Oscars 2022: Andrew Garfield Should Thank ‘Spider-Man’ If He Wins
On the road to the 2022 Academy Awards, there’s been a lot of talk about whether Spider-Man: No Way Home belonged on the list of nominees. In the end, the Marvel movie landed only one nomination for Best Visual Effects. While the Marvel blockbuster isn’t among Oscar’s Best Picture contenders, one of its stars, Andrew Garfield, is nominated for Best Actor for his work in Tick, Tick… Boom! Here’s why Garfield should also thank Spidey if he wins.
Andrew Garfield stars in three movies nominated for Oscars in 2022
Garfield is no stranger to the Oscar race. The actor was nominated in 2017 for Best Actor for Hacksaw Ridge. And many fans still believe he deserved a nod for his work in 2010’s The Social Network. However, in 2021, Garfield starred in three films that have earned Academy Award nominations. In addition to his nod for Tick, Tick… Boom!, the movie also received a Best Editing nomination.
In addition, his The Eyes of Tammy Faye co-star, Jessica Chastain, is the dark horse candidate for Best Actress. It remains to be seen if any of Garfield’s 2021 films wins Oscars. Chastain has to overcome a stacked category that includes past winners Olivia Colman and Nicole Kidman. Dune is the perceived frontrunner for Best Visual Effects. And Garfield himself is perhaps the third most likely Best Actor winner after Will Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch.
The actor needs to mention ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ if he wins
If Garfield does make his way to the stage on Oscar night, it’s a testament to not only the strength of his performance in Tick, Tick… Boom! and the direction of Lin-Manuel Miranda. It’s also a reflection of how Hollywood sees Garfield, and thanks to all his work in 2021 — including his fan-favorite appearance in one of the highest-grossing films of all time — he has been very top of mind for Oscar voters.
Given how political the Academy Awards can be, Garfield’s return to his version of Peter Parker only boosted his Oscar chances. Many fans and critics came out of Spider-Man: No Way Home ready and hopeful for a Garfield-led The Amazing Spider-Man 3. To that end, even though Garfield wasn’t Oscar-nominated for wearing the Spidey suit, his acceptance speech should at least include a shout-out to the role that movie played in making his win happen.
Will Andrew Garfield win an Academy Award for ‘Tick, Tick… Boom!’?
The big question, of course, is whether Garfield can pull off an Oscar win. As mentioned, the Best Actor race is a wild one in 2022. Garfield is, in fact, the sole first-time nominee in the category. Past Oscar winners Denzel Washington and Javier Bardem are up for The Tragedy of Macbeth and Being the Ricardos, respectively. However, neither star is expected to walk away with what would be their third and second Academy Award wins.
According to Gold Derby — which tracks awards season odds and predictions — Smith’s performance in King Richard is the current frontrunner. But Cumberbatch is close behind for The Power of the Dog. With both of those films also nominated for Best Picture, many pundits are giving them the edge for Best Actor. But is everyone underestimating the bump Garfield received from Spider-Man: No Way Home. We’ll know soon enough.
The 94th Academy Awards airs on ABC on March 27, 2022.
