero, for being fresh.
With superhero fatigue rife all over the world, Garfield's thought-provoking approach could just be exactly what Spider-Man's heritage requires. The real question is: How will Marvel and Sony measure up to the task?
