‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’: Andrew Garfield Reveals That Saving Zendaya’s MJ ‘Sold’ Him on Doing the Film
Spider-Man: No Way Home is proving one of Marvel’s best films of all time — and given its scale, it’s easy to see why. The movie brings years of Spider-Man storytelling to a close, giving Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield’s iterations of the character a proper send-off in the process. As it turns out, one specific scene convinced Garfield to return: his emotional redemption with Zendaya’s MJ.
Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker never resolved 1 storyline
Of the three live-action Peter Parkers, Andrew Garfield’s had the least closure following his Spider-Man movies. That’s because the actor never got to finish out The Amazing Spider-Man trilogy. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 had a suboptimal performance, and then Marvel decided to recast the hero for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
For that reason, Garfield’s Peter Parker never got the chance to reckon with Gwen Stacy’s (Emma Stone) death at the end of the second film. His inability to save her was tragic — but not as much as the fact that audiences never got to see him move on.
And the chance to redeem himself in Spider-Man: No Way Home is what “sold” Garfield on reprising his role. Apparently, fans weren’t the only ones looking for some closure.
Why his scene with Zendaya made him join ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’
Now that Andrew Garfield’s involvement in Spider-Man: No Way Home is out in the open, the star is finally talking about his big comeback and how it came to fruition.
In an interview with Variety, he admitted that his emotional moment with MJ sealed the deal. It gave him the opportunity to address what happened with Gwen in his own films, paralleling it in a way that felt right:
“Oh my god, I don’t even know where to start with that. It’s too big. Gwen had agency. In our film, on her final day, she shows up. I tried to restrain her from showing up to that scene with Electro [Jamie Foxx]. I knew that it was too dangerous, but she chose to be there. She had a hand in her own destiny in that way, and the movie is about fate. I will say the image of my catching [Zendaya’s] MJ — that was really beautiful and it kind of sold me on the whole thing.”
Garfield added that he was “really, really grateful” to give his Peter Parker a proper conclusion. But is Spider-Man: No Way Home really the last time he’ll wear the suit?
Could Andrew Garfield return as Spider-Man again?
Andrew Garfield seems to have had a positive experience working on Spider-Man: No Way Home, and it’s left many fans wondering if he’ll ever play Peter Parker again. Many are pushing for Sony to greenlight The Amazing Spider-Man 3. Calls for him to show up in the MCU or fight Tom Hardy’s Venom have also made the rounds.
The question of reprising the role once more came up during Garfield’s conversation with Variety. And the actor’s response might give fans hope.
“I mean, yes, [I’m] definitely open to something if it felt right,” Garfield said. “Peter and Spider-Man, those characters are all about service, to the greater good and the many.”
Perhaps we haven’t seen the last of Garfield in the Spidey suit after all.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is currently playing in theaters.
