Andrew Garfield’s Perfect Spider-Man Future Is As Sony’s Spidey

Warning! SPOILERS for Spider-Man: No Way Home

Spider-Man: No Way Home shows that Andrew Garfield needs another chance to play Peter Parker, and his perfect Spider-Man future is as part of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. Audiences were introduced to Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man in 2012 when The Amazing Spider-Man hit theaters. However, he only made one more appearance as the friendly neighborhood superhero before Marvel Studios and Sony agreed to work together to reboot the iconic character. This led to Tom Holland taking over the role, which has been quite successful for everyone involved, but it cut Garfield’s time as Spider-Man shorter than intended.

Sony launched The Amazing Spider-Man franchise the same year The Avengers proved how lucrative shared universes could be. This propelled the studio to quickly generate plans for how their roster of Marvel characters could create a Spider-Man universe. These plans changed The Amazing Spider-Man 2, as the film included plenty of setup for future Marvel movies. Andrew Garfield was meant to return for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 and 4, and conversations were ongoing about a Sinister Six movie. Sony also began working on Venom to capitalize on the villain’s incredible popularity. Although most of these movies never happened (or changed substantially after The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s disappointment), most viewers welcomed the MCU reboot – even if it meant losing Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man.

The unexpected happened for Garfield, though, with Spider-Man: No Way Home as he was given another opportunity to bring Spider-Man to life. Reactions to the movie show that he didn’t waste this second chance, as there is growing support for him to return on a more permanent basis. Sony has yet to formally announce any plans to bring back Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man after Spider-Man: No Way Home, but they shouldn’t rely on future multiverse stories to make that possible. He is perfectly suited to be the main Spider-Man in Sony’s shared universe plans.

Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man Return Would Be Better Than Maguire’s

The returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man: No Way Home was highly anticipated, but some might not have expected the latter to steal the show. There were plenty of supporters for Garfield’s Spider-Man during his original appearances, but the common consensus was that the Amazing Spider-Man franchise didn’t live up to his performances. However, Spider-Man: No Way Home shows that he is better suited to return than Maguire. Maguire’s Spider-Man got an entire trilogy to grow, but Garfield’s Peter Parker journey was stopped in the middle. Although there is certainly room to explore both of the former versions of Spider-Man again, Garfield is better suited to return.

Part of the reason behind Garfield being a better option than Maguire to play Spider-Man again is simply due to their ages. Maguire is nearly 50 and has backed away from acting and the spotlight in recent years. He likely isn’t looking to play Spider-Man for years to come at this stage in his career. However, Andrew Garfield is still in his 30s and perfectly suited to return for more appearances. His performance in Spider-Man: No Way Home shows just how great his Spider-Man is, and the movie also teases how future appearances can explore a darker past and brighter future. All of this can happen as soon as Sony announces he’s coming back.

Sony Should Announce Garfield’s Amazing Spider-Man Return

Now that Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man approval rating is at an all-time high following Spider-Man: No Way Home, it is the perfect time for Sony to bring him back. This could happen simply by making The Amazing Spider-Man 3, but Sony is also in a position to do much more with Garfield – if he is interested in returning in a bigger capacity. He would be the perfect choice to become the main Spider-Man in Sony’s shared universe. It is no secret that Sony wants Spider-Man to be involved in their villain films, as characters like Venom, Morbius, and Kraven can only do so much without the hero being part of their stories. Spider-Man: No Way Home effectively killed theories that these films are taking place in the MCU moving forward by immediately sending Venom back to Sony’s universe after Venom: Let There Be Carnage‘s post-credits scene.

While Sony would surely like to have Holland be involved in these films, they also recognize the success of keeping him tied to the MCU. The Sony and Marvel deal might still give the former final say, but the studio wouldn’t do anything without consulting Kevin Feige. That hinders what Sony can realistically do with Spider-Man on the big screen. Bringing Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man back could solve this issue, though. Holland’s Spider-Man will remain in the MCU and still have the opportunity to visit the Sony universe occasionally. Still, Andrew Garfield can be the primary version of the web-slinger. This could make movies like Venom and Morbius part of The Amazing Spider-Man franchise.

Sony bringing Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man back opens up plenty of opportunities for the future too. He might only agree to return in non-starring roles, meaning Garfield can appear in Venom 3 and other Sony Marvel movies. It would not be surprising, though, if Sony wanted to make The Amazing Spider-Man 3 now, especially as Spider-Man: No Way Home shatters pandemic box office records.

The Amazing Spider-Man 3 Should Drop The Originals’ Story

If Sony does bring Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man back, the plans for The Amazing Spider-Man 3 need to be revisited. All signs pointed to the movie being another crowded sequel. Sony wanted the Sinister Six to form in the film, which would pay off The Amazing Spider-Man 2‘s ending and set up the Sinister Six movie. The lineup is unconfirmed, but Rhino, Vulture, and Doc Ock would’ve likely been involved based on the aforementioned tease. Reports also suggested Norman Osborn would return from the dead as King Goblin, with Dane DeHaan also meant to return as Harry Osborn. If that wasn’t enough, The Amazing Spider-Man 3 was also meant to introduce Eddie Brock, see Felicia Hardy become Black Cat, give Garfield’s Spider-Man the black symbiote suit, and have Peter meet Shailene Woodley’s Mary Jane Watson.

Since viewers just saw multiple versions of Spider-Man fight five villains, The Amazing Spider-Man 3 shouldn’t then pit Garfield against six foes all by himself. Additionally, the movie would need to consider how much time has passed between the sequels. Spider-Man: No Way Home teased how Garfield’s Spider-Man lost his way a bit after Gwen Stacy’s death. What he did during those darker years could be explored in some fashion, while the majority of The Amazing Spider-Man 3 could focus on how he’s trying to regain his hope. Elements from the sequels’ original story could still be included. Spider-Man: No Way Home having Garfield mention how he wants to fight an alien could set up Venom being the villain. Viewers could also see this Peter Parker begin to move on after Gwen and find his world’s Mary Jane.

Ultimately, Sony can still explore so much of Andrew Garfield’s Spider-Man story if they bring him back. The calls for him to return likely won’t go away anytime soon either. And while audiences will undoubtedly be happy to get more of him in any capacity after Spider-Man: No Way Home, Andrew Garfield’s best Spider-Man future is the lead of Sony’s Spider-Man Universe.

About The Author

Cooper Hood
(5626 Articles Published)

Cooper Hood is a news and feature writer for Screen Rant. He joined Screen Rant in late 2016 following a year-long stint with MCU Exchange, which came after first developing an MCU blog of his own. He graduated college in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Media & Public Communication, with a minor in Media Production. Cooper’s love for movies began by watching Toy Story and Lion King on repeat as a child, but it wasn’t until The Avengers that he took an invested interest in movies and the filmmaking process, leading him to discover the world of film journalism. Every year Cooper looks forward to seeing the latest blockbusters from the likes of Marvel, DC, and Star Wars, but also loves the rush to catch up on Oscar films near the end of the year. When he isn’t writing about or watching new releases, Cooper is a fantasy football obsessive and looking to expand his Blu-Ray collection – because physical media is still king! Follow Cooper on Twitter @MovieCooper.

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