It’s an exciting time to be a Marvel fan. If you’re a DC hater, then you’re probably revelling in the critical mauling Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has received. However, if you just love everything Marvel, you’re genuinely stoked for the arrival of Captain America: Civil War in May which will, among many other things, reveal the MCU’s Spider-Man, played by young newcomer Tom Holland.
Spidey has been the talk of the internet since he dropped by in the most recent Civil War trailer, officially announcing himself as the web-crawler. However, amid all the frenzy and hype, it’s difficult not to feel sorry for Andrew Garfield, the last actor to portray the beloved comic book character created by Stan Lee.
When Garfield was announced as the successor to Tobey Maguire, director Marc Webb said this: Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor’s work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker.
However, it didn’t quite work out like that. Critical reception was mixed and after The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony agreed to sell the character’s rights over to Marvel, thus opening up the possibility of Spidey joining up with The Avengers. Many predicted that Garfield may continue as Peter Parker in the MCU, but Holland was cast instead.
It took a little while for the ex-Spidey to speak up, but he has now done just that in a frank interview with Zaki’s Corner:
“I didn’t actually make it. I was never Spider-Man,” he said.
“I was the actor that I am. The person that I am. Struggling with trying to match up with something that I’d elevated so high in my mind. Elevated beyond what I could attain, what I could achieve. The great thing is, that’s what Peter Parker was doing as well. Peter Parker created this symbol that he couldn’t live up to. It was never enough. He never felt enough, and I never felt enough. I never felt like I was able to do enough. And I couldn’t rescue those films… even though I didn’t sleep.”
Although the poor reviews the two movies received, Garfield’s performance was commended and he’s dealt with being shunted out of the Spidey suit admirably, heaping praise on Holland.
“It feels lovely, especially because Tom Holland is a really, really great actor. He was in this movie The Impossible and he was just this incredibly powerful, sensitive, just wonderful young actor. And [he’s] a dancer, so his body’s the right [form].”
Garfield seems to be comfortable with admitting that it didn’t quite work out for him as the wall-crawling superhero and admits he’s happy to be able to watch Spider-Man as a fan once again, without the added pressure that comes with playing the character.
“I’m just really excited to just be a fan again as opposed to bearing the weight of it.”
Well said Mr Garfield, sir. Well said.
Source: Squareeyed
Irwin Fletcher
I'm an LA journalist who really lives for his profession. I have also published work as Jane Doe in various mags and newspapers across the globe. I normally write articles that can cause trouble but now I write for FTN because Nerds are never angry, so I feel safe.
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